Charity:Ball
To encourage attendees to make on-site donations at its December Charity:Ball in New York, nonprofit Charity:Water sold yellow helium-filled balloons for $5 each. Guests could release their brightly colored inflatables into a 28-foot-tall, 20-foot-wide net rigged to the ceiling of the 69th Regiment Armory. As the inflatable orbs filled the structure, it started to resemble a giant yellow Jerry can, Charity:Water's signature symbol.
Photo: Courtesy of Charity:Water
To give the cocktail area a focal point and conversation piece, event designer David Stark outlined the museum's historic home using fluorescent tape provided by 3M.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
In another installation, gala guests could draw or write what design means to them using more of 3M's brightly colored adhesive strips. The corporation, which has been involved with the Cooper-Hewitt's exhibitions in the past, donated the supply of tape.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
To give attendees inspiration and show how a simple material can be used to create something eye-catching, Stark's team crafted a dress made entirely from tape. Museum associate director Caroline Baumann said the museum has already received a request to purchase the piece.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
Large graphic table numbers added colorful decorative elements to the dinner area. Baumann explained that many guests took the pieces home as keepsakes.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
Instead of paper, Stark employed rolls of tape to serve as place cards on the dinner tables.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
Unlike previous years, the museum asked guests at its gala to pledge support for its renovation, a call for donations made by Baumman (pictured, left) and director Bill Moggridge (pictured, right) in their opening address during dinner. Guests could participate by writing on their place cards and sticking the strips to the center of their tables.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
The Cooper-Hewitt honored several individuals and companies with National Design awards, including Architecture Research Office's Stephen Cassell, Kim Yao, and Adam Yarinsky (pictured, left to right), who won the Architecture Design award.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
An after-party followed dinner, where an additional 100 guests joined the party. Baumann said people were playing with the colorful tape while others danced and many even took home the table numbers at the end of the night.
Photo: Richard Patterson/Courtesy of Cooper-Hewitt
