Whitney Art Party 2016
Reeling from the post-election slump, NYC finally awoke this week as a series of late-night parties and galas popped up inside New York City’s most beloved institutions of art, like the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Guggenheim.
On Tuesday night, the Whitney Museum of American Art’s annual Art Party was the place to see and be seen. The Whitney has always been known to be thought provoking and promoting avant garde, and its guest list seems to reflect that. This party is one of the most high-profile, celeb-heavy gatherings with a collective of luminaries from across New York’s iconic creative industries such as fashion, art, and music.
Karlie Kloss, Common, Brandon Maxwell, Micaela Erlanger, and Michael Carl were co-chairs for the evening. Before the party kicked off, the co-chairs hosted a pre-party dinner for over a hundred artists, celebrities, and Whitney supporters including Victor Cruz, Brooke Neidich, Ian Cheng, and Rachel Rose. Following dinner, guests joined the rest of the Art Party downstairs.
Upon entering the Museum, guests were blinded by camera flashes due to the beautiful crowd turning up in their flashiest outfits. A long line led up to the red carpet, as everyone carefully strutted their intricate outfits. The normally modern furnished lobby of the Museum was transformed and adorned with Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling as if something straight out of Stranger Things. Wandering around the floors were two people covered in red paint doing some sort of performance art, with their bare butts exposed to the world as they plotted their way in dance-like form throughout the lobby level. People looked on nervously, as they were unsure whether to take photos because they themselves, would become pornographers.
Entertainment and music was in no short supply as music flowed steadily thanks to DJ Mia Moretti, Lion Babe, and Questlove. Guests also had the opportunity to check out the Whitney’s fall exhibitions including Dreamlands: Immersive Cinema and Art 1905-2016, RED IN VIEW, and Virginia Overton: Winter Garden. Celebrities and Whitney supporters alike made their way around the lobby up to the expansive 5th floor show, the “Dreamlands” video art exhibition. As if the exhibits were not instagrammable enough, Karrueche Tran was seen on the exhibition floor with her stylish Bermuda inspired outfit taking fun selfies with her friends.
Overall, the evening was a grand success, full of champagne glasses clinking and amazing works of art. One of the most amazing parts about the evening was seeing how many young people came out to support the Museum. With the hefty price tag of $500 at the door, these young men and women are probably in line with the millennial mindset of giving back early. With the recent presidential election nearly splitting the country into two sides, it’s good to see that art can always bring people together. Whether you were a Trump or Hillary supporter, you will always be an art supporter. All proceeds from tickets sales will go to support Whitney’s educational initiatives.
Photos courtesy of Neil Rasmus/BFA
