On Monday, May 8th, 2023, the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) welcomed guests to celebrate the lifetime achievements of the winners of the 2023 Arthur Ross Awards. A vast assemblage of talented architects, designers, artisans, builders, academics, and enthusiasts gathered together under the gilded ceiling of the grand dining room of a private club in New York City to recognize the extraordinary contributions of the the 2023 honorees: Khoury Vogt Architects (Architecture), Cullman & Kravis Associates (Interior Design), Wirtz International nv (Landscape Architecture), Wendy Artin (Fine Arts), Witold Rybczynski (Publishing), and Michael Dennis (Education).
Over 400 practitioners and enthusiasts of classical and traditional architecture and design gathered to celebrate the remarkable bodies of work of this year’s winners, who are responsible for extraordinary works of architecture and city planning, supremely elegant interiors, legendary gardens and landscapes, sublime works of art, rigorous and exhilarating books and articles, and transformative academic and scholarly works. The awards were jointly presented by ICAA Board Chair Russell Windham and ICAA Board Member Suzanne Tucker.
The tone for the evening was set by an announcement from ICAA President Peter Lyden of a new two-million dollar grant from the Driehaus Foundation, establishing The Richard H. Driehaus Curricula for the Built Environment Endowment Fund, which will support the ICAA’s educational programming focused on urbanism, sustainability, and healthy cities. This is the largest single grant that the ICAA has ever received.
The 2023 Arthur Ross Award winners were selected by a jury that included Michael Lykoudis (Chair), Andrew Cogar, Melissa DelVecchio, Ed Hollander, Ashleigh Walton, and Elizabeth White. The event Chairs were Suzanne Tucker and Bunny Williams, and the Co-Chairs were Elizabeth Graziolo, Thomas Lloyd, and Steele Marcoux. Janet C. Ross and Suzanne Santry served as Honorary Chairs.
Taylor Swift’s career-spanning costume exhibition just opened at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design (MAD). On May 18th, MAD Director Tim Rodgers and Board Chair Michele Cohen (with husband Marty) welcomed members and patrons for a preview of Taylor Swift’s career-spanning costume exhibition at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design before it opened to the public on the 20th. Guests included Susan and Larry Ach, Loreen Arbus, Christiana Baroni, Marian Burke, Patti and Michael Dweck, Alexander Hankin, Marsy Mittlemann, Netta Rosin, as well as MAD curators Elissa Auther, Barbara Paris Gifford, and Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy. Television cameras whirled in a music filled electric gallery.
Taylor Swift: Storyteller is a career-spanning look at the artistic reinventions of the 12-time GRAMMY Award–winning artist who is one of the most prolific songwriters in history. The exhibition includes stage costumes from all her eras; the cheerleader and ballerina ensembles from the award-winning music video for “Shake It Off” (2014) to the sparkling ensemble from “Bejeweled” (2022). Concert attire by couture fashion houses including Cavalli, Gucci, Louboutin, Versace, YSL and more, are featured along with props, jewelry, ephemera, and projections of music videos.
The exhibition runs through September 4, 2023. Timed tickets for the exhibition are available for $25 and include access to all Museum exhibitions. For more information, visit https://madmuseum.org/exhibition/taylor-swift-storyteller.
The Viennese Opera Ball — the oldest and most prestigious outside of Vienna — held its annual celebration for the 67th year at The Plaza in New York City with over 400 guests, under the auspices of the U.S. Austrian Chamber of Commerce, and organized by Executive Director, Silvia Frieser and The Event Atelier. The Gala chairs for the evening were philanthropist Jean Shafiroff, who was also honored for her charitable endeavors, and Denise Rich. This gala benefitted Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research and was “A Night inspired by Carmen,” from the opera Carmen by Bizet led under the artistic direction of Daniel Serafin with Austrian conductor, Maestro Vinicius Kattah.
The vice chairs were Sylvia Hemingway and Peter Thomas Roth. Top opera stars performed arias from Carmen including Stephen Costello who sings in leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera and George Gagnidze, both in leading roles at the Metropolitan Opera, internationally accomplished opera singers Joyce El-Khoury (Soprano), Nathalie Peña Comas (Soprano) and opera star George Gagnidze, who attended as an Honorary guest.
Notable Attendees included; Jean Shafiroff, Denise Rich, Sylvia Hemmingway, Commissioner Mermelstein (Mayor’s Office of International Affairs), Kristen Edgreen Kaufman (Mayor’s Office of International Affairs), Peter Hanke (Executive City Councilor, City of Vienna), Stefan Ottrubay (Esterhazy), Norbert Kettner (Director, Vienna Tourism Board), Gudrun Senk (CTO, Wiener Linien), Gerhard Hirczi (CEO, Vienna Business Agency), Christian Frey (Head International Department, Vienna Business Agency), Julian Jäger (Member of the Board of Directors, Vienna Airport), Franz Patay (CEO, United Stages Vienna), Helmut Schoba (CEO, VGN Media Holding), Michael Trestl (CCO, Austrian Airlines), Diana Klein (Augarten), Wolfgang Koechert (A.E. Koechert), Petra Schneebauer (Austrian Ambassador to the United States), Alexander Marschik (Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations), Peter Hasslacher (Austrian Trade Commissioner NY), Susanne Keppler-Schlesinger (Austrian Cultural Forum NY), Helmut Schoba (VGN Medien Holding), Franz Patay (United Stages Vienna), Christian Struppeck (Ronacher/Raimund Theater Vienna), Ingrid Flick (Austrian Entrepreneur), Klaus Panholzer (Schloss Schonbrunn), Austrian fashion designer Carolin Sinemus (Madl, Salzburg), Martin Shafiroff (Stifel), Sabine Riglos (Board member), Maribel Lieberman, Janna Bullock, David Hochberg, Carolyn Maloney, Nicole Miller, Elton Ilirjani, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Lady Liliana Cavendish, Agnieszka & Witold Balaban, Dr. Anetta Reszko, Patrick McMullan, Luisa Diaz, Cole Rumbough & Emily Mohr (Junior Chairs).
The presentation of the debutantes and their escorts at the 67th Annual Ball included Reesa Artz, Clara Burtscher, Rachel Borreta, Mei Colby, Thara Eisingerich, Deborah Engelberg, Isaac Escamilla, Thara Eisingerich, Meyer Eskin, Shifra Eskin, Elias Wallin Giangrande, Gwyneth Giangrande, Joseph Grosh, Royce Howley, Catherine Humphrey, Madison Hoerler, Thomas Itkoff, Sean Jagermann, Alex Koschell, David Kuhn, Benton Madsen, Sofie Maehlkvist, Allegra Marschik, Spencer Napolitano, Maximiliane Norwood, Felix Oblin, Yasmeen Star Omer, Meghan Quinn, Rudolf Schatz, Nick Solari, George Stavropoulos, Anna Talos, Alexander Yale and Maximilian Yale. A beautiful choreography to the Carmen Quadrille by Eduard Strauss was designed for the opening performance of the debutantes and escorts by Vienna Dance School Svabek, headed by Sandra Stockmayer and Roman Svabek.
Event Sponsors included: City of Vienna, Erste Group Bank AG, Esterhazy, Austrian Airlines, A.E. Koechert, Schloss Schoenbrunn. Donors included: Augarten, Lobmeyr, Hotel Bristol, Park Hyatt Vienna, Frette, Peter Thomas Roth Skincare, Jacques Lemans, Las Islas Hotel, Malan Bretan, Muehlbauer, Riding Dinner Vienna, and paintings by Austrian artist FJ Baur, artist John Petschinger, artist Fer Da Silva and Austrian wine Mayer am Pfarrplatz.
The annual white tie charity gala honors Austria and America’s cultural and economic ties, uniting two continents, two cities, and two centuries in one glamorous evening. It was founded 67 years ago by Austrian immigrants to the United States as a tribute to both their former hometown Vienna and their host city, New York. The gala attracts an international audience that includes diplomats and dignitaries, international corporations, and professionals.
Photographs by Michael Ostuni/PMC (ICA); Madison McGaw/BFA.com (MAD); Sylvian/PMC (Viennese Opera Ball)
