On Thursday, September 13, 2018, Asia Society hosted the glittering Season of India Gala in celebration of the opening of The Progressive Revolution: Modern Art for a New India, a landmark exhibition of works by members of the Progressive Artists’ Group. More than 300 guests came together at the luxurious Pierre New York in traditional Indian and Indian-inspired attire for the glamorous and festive gala. The exhibition will be on view to the public at Asia Society from September 14, 2018 through January 20, 2019.
Hari Sreenivasan served as the Master of Ceremonies, and the event was co-chaired by Sangita Jindal and Sana H. Sabbagh. The gala began with a cocktail reception, followed by a program with dinner and a reception with dessert and dancing to DJ Ashu Rai.
The exhibition examines the founding ideology of the Progressives and explores the ways in which artists from different social, cultural, and religious backgrounds found common cause at a time of massive political and social upheaval. It comprises more than 80 works coming mostly from private collections, primarily oil paintings from the 1940s to 1990s, from the Group’s core founders and others closely affiliated with the movement.
“This gala is especially meaningful — it marks the opening of the first comprehensive U.S. exhibition dedicated to the work of the Progressives Artist Group in more than three decades,” said Vice President Global Arts and Culture Boon Hui Tan. “We are thankful for widespread support coming from across the US, India, London, and beyond, and we hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic event celebrating diverse traditions and modern Indian society.”
Notable attendees included: Dutchess Lily of Marlborough, Princess Cécile zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Ajoy Mani, H.H. Prince Tikka Raja Shatrujit Singh ji of Kapurthala, Farida Khelfa, Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy, HRH, Prince Charles-Henri de Lobkowicz, Josette Sheeran, Charles and Sheryl Kaye, Boon Hui Tan, Asheet and Kirtna Mehta, Victor J. Menezes, Joan Hardy Clark, Sunil and Bianca Hirani, Oscar and Agnes Tang, Kiran Nadar, Danny Russel, Deepanjana Klein, Vinita Jain, Harold Newman, Anu Ghosh-Mazumdar, Lal Dalamal, Nauman Piyarji, David Owsley, Dr. Vishakha N. Desai, Sundaram Tagore, Sheila Karnani, Vikram Rajadhyaksha, Suhel Seth, Dinesh Paliwal, Carolyn Hsu-Balcer and René Balcer, Nitin Bhayana, Ayesha Bulchandani, Taimur Hassan, Dinesh and Minal Vazirani, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ravi Reddy, Anu Khosi, Hemendra Kothari, Ravi Trehan, Nishith Desai, Purnendu and Amita Chatterjee, and many more.
In addition to the gala, and as a part of Season of India, Asia Society will produce a series of programs and special events on arts, culture, business, and policy, from September 14, 2018 through January 20, 2019. The Season of India offers a rare opportunity to highlight the diverse traditions that have enriched and created the dynamic, modern society of India, engage the diasporic Indian community in the United States, and spur discussion of what the world can expect to see India focus on and achieve in the future.
Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding of Asia in a global context and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy. Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Washington, DC, and Zurich.
Don and Katrina Peebles, and their daughter Chloe, a competitive junior equestrian on the First Blue Show Circuit, saddled up with Rolls-Royce, Goldman Sachs and Georgina Bloomberg to raise nearly $50,000 to benefit Give Back for Special Equestrians at a Bridgehampton benefit in support of children and veterans with disabilities. The end-of-summer soiree was held at the stunning Peebles’ estate against an opulent backdrop of serenading Juilliard School violinists and 2018 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. A lively mix of celebrities, elite equestrians, local Hampton residents, and business executives celebrated the power of horsemanship and the unique ability horses have in healing the mind, body and spirit.
Notable attendees included: Don Peebles, Katrina Peebles, Chloe Peebles, Donahue Peebles III, Georgina Bloomberg, Sissy De Maria-Koehne, Dr. Heather Kuhl, Isabel Ernst, Ramona Singer, Nicole Cicogna, Jukai Sugarman, Tomoko Sawamura, Isabel Ernst, Dr. Heather Kuhl, Virginia Terry, Shana Kaufman, Lauren Marcus, Colin Harrison, Sarah Bray, Lynn Scotti, Dr. Guenther Koehne, Grant Kennedy, Michael Snell, Mary Kong, Lauren Reischer Sol Reischer, Libby Karmely, Shahab Karmely, Jan Juran, Bernard Lackner, Anetta Nowosielska, Joe Farrell, Chris Reardon and Paul Iritani.
CEO and founder Sissy DeMaria-Koehne, alongside co-founders Dr. Heather Kuhl and Isabel Ernst, started the all-volunteer organization Give Back for Special Equestrians on a mission to raise funds to provide therapeutic horseback riding and equine-assisted scholarships for children and veterans with Autism, Spina Bifida, Paralysis and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among other disabilities. Sharing a passion for horses, they wanted to bring the joys of horsemanship, in addition to the life-changing benefits of equine therapy, to those facing some of life’s most difficult challenges. The transformative benefits of equine therapy help people with disabilities improve balance, posture, hand-eye coordination, as well as self-esteem, self-confidence and self-control.
As part of the evening’s festivities, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presented a $5,000 donation to Give Back for Special Equestrian, supporting The Peebles Corporation’s and Give Back for Special Equestrians’ $30,000 donation to New York City therapeutic stable partner, GallopNYC. Accepting the donation, Executive Director Nicole Cicogna of GallopNYC was joined by accomplished equestrian Jukai Sugarman and her mother Tomoko Sawamura, who is also a volunteer of the nonprofit organization. The support of the generous contributions made by the Peebles Corporation and charity partner Give Back for Special Equestrians will provide therapeutic riding programs for children and adults with disabilities.
Sponsors included title sponsor The Peebles Corporation, as well as supporting sponsors Rolls-Royce, Goldman Sachs, VistaJet, Fisher Island Club, Hamptons Magazine, KAR Properties, 2000 Ocean, One River Point, First Blue Stables, Alexis, Blade and Black Stallion Winery.
The Joan of Arc Statue Committee, under the auspices of the Riverside Park Conservancy, held their second annual social event, “La Fête de Jeanne d’Arc: Celebrate Summer in Joan of Arc Park.” The free, family-friendly event coincided with St. Joan’s Feast Day and featured live music performed by Via Paris Jazz Band, macarons by Ladurée and treats for les chiens.
The Joan of Arc Statue Committee is raising funds and working to restore the park in 2019, the 100th anniversary of its opening. To learn more,click here.
Photographs by Annie Watt / David DuPoy (Asia Society); Rob RichSociety Allure & Sean Zanni ©Patrick McMullan (Peebles); Joan of Arc Statue Committee.
