Party Pictures 1/5/06 - Catching up with 2005

Catching up with 2005

Two weeks ago in the Trustee’s room of the New York Public Library, The Storefront for Art and Architecture presented the first in a series of events that explore the relationship between internationally recognized architects and their clients with a conversation between architect Tadao Ando and Alessandro Benetton moderated by Mark Wigley.

Yuko Yasutake, Tadao Ando, and Alessandro Benetton

In 1992, with a commission from Luciano Benetton, Mr. Ando began work on Fabrica: Benetton’s communications research center in Ponzano, Italy where young people from different countries interested in multiple artistic disciplines work together. It is, Mr. Ando says, “A place for reciprocal learning in the most authentic sense of the word.” An enormous success, Mr. Ando followed Fabrica with a commission from Mr. Benetton’s son, Alessandro, a home for his family, also in Ponzano, Italy, now known as the “Invisible House.”

Tadao Ando was born in Osaka, Japan in 1941, and founded Tadao Ando Architect & Associates in 1969. Although self-taught, he has held professorships at the University of Tokyo, Harvard, Yale and Columbia. In 1995, Mr. Ando won the prestigious Pritziker Architectural Prize. His buildings can be found throughout the world. His drawings have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (1991); the Centre Pompidou, Paris (1993); and the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul (1998). Mr. Ando currently lives and works in Osaka.

Alessandro Benetton is Chairman and Founder of 21 Investimenti SpA. He lives with his wife and children in Treviso, Italy in the “Invisible House” designed by Mr. Ando.

Mark Wigley is Dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Columbia University.

This conversation was inspired by the book Architecture for Benetton, written by Massimo Vignelli, Antonio Mulas, and Marco Mulazzani (published by Skira) and documents, not only Mr. Ando’s Fabrica, but also the Benetton’s collaborations with Afra and Tobia Scarpa.

Storefront for Art and Architecture was founded in 1982. An internationally recognized nonprofit organization located in New York City, it is committed to advancing innovative positions in architecture, art, and design. As a public forum, Storefront explores vital issues in art and architecture with the intent of raising public awareness of, and interest in, contemporary design.

Alessandro Benetton and Arnold Simon

Alessandro Benetton and Carlo Tunioli

Alessandro Benetton and friends

Linda Arrington and Alessandro Benetton

Ike Ude, Larissa Kulikova, and Jamie Nelson

Mark Wigley, Alessandro Benetton, and Tadao Ando

The Baumanns with Christophe de Menil

Tina Brown and Alessandro Benetton

Yuko Yasutake

Alessandro Benetton and Susan Gutfreund

Laura Gottwald

Anne Bass

Six of the world’s most distinguished artists gathered at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center to celebrate the successful completion of the second cycle of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.

Patrick Heiniger

The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative was designed to promote individual excellence in the arts by assisting rising artists who have yet to achieve their full potential. Held every two years, the program supports this new talent across an array of artistic disciplines, providing these gifted individuals with a rare opportunity to develop their art under the watchful eye of a recognized master in their field.

The six artists and their six protégés were: For literature, Mentor, Mario Vargas Llosa and Protégé, Antonio Garcia Angel. In film: Mentor Mira Nair and Protégé Aditya Assarat. In music: Mentor Jessye Norman and Protégée Susan Platts. In dance: Mentor Saburo Teshigawara and protégé Junaid Jemal Sendi. In theatre: Mentor Sir Peter Hall and Protégée Lara Foot Newton. And in the visual arts: Mentor David Hockney and Protégé Matthias Weischer.

Brian Murray

Jay Fielden

Federico León

San Jijia

Ada and Alex Katz

Anna Deveare Smith

Agnes Gund

Bob Colacello

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

John Baldessari

Joshua Bell

Joan Collins and Mario Vargas Llosa

Mira Nair

David Hockney and Matthias Weischer

Julie Taymor

Lynn Redgrave

Anish Kapoor and Wole Soyinka

Christo and Jeanne-Claude with Ariel Dorfman

Junaid Jemal Sendi and Saburo Teshigawara

Lara Foot Newton and Sir Peter Hall

Patrick Heiniger and Yvonne Force Villareal

Susan Platts and Jessye Norman

L. to r.: Sahel-Al-Hiyari; Matthias Weischer; Nina Stevens and Patrick Heiniger.

Toni Morrison and Julie Taymor

Lady Nicola Jane Hall, Sir Peter Hall, and Lynn Redgrave

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Ms. Chris Norwood, founder and executive director of Health People, April Gornik and Eric Fischl, E. L. Doctorow and Helen Henslee, Nora Ephron and Nick Pileggi, Barry Sonnenfeld and Susan Ringo, Mary Jane Marcasiano and Ralph Gibson, Nicole Miller and Kim Taipale and Cindy Sherman hosted a lovely mid-winter fete at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor to raise sorely needed funds for Health Peoples, Junior Peer Mentoring Program which works with families affected by HIV/AIDS, diabetes and asthma.

Ted Conklin, proprietor of the landmark hotel generously donated the private dining rooms, the wines, champagne and tasty treats – filet mignon, smoked salmon and more. Noted filmographer and concert pianist Andrew Wargo took to the piano and delighted the guests with his holiday tunes and stylish renderings of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, and Johnny Mercer.

The American Hotel in Sag Harbor

For those who were feeling guilty about not getting on with their holiday shopping there was a silent auction of items donated by each of the hosts: whimsical ties from Nicole Miller, sumptuous cashmere sweater from Mary Jane Marcasiano, signed books by Nora Ephron and Nick Pileggi, E.L. Doctorow and glorious monographs inscribed by April Gornik, Eric Fischl, Ralph Gibson and Cindy Sherman.

Norwood who was visibly touched spoke passionately about Health People’s 15 years of providing education and mentoring support for South Bronx families ravaged by HIV/AIDS and chronic diseases such as diabetes and asthma.

Despite all this recognition, Chris found herself on World AIDS Day passing on Mayor Bloomberg’s invitation to a special Gracie Mansion Breakfast reception and choosing to protest the government funding cuts to preventive programs across the street from the Mayor’s official residence!

For this reason, she chose to launch a special Holiday on-line donation campaign “Give Our Kids Christmas” to raise funds to re-instate the Junior Peer Mentoring program, which was deeply affected by recent government funding cuts to preventive health care programs.

Applauding Norwood for her remarkable work in combating chronic diseases were:

Tulla Booth, Walter and Molly Channing, Alvin Chereskin, Myron Clement, Rebecca Cooper, Lorraine Dusky, Connie Fox, Dorothy Frankel, Gail Furman, Judith Hope, Brian Hunt, Sheila and Ambassador Heyward Isham, John Norwood Sr. and Junior, Amy and George Kane, Janice and Alfred Kelman, Lisa Kerkorian, Palma Kolansky, Kate and Jim McMullan, Joe Petrocik, Lee Skolnick, Ned Smyth, Susan Stevenson, Ruth Terry, Diana and Laura Weir, Tony Vargas, Patricia Weiss, Lynda and Hugh Wyatt, Bob and Mary Zaino, Benjamin Zwirn and Health People Board Chairman Reid Strieby and Board members Hal Strelnick and Nancy Konipol.

Adding to the festivities was the appearance of Santa Claus – Sag Harbor resident Phillip Prianti, proprietor of the town’s popular Christmas store Harborlights – who passed out candy canes to all and took down Christmas wishes from all.

For Chris Norwood and many of those surrounding her, the wish was a simple, “restore the cuts.” To help fulfill Health People’s Christmas dream you can log on to www.healthpeople.org to make a donation in your own name or even better in a friend’s or family member’s name.