Night at the Museum

Known for its expansive collection of American and European art, the Corcoran Gallery kicked off the ball season early this year to accommodate its much-hyped \"Modernism\" exhibition.

Adele Chapin

May 21, 2007

In Washington, the Corcoran Ball is traditionally the first stop on every socialite’s gala fund-raising calendar, and this year the 52nd annual fete was moved up six weeks, to March 2, to allow prep time for the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s much-anticipated “Modernism” exhibition, which opened March 17. “This year was a slight challenge,” said Melissa Keshishian, the 2007 Corcoran Ball chair and a member of the women’s committee, which helps plan the event. “With the ‘Modernism’ exhibition, the time to plan was more compressed. We had to consider what was in the gallery, and that cut down on the space we could use.” The event took place throughout several galleries, each with a distinct theme reflected in the linens, lighting, china, and centerpieces—and even in the napkin rings.

While the women’s committee had less time and space to work with than usual, the mission remained the same. “Every year the goal is to create a fantasy, where you walk from one space to the next and find something completely different,” said Occasions Caterers owner Eric Michael, who provided the food and tabletop decor for the gala’s nine dining galleries. “We try to have a few traditional elegant spaces, a few cutting-edge spaces, and a few fun ones. It’s like nine separate parties.”

The Modernist spirit was in the details: retro mobiles by A Vista Events floating above the tables in the atrium, a reflective zinc wall in one gallery, and translucent tables outfitted with LED lights specially designed by Occasions in another. Jack H. Lucky Floral Design led the charge in overall decor, coming up with themes that included a tiki-inspired dining room with palm fronds and pineapples and an ornate 17th-century French formal dining area with gold embellishments. In many of the rooms, Light-Olutions’ light projections echoed design elements, with flowers and tablecloth patterns silhouetted on the ceilings.

More than 1,100 guests, cocktails in hand, explored the dining rooms, located on both the ground floor and the second story overlooking the atrium. The Corcoran is one of the few museums to allow parties in its gallery space, according to Keshishian, and as a result, marble busts and Dutch landscapes were hung high on the ceiling, salon-style, to avoid any accidental damage.

After being called to dinner by trumpeters, guests dined on a meal of crab napoleons, fingerling potatoes, and a marquise of extra-dark chocolate, prepared in three separate kitchens—including one in a hallway hidden by drapes. Seated at the director’s table was Lolo Sernoff, age 91, who helped to plan the first Corcoran Ball, in 1955, and has attended every ball since. “The first one started by a group of my friends,” Sernoff said. “Guests ate dinner at home before they came to the ball.” And what did she think of this year’s ball? “Splendid.”

In many of the Corcoran galleries, spotlights projected patterns that matched the floral arrangements.

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The tiki room featured paper cigar bands asnapkin holders, a chocolate cigar at each place setting, and floralcenterpieces with pineapples, lemons, limes, hypericum berries, and assortedproteas.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

Gallery 14 featured a wall covered with zinc andblack plastic Panton chairs, giving the room a streamlined look.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

In the rotunda, pussy willow and white amaryllis sat atop translucent tables with remote-operated LED lights. The tables were paired with acrylic scoop-back chairs with chrome legs.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

The sweeping staircase to the second floor ofthe Corcoran was decorated with rows of wooden boxes filled with tulips and aModernist take on the folding chair.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

Jack Lucky Designs topped each table in theLittle Mantle room with ladyslipper orchids in a miniature greenhouse.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

In many of the galleries, spotlights projectedpatterns that matched the floral arrangements.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

The Salon D’Or (“Salon of Gold”) dining room wasdecorated with lavish accents like Capulet Rouge linens with unique fringetassles, dupioni silk napkins, and crystal candelabras filled with cymbidiums,tulips, and roses.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

Occasions Caterers chose three Art Deco-style upholstery-grade fabrics in a linen/cotton blend for the chair covers in the Atrium. Roses, mini calla lilies, freesia, and Bells of Ireland sat on the tables with Reidel O wine tumblers.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

A Vista Events created the modernist lanterns that hung over the Atrium.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics

Bright turquoise silk organza chair covers withturquoise beads, manufactured by Perfect Settings, stood out next to acherry-blossom centerpiece, silk hand-painted tablecloths, and fuchsia silknapkins folded to look like birds.

Photo: Pepe Gomez/PPhotographics