Dinner scene at American Ballet Theatre's 67th annual Spring Gala

American Ballet Theatre celebrated the opening of their 67th annual Spring Gala at the Metropolitan Opera with a Piece d’Occasion by internationally acclaimed pianist Lang Lang accompanied on-stage by ABT dancers performing a pas de deux which had been especially created for the evening by choreographer Brian Reeder. ABT principal dancers also performed highlights from the season’s upcoming repertoire including the world premiere of “Sleeping Beauty.” It was a star-studded night. They raised more than $2 million for the American Ballet Theatre. Caroline Kennedy and Blaine Trump were Honorary Chairs. Co-chairs were Sloan Lindemann Barnett, Tory Burch, Susan Fales-Hill and Carolina Herrera. Aileen Mehle was Chair Emerita. Underwriting co-chairs were Marie and Henri Barguirdjian, Arlene and Harvey Blau, Lynne Florio and Malcolm Sage, Tivia and Richard Kramer, Nora and James Orphanides and Debby and Scott Rechler. Vice-chairs were Anne Grauso, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos and Tara Rockefeller.

Arlene Blau, Sloan Lindemann Barnett, Kevin McKenzie, Blaine Trump, and Lynda Carter

Among the guests: Lance Armstrong (with Tory Burch), Sarah, the Duchess of York, Robert DeNiro and Grace Hightower DeNiro, Lynda Carter, Isabella Rossellini, Lorne Michaels, Rachel Roy, Chelsea Clinton, Ivana Trump, Muffie Potter Aston and Dr. Sherrell Aston, Amy Fine Collins, Julia and David Koch, Amanda Brooks, Christine Schwarzman, Annelise Peterson, Gigi and Avi Mortimer, Renee Rockefeller, Deborah Norville and Karl Wellner, Marjorie Gubelmann, Charles Nolan, Fe and Allessandro Fendi, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Tim and Helen Lee Schifter, Coco and Arie Kopelman,  Joanne and Roberto Di Guardiola, Lewis Ranieri, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Nina Griscom and Leonel Piraino, Chris and Grace Meigher, Judy and Sam Peabody and Dennis Basso. American Ballet Theatre’s 2007 Spring Gala is generously sponsored by Carolina Herrera Ltd., First American Title Insurance Company of New York, Graff, Griffon Corporation, Tivia and Richard Kramer, La Prairie and RexCorp Realty. Countrywide Financial is the National Sponsor of American Ballet Theatre.  Superfund Asset Management, Inc. and Northern Trust are the sponsors of ABT’s Metropolitan Opera House Season.

Aileen Mehle and Pepe Fanjul

Anka Palitz and John Banta

Annelise Peterson and Helen Lee Schifter

Anne Grauso

Caroline Kennedy

Anka Palitz and Emilia Fanjul

Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos

Barbara Hemmerle Gollust and Lewis Ranieri

Carlos Souza and Annelise Peterson

Cindy Sites and John Banta

Cynthia and Dan Lufkin

Debby and Scott Rechler

Fabrizio Ferri and Isabella Rossellini

Grace and Chris Meigher

Isabella Rossellini and Alessandra Ferri

Jamee and Peter Gregory

Lewis Ranieri with Nora James Orphanides

Malcolm Sage and Lynne Florio

Martine van Hamel and Kevin McKenzie

Joanne and Roberto de Guardiola

John Banta and Barbara Hemmerle Gollust

Lang Lang and Rachel Moore

Marjorie Gubelmann and Lance Armstrong

Rachel Moore, Karen Akers, and Adrienne Arsht

Nina Griscom and Dennis Basso

Blaine Trump with Maxim Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko

Sarah, Duchess of York and Marcelo Gomes

Sloan and Roger Barnett

Stella Abrera, Kevin McKenzie, Blaine Trump, and David Hallberg

Tara Milne and Tivia Kramer

L. to r.: Tara Rockefeller; Daniel Cappello and David Hallberg; Tory Burch, Blaine Trump, Sloan Lindemann Barnett, and Susan Fales-Hill.

Angel Corella, Ashley Ellis, Grant Delong, and Mary Thomas

Charles Nolan and Alexis Bryan

David Koch with Deborah Norville and Karl Wellner

Peter Lyden and Fe Fendi

Karl Wellner, Pepe Fanjul, Deborah Norville, and Peter Lyden

Peggy and Lewis Ranieri

Peter Lyden, Fe Fendi, Cindy Sites, and John Banta

Rachel Moore, Lang Lang, and Harvey and Arlene Blau

Sara Ayres, Todd Meister, and Elizabeth Lindemann

Sherrell Aston, Muffie Potter Aston, Robert DeNiro, and Grace Hightower DeNiro

Marie-Monique Steckel, President of the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) hosted the launch of the new FIAF Gallery with a special exhibition “Arman: Accumulation of Friends,” featuring a portfolio of 82 black & White and color photographic portraits by the French-born American artist Arman from the 1960’s and 70s. The show was curated by Gabrielle Bryers and was the first time the photos were exhibited in the United States. Among those present were the artist’s wife Corice Arman and son Philippe Arman, the legendary Geoffrey Holder, Henri Matisse’s granddaughter and artist in her own right Sophie Matisse, art patron and writer Michèle Gerber Klein, architect Graeme Whitelaw and his wife Harriet, Charles Mirotznik and Alain Jacquet, one of the artists photographed by Arman in the show.

Jean-Marie Le Fell

Photograph of Arman

Marie-Claude Butler

When Arman (1928-2005) first came to New York in 1960, the art world was taking a new turn with Pop Art, Minimalism and Conceptual Art. He soon became acquainted with the surrounding artists and befriended a great many of them. This exhibition featured portraits of these friends, including most of the leading American figures of the time, such as Bill Copley, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Marcel Duchamp, Robert Indiana, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, Bernar Venet and Andy Warhol. Among those enjoying the walk backward in time and the ambiance were Claire Bourgeois, Ralph Gibson, Christine Lombard, Daniel Johnson, Outtara Watts, Sebastian Piras, Catherine Branning, John Haskell, Otto Fried, Candace Dwan, Marc Gobe, Rima Nassar, Jim Speros, Elodie Trouche-Perrin, Antonio Homen and Franckie Diago. Also Elaine Sargent, Annik Klein, Allan Chapin, Alize Le Maoult, Pascal Mottier, Barbara and Harold Shapiro, Brea Tremblay, Raquel Ramati, Jason Wright, Dorothea Elkon, Valentina Garcia, Franckie Diago, Florence Uchida, Jerome Neutres, Mimi Kazan, Jean-Marie Le Fell, Marie-Claude Butler, Mike Donahue, Brandon Presser, John Haskell, Matt Weinstock, Janette Hendler, Nailya Alexander, Lawrence Au, Sylvie Sonigo, Suzi Winson, and Tom McKay.  The new FIAF Galley marks the return of art to the French Institute in its newly renovated headquarters. The gallery’s focus will be photography that concerns aspects of exchange between American and French/Francophile cultures.

Harriet and Graeme Whitelaw

Ralph Gibson, Christine Lombard, and Daniel Johnson

Alain Jacquet

Matt Weinstock and Janette Hendler

Nailya Alexander and Candace Dwan

Suzi Winson and Allan Chapin

Marie-Monique Steckel and Michéle Gerber Klein

Catherine Branning and Claire Bourgeois

Sophie Matisse and Corice Arman

Philippe Arman and Lawrence Au

Mike Donahue and Brandon Presser

Barbara and Harold Shapiro

Corice Arman and Jason Wright

Geoffrey Holder and Marie-Monique Steckel

Charles Mirotznik and Geoffrey Holder

Alize Le Maoult and Pascal Mottier

Sylvie Sonigo and Elodie Trouche-Perrin

Tom McKay and Rima Nassar

Outtara Watts, Corice Arman, and Franckie Diago

Taking it all in

Last Monday night a week ago, The Frick Collection held its annual black tie party for its highest level of supporters including members of the Board of Trustees, Directors Circle, Fellows and Young Fellows. It was a beautiful late Spring night for a real cross section of people who love The Frick, probably covering three generations. And because of that there was also the feeling of Old New York, something rarely seen anymore around this town. The evening provided the guests with full access to the permanent collection galleries, as well as the special exhibition George Stubbs (1724 – 1806): A Celebration which closed this past Sunday. The weather was splendid and so the outdoor gardens – usually unaccessible to the public – were open (as well as the interior garden court). In the garden on the Fifth Avenue side guests enjoyed the music of electric cellist Sean Grissom. In the serene elevated garden (by Russell Page) on 70th Street, the Spring flowers (viburnum, peonies, lilac) were in bloom. In the Garden Court was a mixed planting of multi-colored begonias and floxglove which was coordinated by Frick Horticultural and Special Events Designer Galen Lee.

Young Fellows Steering Committee Members: Elisabeth Saint-Amand, Caitlin Davis, Catherine Polisi Jones, and Kipton Cronkite

And in the music room there was the music of the George Gee Orchestra. Mr. Gee’s band was tapped to open the Midsummer Night Swing 2007 season at Lincoln Center. The band played music from the 1930s and thereafter from Swing to jazz, to classic rock, R&B, Motown and disco. They were joined by Grammy nominated vocalist Carla Cook. To warm things up everyone was helped by a special pair of guest dancers, the 2006 and 07 International Balboa Champions Mickey Fortanasce and Kelly Arsenault  (along with theier students Heidi Rosenau and Joe McGlynn). Both couples were fantastic to watch. Made you just wish you could get out there and go.  Ms. Rosenau is also Mrs. McGlynn in real life. More than 400 attended this very civilized evening, filling the mansion with chic revelry of just plain old good times. Among the guests: Irene Aitken, Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Colin Bailey, Patricia Barnett, Robert Becker III and Kate Manganaro, Maia Benson, Board President Margo Bogert and Jeremia Bogert, Katherine Brush, Sarah Camp, Kingsley Carson, Helen Clay Chace (great-granddaughter of Henry Frick), Minturn Chace, Kipton Cronkite, Eileen Dadey, Savros Daskos, Marisa D’Vari, June Dyson, Joanne DuPont Foster, Lynn Roster, Mr. and Mrs. Marco Grassi, Alexis Gregory, Hattie Gruber, Karla and Peter Harwich, Kim Hicks, Bruce C. Horten, Catherine Polisi Jones, Anishka Lakhani, Kristian Bravo Laliberte, Alicia Lubowski, Gracie Mercado, Alison Minton, Mary Ellen and Richard Oldenburg, Director Anne Poulet and Francois Poulet, Ivan and Winnie Phillips, Howard and Mary Phipps, April Pyatt, Walter Rothschild, former Frick Director Charles Ryskamp, Elisabeth Saint Amand, Dr. Nathan Saint Amand, Stanley and Elizabeth Scott, Dana and John Scrymgeour, Suzette de Marigny Smith, Mimi Stafford, Lief Anne Stiles, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Vanderslice, Annabel Vartanian, Coke Ann Wilcox, G Jarvis Wilcox, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Wilmerding and Jennifer Wright.

Merrie Lewis and Nathan Saint-Amand

Annabel Vartanian and Elisabeth Saint-Amand

Catherine Polisi Jones, Lynne Rutkin, and Kingsley Carson

Lief Anne Stiles, Alicia Lubowski, Kristian Bravo Laliberte, Kipton Cronkite, Anishka Lakhani, and Annabel Vartanian

John Punnett and Suzette de Marigny Smith

Francois Poulet and Anne Poulet

Kingsley Carson and Maia Benson

Lawrence Walsh, Jeremiah Bogert, Margot Bogert, Elsie Wilmerding, Mrs. Lawrence Walsh, and Patrick Wilmerding

Walter and Beatrice Fekula, Taryn Hicks, and Martin Sonesson

Joe McGlynn and Heidi Rosenau swing dancing

Mary and Howard Phipps, Jr.

Lief Anne Stiles, Catherine Polisi Jones, Kipton Cronkite, Alicia Lubowski, and Caitlin Davis

Minturn V. Chace with Lisa and Phil Gorrivan

Kate Manganaro and Robert Becker III with Galen Lee

Many familiar faces at The New York Public Library's Spring Luncheon.

Photographs by ©PatrickMcMullan.com (ABT & French Institute); Julian Mackler (© The Frick Collection).

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