What I Learned At the Municipal Art Society Benefit

1. Agnes Gund had a crush on Brendan Gill, and "for a time it was vice versa," she said. 2. The Upper East Side is an under-served neighborhood - because it has so few theaters. The Armory in its new incarnation will provide a venue for performing arts, such as New York City Opera performances (the opera company expects 900 people to attend its first production there) 3. Co-honoree Elihu Rose, a real estate developer who teaches military history, said saving the Armory and turning it into a space for art and culture took so long, "when we started, Major Deegan was only a second lieutenant." 4. Co-honoree Wade Thompson "sees what everybody else sees, but thinks what no one else thinks," his fellow honoree, Elihu Rose, said. 5. Elihu Rose is a probably a Type B personality, according to self-described Type A personality, Wade Thompson 6.MAS with the help of Jackie Onassis helped save Grand Central Terminal and Lever House 7. Anti-Gravity was not just seen in the nips and tucks of guests; Anti-Gravity was the acrobatic troupe that performed at the benefit, suspending themselves from the Armory ceiling and jumping around on pogo-like sticks. 8. In 1939, with the help of FDR, the Municipal Art Society defeated a Robert Moses plan to build a bridge between Brooklyn and the Battery 9. Previous Balls hosted at the Armory included the Bovine Ball and the Alpine Ball, the Armory Conservancy's president, Rebecca Robertson, said on a video tribute. 10. Many left knowing this was the last fund-raising event they'd be attending in 2007, and what a way to end the year. And what did it all look like? The Municipal Art Society honors Wade Thompson and Elihu Rose at the Armory on December 10, 2007