Lenox Hill Neighborhood House’s annual Fall Associates Committee Benefit, held on Tuesday evening, November 27th, was a great success and raised over $200,000 for the organization’s programs. The Benefit kicked off with cocktails hosted at a luxury designer salon on East 57th Street. At 8:30 PM the two hundred guests moved on to a private club by Central Park for dinner and dancing.
Honored that evening for their long-time support of the Neighborhood House were Lindsey Coral Harper, New York City interior designer, and Richard E. Farley, Partner with Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Board Director. The hosts for the evening’s program were last year’s Honorees, Emily Leonard and Douglas Steinbrech.
The honorees were presented with framed water colors of Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, painted by children from the RealArts Afterschool program, one of the many social service programs offered at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.
Dinner Sponsor was PurePoint Financial, a division of MUFG Union Bank, N.A.
Supporter Sponsors were Jodi and Luke Sarsfield, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP.
Sana H. Sabbagh, who hosted a table for her many friends, served as the International Chair. Benefit chairmen included Emily and Richard Leonard, Celeste and Peter Manice, Tracy and Weston Quasha, Lacary Sharpe, Christopher Spitzmiller, Doug Steinbrech and Jeff Sharp, Margot and Randy Takian and Julia and Ted Weld.
DJ Daddy Dog provided an exciting play list of music throughout the evening.
On Friday, November 9th, the New England Society in the City of New York (NES) hosted its 213th Annual Dinner at the Metropolitan Club. The evening’s highlight was the presentation of the 66th Reginald T. Townsend Award to Peter C. Sutton, The Susan E. Lynch Executive Director of the Bruce Museum. The J.P. Morgan Award, honoring outstanding service by an NES member, was presented to Board member and event co-chair Michael Kovner.
In addition to Mr. Kovner, the gala was co-chaired by Jean Doyen de Montaillou, and Deborah and Chuck Royce. Members and guests enjoyed cocktails in the elegant Grand Marble Hall while purveying silent auction items. After dinner in the ballroom, guests danced to the music of the Alex Donner Orchestra, with a cameo by Alex Donner.
Anna Bulkot, the 99th NES President, presented the Townsend award, which recognizes outstanding achievement representing the finest attributes of the New England character. In his acceptance, Dr. Sutton said he was humbled by the winners who preceded him, including Samuel Sachs II (1999), his mentor. He also praised the longevity of the Society and its rich history of contributing to the cultural fabric of New York along with its philanthropic efforts.
Founded in 1805 to promote “friendship, charity and mutual assistance” among and on behalf of New Englanders living in New York, the Society’s philanthropic focus has evolved from providing firewood and charitable support to the NES Scholarship Program, which assists New York City students studying at New England colleges and universities.
On November 27th, at the Hess Family Theater and Gallery at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Pratt Institute held its third annual Design Symposium, Designing The “Wow Factor.”
A panel of experts, Jamie Drake, William Ivey Long, Daniel Sundlin, and Paula Scher, moderated by Marc Rosen, shared their insights and experiences about how the wow factor applies to their fields.
Creating an interior, an ad campaign, a building, a perfume bottle, or a costume for a Broadway show involves a process where every designer searches for the “wow factor” to create excitement. Be it a quiet, elegant wow or a big bold one, those of us who begin a project with a blank page always come to the point where we need that x-plus wow to grab the consumer. Some of us start out with the big idea, while for others, it evolves over time.
The event was created by Trustee Emeritus Marc Rosen and sponsored by the Marc Rosen Education Fund with additional funding by Juliana Terian, The Terian Foundation.
Following the event, a private dinner was hosted by Marc Rosen and Juliana Terian in honor of the panel at La Sirena in the Maritime Hotel. Guests included Pratt Institute Provost Kirk E. Pillow, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Bruce Gitlin, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees Mike Pratt, School of Design Dean Anita Cooney, Pamela Fiori, Gale Hayman, Mark Ackermann, and Shining Sung.
Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute is a global leader in higher education dedicated to preparing its 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in art, design, architecture, information, and liberal arts and sciences. Located in a cultural hub with historic campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Pratt’s esteemed faculty of accomplished professionals and scholars challenge their talented students to transform their passion into meaningful expression.
Photographs by Annie Watt (Lenox Hill Neighborhood House); David DuPuy/AnnieWatt.com (NES); Daniel Terna (Pratt)
