Club B

November 13, 2015

Side Yards

The Yards hosted its second annual Side Yards at Yards Park on November 7 in Washington. The sideshow spectacle featured three stages of entertainment by Circus of Wonders, and a variety of hanging umbrellas were part of the event's decor.

Photo: Joy Asico/asicophoto

4.01K Race For Retirement

Prudential Financial's first "4.01K Race for Retirement" took place November 7 at the R.F.K. Stadium Festival Grounds in Washington. More than 5,000 people participated, and post-race, runners played interactive games on iPads that helped them learn about retirement savings strategies.

Photo: Kevin Wolf/AP Images for Prudential Financial, Inc.

LG's "Divide & Conquer on Broadway" Promotional Event

To promote its new Twin Wash washing machine, LG hosted a daylong series of Broadway-inspired performances involving giant puppets in New York's Times Square on November 3. Choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, the show integrated the way the washing works by staging a "battle" between a pink robe (representing "delicates") against a striped shirt and pants (representing "regulars"), which were maneuvered by six puppeteers alongside dancers specializing in acrobatics, martial arts, and Brazilian martial art capoeira.

Photo: Stephanie Diani/AP Images for Verizon

Fight Night

The 26th annual Fight Night, Fight for Children's largest annual fund-raiser, took place November 5 at the Washington Hilton in D.C. The evening paid tribute to Mohammed Ali and his iconic "Thrilla in Manilla" fight of 1975. A backdrop wall incorporated three screens that showed footage of iconic Ali fights as well as a trailer for the new boxing movie Creed.

Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash

Fight Night

Hargrove suspended boxing gloves from the ceiling behind the check-in desk.

Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash

Fight Night

Guests could test their strength with a speed bag machine at the V.I.P. reception.

Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash

Dining by Design

Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS hosted Dining by Design at Chicago's Merchandise Mart November 4 and 5. Installations included a setup from Herman Miller Geiger Furniture by Gensler that was loosely inspired by a hospital waiting room. Syringes and small red toys were found on trays next to the wooden seats, and a ceiling of white balloons hung overhead.

Photo: Barry Brecheisen for BizBash

Dining by Design

Wolf Gordon by the Getty's Group curtained off its booth, and guests stood in line to enter the mysterious installation. With a "Secret Society of Benevolence" theme, the space had a back wall made of black envelopes sealed with golden hearts. Guests could take the envelopes off the wall, and instructions inside bid them to perform kind tasks, such as offering compliments to fellow partygoers. A large-scale graphic design was slowly revealed as guests took more envelopes.

Photo: Barry Brecheisen for BizBash

Dining by Design

A vignette from Leopardo by VOA evoked a Moroccan train car. Simple wooden tables, topped with white flowers and Moroccan tea glasses, were placed beside windows that appeared to look out onto scenery in motion.

Photo: Barry Brecheisen for BizBash

Museum of Contemporary Art's Benefit Art Auction

Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art hosted its first Benefit Art Auction since 2010 on October 23. After the event, guests headed back to the museum to check out the auction artwork, which was displayed in the galleries. Glowing red tables held desserts, including mini caramel apples, dark chocolate tartlets with peanut butter mousse, mini Pop-Tarts, and "boozy heart" truffles.

Photo: Kent Drake Photography

Creative Time split this year's Fall Ball into two parts, hosting events on two consecutive nights at NeueHouse. The first night was a sleepover, enabling patrons to stay overnight playing games, enjoying music and performances, napping, and partaking in other activities. Pillows became part of the decor inside the venue, and the producers mounted a bed to a wall near the entrance and video mapped the itinerary on its surface.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for Neuehouse

The event involved more than 40 participating artists and, to allow each installation and experience to feel immersive, the producers kept fussy design elements to a minimum, using festive garlands and colored lighting to enhance the visuals on the venue's main floor.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

Organizers also created and distributed a colorful map that showed the sleepover's 200 or so guests where the different activities were taking place and included a schedule. According to Chavis, for the sleepover, the main floor was designed as the party floor and the downstairs was viewed as a dream lounge. The conference rooms were suited to more intimate activities, and the screening room was taken over by artists Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe.

Photo: Christos Katsiaouni for Creative Time

Creative Time made use of a stage for performances on both nights. That included music from DJs as well as performances by the Citizens Band, Glasser, and Hex Message.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

NeueHouse's Gallery Steps served as a natural gathering point at both events. Decor for the area, which faced the stage, included pillows marked with the names of sponsors and an illuminated, clock-like logo for the Fall Ball.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

On the lower level, one area was filled with cots where guests could nap. Low lighting helped create a more soothing atmosphere.

Photo: Christos Katsiaouni for Creative Time

As a quirky way to brand the sleeping section, organizers marked pillows with text that read, "Creative Time is a public art nonprofit that works with artists to contribute boldly to the dialogues, debates, and dreams of our times. Sleep and dream of amazing things..."

Photo: Guillermo Cano Perez for Creative Time

Creative Time and BMF Media treated each artist's set as a mini event, scheduling times for the activities and performances to take place throughout the night at both events. In addition to games like Twister, there were manicures by Will Cotton and Rob Pruitt for Vanity Projects and karaoke with Raul De Nieves.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

Most of the curated art experiences were designed to be interactive, including Tom Sachs's installation, the Red Beans and Rice preparation station that was previously part of his "Space Program: Mars" exhibition. The artist served food from the cart.

Photo: Anna Sekula/BizBash

Organizers left classic board games on tables in some parts of the venue, encouraging guests to sit and play. One table was dubbed "puzzle corner" and held pornographic jigsaw puzzles from artist Robert Lazzarini and collective Grey Area. There was also a crafting station hosted by Confetti System.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

Naturally, Creative Time provided sustenance for the attendees of its sleepover. But rather than serving a slew of passed hors d'oeuvres, guests could fill their own plates from a buffet with dishes such as salmon with radish, celery, orange, dill, and chervil; porchetta with salsa verde; wild rice with roasted cranberries, pecans, and herbs; and local and organic vegetables.

Photo: Christos Katsiaouni for Creative Time

Mixologist Alex Ott hosted the Absolut Elyx Mixology Lounge, which served three main cocktails to the crowd at the sleepover party. The concoctions included the revitalizing Fountain of Youth, a cucumber martini with white cranberry, a medley of mild bitters, and fresh Egyptian lime juice; and the Intergalactic Peace Pipe, made with Absolut Elyx, fresh pineapple, tamarind, anise, ginger, manuka honey, and fresh lime juice.

Photo: Christos Katsiaouni for Creative Time

Absolut was a sponsor of the Fall Ball and as such served specialty drinks on both nights. For the late-night party, the downstairs bar offered the Citrus Blast, a smoothie of Absolut Mandrin, grapefruit juice, and orange marmalade. Guests could also grab bags of cotton candy.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

For the sleepover, the lower level's bar served milk and cookies, the "milk" being white Russians served in milk bottles.

Photo: Christos Katsiaouni for Creative Time

The producers looked to use NeueHouse's variety of spaces to encourage guests to explore the venue and the art experiences offered at both events. That included using a conference room for karaoke at the sleepover and Matt Jones and Kadar Brock's video game matches dubbed "Smash Bros Challengr" (pictured).

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

When the stage wasn't being used for performances, DJs Sasha Frere-Jones, Caroline Polachek, Teengirl Fantasy, Joakim, and Doss spun music from a booth to keep the atmosphere festive. Frere-Jones was the DJ for the sleepover, providing music over the course of the night.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

Other activities for the second event included an oversize Ouija board from art collective and performance group FCKNLZ.

Photo: Christos Katsiaouni for Creative Time