Search for Images
or By Event Date
Advertisement
Featured Products
|
American Folk Art Museum Presents INFINITE VARIETY: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts - GALA BENEFIT PREVIEW - Tuesday, 3/29/2011 12:32 PM
 Atmosphere
New York City's Park Avenue Armory was completely transformed on Thursday
evening, March 24th. "Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White
Quilts", a landmark exhibition organized by the American Folk Art Museum,
boasted an exciting viewing for attendees during the first half of the
evening. The dinner hour, chaired by legendary social Cornelia Guest, rounded
out the dynamic of the evening by way of an organic farm to table dinner
especially designed for the gala courtesy of Ms. Guest. The dinner was
co-chaired by Laura and Richard Parsons.
Upon entry into the vast main room of the Park Avenue Armory, the view was
simply breathtaking; each quilt was more vibrant and unique than the one
before. It was during the cocktail hour, amidst Bouvet Ladubay Brut NV/ 2008
Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé and soft currents of the Dreamland Orchestra, that
Elizabeh Warren, Guest Curator of "Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red
and White Quilts", was available for discussion. Warren explained the once in
a lifetime exhibit will run through March 30th.
 Elizabeth Warren
Upon review of the collection, it is hard to believe it is all from a single
collector, Joanna S. Rose. However, Rose, we were told, houses her
thousands of quilts at her East Hampton home and counts this group of red and
whites as only part of her holdings. During the showing, Warren shared, "It's
taken us two days to put this up. 651 quilts hung in two days is pretty
amazing, because this time includes the lighting, all the truss work and
everything else you see. We brought this all in. None of this was here. So, we
had men climbing the rafters here for days, hanging this. We had 24 foot
cranes! It was amazing."
 Cornelia Guest in the Kitchen
Immediately following cocktails, a small and powerful set of attendees
remained for an intimate candlelit dinner, personally set by Ms. Guest. The
organically prepared dinner of leek and watercress soup, Lobster Newburg with
asparagus and spring vegetables, a salad of dandelion greens with a selection
of Hudson Valley cheeses, Strawberry Cream, wine jelly wit English Cream and
Chesapeake Bread Pudding. Dinner was followed by specialty desserts, coffees,
liqueurs, and musical entertainment in the Armory's private rooms.
 Michael Aranella and the Dreamland Orchestra
Present were the following prominent ongoing supporters of the American Folk
Art Museum as well valued guests of the evening's unique event, and yes many
were wearing the signature red and white colors. Attendees included: Mario
Buatta, Stanley Crouch, Yaz and Valentin Hernandez, Lucy and Mike Danziger,
Ellen and Win Churchill, Ida Liu and Serge Tismen, along with several others.
|