The annual Downtown Dinner, hosted on Thursday, May 3, by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council as a fund-raising event, had a simple premise: to raise funds for its artist residency program by hosting a dinner while feting several artistic, political, and philanthropic visionaries. The end result, though, was hardly simple.Unlike most events that cling to the idea of a unifying theme to pull everything—food, flowers, decor—into a cohesive, orderly whole, this year’s dinner let the artists take center stage. “We were originally planning for a superhero theme,” said Liz Gilchrist, events manager for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. “It morphed into a showcase of the artists we’ve worked with and the programs we support.”
Indeed, when guests entered the space on the 52nd floor of 7 World Trade Center (owned by Larry Silverstein, an honoree that night), there was more than just the spectacular sunset and views to wow them. A long wall of artwork and silent auction items displayed for bidding included an installation of braided hair by Shoplifter. In one corner, a tiny stage was set up for a puppet show by Eric Sanko, and on another stage a musician played a komungo a large stringed instrument. Throw in an M.C. dressed as a clown (Uncle Jimmy of Uncle Jimmy’s Dirty Basement), a horse sculpture adorned with knotted hair, and Björk dressed in silver go-go boots, and one can see why opting not to squeeze the square peg of these creative types into the round hole of a theme was a good idea. The planners even took an unusual route with the invitation: a video that was posted on YouTube.com.
Instead, the disparity was played up, even among the honorees themselves. New York governor Eliot Spitzer made note of his being onstage with Björk, and the Neistat Brothers—video artists who created a hilarious short to profile the honorees—poked good-natured fun at their attempts to profile the governor. New Jersey governor Jon Corzine (not in attendance due to his car accident) and film director Michel Gondry were also honorees.
—Jenny Sherman
Photos: Dan Hallman for BizBash
Indeed, when guests entered the space on the 52nd floor of 7 World Trade Center (owned by Larry Silverstein, an honoree that night), there was more than just the spectacular sunset and views to wow them. A long wall of artwork and silent auction items displayed for bidding included an installation of braided hair by Shoplifter. In one corner, a tiny stage was set up for a puppet show by Eric Sanko, and on another stage a musician played a komungo a large stringed instrument. Throw in an M.C. dressed as a clown (Uncle Jimmy of Uncle Jimmy’s Dirty Basement), a horse sculpture adorned with knotted hair, and Björk dressed in silver go-go boots, and one can see why opting not to squeeze the square peg of these creative types into the round hole of a theme was a good idea. The planners even took an unusual route with the invitation: a video that was posted on YouTube.com.
Instead, the disparity was played up, even among the honorees themselves. New York governor Eliot Spitzer made note of his being onstage with Björk, and the Neistat Brothers—video artists who created a hilarious short to profile the honorees—poked good-natured fun at their attempts to profile the governor. New Jersey governor Jon Corzine (not in attendance due to his car accident) and film director Michel Gondry were also honorees.
—Jenny Sherman
Photos: Dan Hallman for BizBash
Members of the Guerilla Dance Team mingled in the 700-strong crowd during cocktails, stepping and swinging in a choreographed line.
Photo: Dan Hallman for BizBash
Members of the Guerilla Dance Team mingled in the 700-strong crowd during cocktails, stepping and swinging in a choreographed line.
An intricate chalk mural by Ernest Concepcion decorated a wall in the dinner area.
A silent auction included work by artists in the council’s residency program as well as such novel items as a helicopter ride to the Hamptons and a gift certificate for Botox injections.
The dinner’s first course—soup served in a bottle with a straw, and a seared tuna sandwich in a paper bag—echoed the idea of lunch on a construction site.
On one of the stages, a musician strummed an electric komungo, a traditional Korean instrument.
