Gala Inspiration

Guests, like actress Riley Keough, posed for photographers in front of the entry wall, which displayed photos from the museum’s first gala in 1967. “It was overwhelming initially, but then we realized it was interesting to focus on the year the building opened, and even within that there were a plethora of things to choose from,” explained Stark about searching the museum’s archives for inspiration.

A 24-hour time lapse of the views from the new building was projected on the fourth-floor gallery walls of the Breuer building. “The difference in mood between the Breuer building and the new building is something that will take some getting used to. Breuer was like a vault—slate floors, concrete everywhere, few windows; the new building is light-infused, bright, and transparent; rooms are separated by glass. Everything is open. It’s a more expansive atmosphere,” Rogak said.

The cocktail and studio party decor included a bar and cocktail tables constructed from repurposed shipping crates—some were authentic crates from the museum, others were newly manufactured for the event.

The names of every artist who once had an exhibition in the Breuer building were handwritten on the walls of the third-floor dining space.

“We’re leaving our mark with all the artists who have graced the walls of this museum, and then bringing that overhead with the lanterns and bringing it to the tables and the centerpieces,” said Stark about the dining room decor, which included paper lanterns with the honorees’ names.

Sculptural representations of different years in the life of the Breuer building, along with the names of that year’s exhibitions, served as the dining room centerpieces.

Peonies in pink tones added a pop of color to the tables’ black-and-white decor.

Elvis Costello performed during dinner. In addition to the artists in attendance, gala guests included Nigel Barker, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Padma Lakshmi, John McEnroe, and Hilary Rhoda.

Guests dined on a pot-au-feu with squash, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts; branzino baked in parchment; and mocha and raspberry baked Alaska for dessert, by Olivier Cheng Catering and Events.

Layered collages made from news clippings, photographs, catalog covers, and invitations from the Whitney’s exhibitions and events created a museum timeline that lined the wall of the party’s lounge space.

Playing off the moving theme, Stark created construction-inspired wall art, shaping utilitarian extension cords into closing phrases, such as “See you soon” and “Stay tuned.” As for the new space, Rogak sees a bright, busy future: “We anticipate a 70 percent increase in external events, in addition to our regular schedule of internal events and three major annual fund-raising events.”

The event featured a special installation by artist Will Pappenheimer, who designed an augmented reality mobile app titled Proxy, 5-WM2A. The virtual “drug” experience allowed guests to view the space along with trippy, hallucinatory graphics on their phones.

Brooklyn-based Flour Shop provided an assortment of sweet treats for the partygoers, including sugar cookies with the names of some of the artists spelled out in icing.

Guests could pose at the photo booth station provided by Smilebooth.

The studio party featured a DJ set by Zen Freeman, who spun in front of a backdrop of archival newspaper headlines announcing the opening of the building in 1967.

For the American Art Award gala, the Whitney Museum of American Art's event team and designer Ron Wendt drew inspiration from the night's honorees to come up with the Pop Art theme. Tablecloths in primary colors echoed Roy Lichtenstein's work.

Rather than flowers for the American Art Award gala's tabletop centerpieces, Wendt recreated one of Lichtenstein's paintings. The sculptural pieces included fruit and bowls covered in tin foil.

Approximately 400 guests attended the seated dinner for the Whitney's American Art Award this year. A wall on one side of the space held the items created for the following night's Art Party, allowing gala guests to preview the pieces.

Wendt intentionally left one of the venue's walls bare, allowing for projections. The first night guests watched a documentary on artists Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol.

Silver mylar balloons were used as decor both nights, matching the Pop Art aesthetic of the first night and the more playful vibe of the second.

At the Art Party, tin foil remained on the walls, but the dinner tables and chairs were cleared out to make room for the bars and more lounge-style seating. And with the American Art Award's colorful tablecloths and sculptural centerpieces removed, the venue's color scheme was changed to a silver-and-white look.

The open layout of the Art Party not only provided room for a larger number of guests, but matched the event's more mingle-focused identity.

Mid-century modern furniture formed lounge areas for the Whitney's Art Party. Wendt sourced the items from a collector, aspiring to match event sponsor Max Mara's aesthetic and give the venue a different look.

A wall displaying the items up for auction become the focal point of the Art Party, with much of the space around it cleared so guests could browse the pieces.

Online platform Artsy hosted the silent auction for the Whitney's Art Party; guests could make bids at one of several kiosks set up around Highline Stages or via an iPhone app.

The projection wall was used to display a live feed of the silent auction, showing the items and their current bids as well as flashing bright purple whenever a new bid was made.