The Historic House Trust of New York City chose to honor Ed Koch at this year's Founders Award Dinner, held Thursday at Gracie Mansion. Founded in 1989, the final year of Koch's administration, the trust now comprises 23 house museums, including Gracie. Founder and gala chair Deborah Krulewitch called the event "the ultimate house party."
David Stark produced the event for the first time, creating small details throughout the party harking back to the evening's cause. "[The look is] summery and breezy, with elements conceptually tied to the mission infused into the decor," said Stark, referencing the vellum-wrapped luminaire centerpieces, which each showcased architectural blueprints from the homes the trust has restored.
The table numbers also referred back to the trust, with each placard depicting the facade of one of the 23 homes. To keep the collateral consistent, Stark and his team also printed the evening's menus in similar fonts, with the peak of a trust home and the the Historic House Trust logo anchoring the top and bottom of the page.
Towering ferns (indicative of the foliage you'd find around the trust homes) topped roughly half of the 29 dinner tables, "giving an element of height to the room," said Stark. "A black-and-white schematic helped give a modern punch to the tent, with tables alternating in hue and the dance floor reflecting those choices, as well." The dance floor also mirrored the natural floors in Gracie Mansion. Glorious Food served a menu that took ingredients from the trust homes, such as strawberries from Decker Farm, wine from the Queens County Farm Museum, and chocolate made in the Morris-Jumel Mansion kitchen.
One of the evening's 300 guests was Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who opened up Gracie Mansion for the event. Throughout the year he hosts as many as 100 events there, such as community breakfasts and barbecues celebrating events like the World Cup, Puerto Rican Day, and Jewish Heritage Day.
Following remarks, the evening wrapped up with big-band numbers from the Bruce Saunders Orchestra.
