Chloë SevignyYvonne Tnt/BFA.com
Cipriani South Street was in full bloom on Monday evening, thanks to The New Museum. The lower Manhattan venue was bursting with pink and orange flowers for the art institution’s annual gala—though the boldest blossoms came from the guests themselves. Though no dress code was in place, most arrived in their best printed, embroidered, and sequined floral attire, furthering the event’s sense of joy, levity, and renewal.
Indeed, there was plenty to celebrate. The evening honored the beloved outgoing Toby Devan Lewis director Lisa Phillips, who will be stepping down from her position after 27 years at the institution. And shortly after the gala’s cocktail hour, it was happily announced that previous fundraising records had been broken, as the event had amassed $2.7 million in donations (and counting).
The recent opening of the museum’s second building was also the toast of the night. Its new space currently hosts the sweeping exhibition New Humans: Memories of the Future, featuring works from Sophia Al-Maria, Berenice Olmedo, Jamian Juliano-Villani, and a variety of artists focused on creativity and humanity’s relationship to evolving technology. Plus, a new café is not far behind. Guests including Jeff Koons, Pamela Hanson, Jamie Singer Soros, and honorary committee chair Chloë Sevigny—fittingly clad in Chloé florals—were understandably all in high spirits.
“There’s very few institutions downtown that have this caliber of curation,” Sevigny told Vogue. “It’s exciting that people can be hanging out at the parks, Washington Square, Tompkins, and just walk over to the museum. Sometimes, the trek uptown can be a little intimidating.”
Inside the event, the crowd mingled over bubbling pink bellinis, enjoying zucchini chips and miniature club sandwiches while perusing a silk charmeuse painting by Cindy Sherman and stoneware busts by Rashid Johnson, which were all up for auction. Most disregarded the initial seating announcement to snap photos with Phillips, whose impactful tenure includes championing diverse contemporary artists, co-founding its NEW INC incubator program, and co-curating six Whitney Biennials.
“We make new things happen, we take risks, we’re not afraid to go down a road that’s not paved. That’s what art is all about—it’s about taking a path that has not yet been blazed, and blaze the trail, try on new things, and be willing to fail,” Phillips told Vogue. “Values are more important than power. That has been our guiding spirit. Ethical values are at the heart of all that we do. It’s a slightly different model than many museums, but it works, as you can see.”
Inside the gleaming main hall, awash in purple and green lights that matched this year’s program, guests convened over caviar, steak, tricolored carrots, and Phillips’ favorite saffron risotto. After remarks by John Waters, Maya Lin, and Adam Weinberg, Phillips took the stage amidst rapturous rounds of applause. In addition to thanking her colleagues, predecessors, and family, she emphasized the variety of artists and benefactors that have enriched the museum over the years.
“It’s really been the honor of a lifetime to lead the New Museum for these past 27 wonderful years,” Phillips, in a rosy Dries Van Noten jacket, shared onstage. “To build on our important mission and purpose to support art as a catalyst for change, and to support the endless spirit of inquiry, to spread this around the world.”
Afterwards, Sotheby’s vice president Phyllis Kao led a rousing live auction for custom portrait commissions by Jack Pierson and Billy Sullivan, stylishly outfitted in a multicolored suit by Jonathan Cohen, who was also present. The evening was complete with a performance of One Way or Another and The Dream’s Lost on Me by Debbie Harry, shining in a resplendent green suit and gold sailor cap that previously made the rounds at Burning Man. DJ Stretch Armstrong led the event to an exuberant finish with dancing and cocktails in the central hall. Accompanied by meringue cake and tiramisu, it proved a sweet and vibrant conclusion to a colorful and heartfelt celebration.
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Lisa Phillips, Barbara Kruger
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Mickalene Thomas, Latham Thomas
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Phyllis Kao, Scott Campbell, Karen Wong
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Dana Prussian Haney
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Mitchell Rechler, Debbie Rechler, Carmen Hermo
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John Waters, Jeff Koons
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Vivian Crockett, Tiffany Zabludowicz
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Jamie Singer Soros
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Leon Robinson, Isolde Brielmaier, John Leguizamo, Justine Leguizamo, Matt Dillon, Patricia Blanchet
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Jonathan Cohen
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Michael Chuapoco, Derrick Adams
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Rashid Johnson
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Debbie Harry
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Richard Mumby, Shelley Fox Aarons, Fiona Waterstreet
