We take a look back at last year’s galas, benefits, and fund-raisers during a busy fall season. From colorful pop art themes to clever denim artwork to cool ceiling treatments, here are the ideas and designs that helped draw attention to important causes and celebrate achievements.
At the Washington Ballet's annual Nutcracker Tea Party, held at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in December, guests enjoyed a formal tea service in the ballroom, which was decorated with ballet-theme decor and balloons.
In October at the Mandarin Oriental in Boston, Tyger Productions created a glam art deco atmosphere for the UnMask Cancer benefit, which supports the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Large 24-inch crystal spheres on tall gold pedestals punctuated the room, along with a waterfall curtain of cut crystal from above.
In September, Oakville Galleries and PCM Project and Construction Management presented Cocina: A Dinner in Gairloch Gardens, a six-course dinner benefiting the Oakville Galleries’ artistic and educational programming. Held on the 12-acre property along Lake Ontario, the dinner, catered by Victor Dries, was served al fresco on rustic harvest tables inside a tent, among the 15,000 blooms of the gardens. Rentals were provided by event sponsor Higgins Event Rentals.
The 65th annual Crystal Charity Ball, held at Dallas’ Hilton Anatole's Chantilly Ballroom in December, featured "An Evening in the Alps” theme. The decor included crystals, sparkling lights, trees and winter florals, fake snow, hanging lanterns, snowy mountain scenes painted on backdrops, and more; Tom Addis Productions Inc. designed the event. The ball raised $5.8 million for eight non-profit organizations that serve children.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, South Coast Plaza hosted the Art, Excellence & Friendship gala in October at the Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California. The space featured a luxe black, white, and gold decor scheme with all-white floral arrangements, including cascading Phalaenopsis orchids as centerpieces. Local design company White Lilac handled the decor and florals.
In October, Saint John’s Health Center Foundation and Irene Dunne Guild hosted Providence Saint John’s 75th anniversary gala celebration, “The Future of Excellence in Personalized Healthcare,” which raised $1.4 million. Held at 3Labs in Culver City, California, the event, produced by JJLA, featured a homage to the Santa Monica pier with Ferris wheel rides and carnival snacks.
In September, New York’s MoMA PS1 hosted its second annual benefit, which featured music, performances, and more than 20 artist projects inspired by college life. Guests roamed the halls of the public school turned museum, enjoying dining hall-like snacks and a dance party in the gym. Proceeds benefited MoMA PS1’s Annual Exhibition Fund.
For the 19th annual Hudson River Park Friends Gala in October, Hudson River Park’s Pier Sixty was transformed into a lush, green wonderland, as a nod to the Hudson River Park itself. The New York City fundraiser raised $3.27 million, nearly $200,000 more than last year’s gala, benefiting the city’s riverfront park.
National non-profit the Colon Cancer Alliance hosted its annual Blue Hope Bash in October at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington. This year’s theme was “In This Together,” in which the evening’s host, NBC Weekend Today co-anchor Craig Melvin, shared the story of his brother who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. The event raised $1.5 million.
Benefiting Kids Beating Cancer, the Hats & Heroes Masquerade Ball, which was held at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando in September, featured a Phantom of the Opera theme, which was reflected in the dessert dishes. The event raised $850,000 for the Kids Beating Cancer pediatric transplant center programs.
The fifth annual Sip for the Sea, which supports the Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium, featured sustainable food and wine pairings, along with the Tuck Room's signature Heizenberg Infusion tower, which contained apple cider infused with tea, late summer berries, and Japanese orange. Liquid nitrogen was used to chill it. The event was held in September at the Central Park Zoo.
The City of Hope’s Spirit of Life Award Gala, which was produced by Namevents, featured decor inspired by a sunset with blue, yellow, and pink tones. The logo was brought to life by a ceiling treatment, which used oversized panels hung in the shape of rays. The event took place in November at the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles.
Rethink Breast Cancer’s Boobyball fund-raiser featured a “Get Physical” theme, with organizers asking guests to don their best ‘80s and ‘90s workout apparel. The 16th annual event, which took place at Rebel in Toronto in October, incorporated a variety of retro details into the event decor, entertainment, and activities.
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute held its “Monkey Business Gala” in September in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard in Washington. The evening featured food stations from Africa, North America, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and Asia, highlighting the regions in which the organization works to save species.
At the Basser Center for BRCA’s “Jean Bash” benefit—which raises funds for the BRCA gene-related cancer research center—David Stark riffed on the “genes” theme in the event’s decor. For example, folded denim jeans in a variety of shades were used to create a wall that was a backdrop for the event's photo booth. Jeans also were used to created a three-dimensional number five. The benefit took place in November at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.
The Art Gallery of Ontario’s inaugural Art Bash, held in November in Toronto, was inspired by the infamous parties of Andy Warhol’s New York studio in the 1960s known as the Factory. The dinner's floral mannequin head centerpieces, which were created by Fifth Element Group, were meant to be disruptive and evoke Warhol's head, with the flowers standing in for his white wig.
For the 23rd edition of the InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball, Maxwell Blandford, the ball’s creative consultant, selected the theme of “Mystical Music Box,” a colorful celebration that drew inspiration from a variety of musicians, artists, and fashion designers such as Grace Jones, Andy Warhol, and Yves Saint Laurent. For example, a giant Warhol-inspired retro Brillo box served as a bar backdrop. The November event raised more than $2.3 million for Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.
This year, the nonprofit organization Meridian International Center’s annual Meridian Ball, held at the Meridian House in October in Washington, featured a Latin-inspired design, including tropical flowers, cigar rollers, colorful paper cutouts, and a doughnut wall with Mexican hot chocolate. After dinner, guests headed to the dance floor, in a tent from Select Event Group that was decorated with papel picado (decorative Mexican craft paper cutouts) and rustic light fixtures.
Sandy Hook Promise, an organization that seeks to prevent gun violence, held its inaugural New York benefit December 12 at the Plaza Hotel, commemorating the five-year anniversary of the mass shooting that killed 20 children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The program honored former Vice President Joe Biden and PepsiCo Chairman and C.E.O. Indra Nooyi and featured a performance from singer Sheryl Crow.
