Out & About
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
When it comes to philanthropy in the arts, museums have all the status. It takes bucks and connections to be a somebody at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, or the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Art schools, on the other hand, are rarely mentioned. When it comes to schools, most patrons are absorbed by their own alma maters or their children’s.
Given these conditions, the New York Academy of Art, at Franklin Street, accomplished quite a feat Thursday night at its annual gala, drawing philanthropists already associated with museums. Dinner chairmen were Larry and Jennifer Creel, Heather and Steven Mnuchin, and Stephanie and David Wolkoff, who all have strong ties to Upper East Side museums. To wit, Mr. Mnuchin is a board member at the Whitney, and the couple served as co-chairmen of the museum’s fall gala. Ms. Wolkoff, in charge of special events for Vogue, is the behind-the-scenes organizer of the Met’s annual Costume Institute Ball. Ms. Creel, meanwhile, is a fixture at fund-raising events for the Frick Collection and the Museum of the City of New York. Other chairmen included Eileen Guggenheim (need we say more?) and Simone and David Levinson. Mr. Levinson is chairman of the academy’s board.
So what is the lure of this small art school? Perhaps the answer is the school’s exclusive focus on the human figure. The academy boasts that it is the only graduate school in America devoted solely to its study – a point brought home in the “artist’s studio” at the gala, which featured academy students painting live from two nude models.
Sure, there were a few giggles, but not too many, since the models weren’t the only ones flaunting their well shaped bodies. Many of the female guests were also ready to pose for a painting – or a photograph.
Dolce & Gabbana’s decor made the room even sexier, with mirror-topped dining tables lit by dozens of candelabras.
Thanks to deejay Tom Finn, most of the 350 guests took a turn on the dance floor, between courses (tapas, steak, and chocolate profiteroles). The event raised $600,000 for the academy.
