Velvet Slippers, Mellow Music At Whitney Museum Gala
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“I feel like I’m in my jammies,” Meryl Streep said of her long-sleeved black blouse and floor-length skirt by Swiss designer Akris at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s gala Monday night. She didn’t look like she was in pajamas, nor did the other co-chairwomen of the event, Kyra Sedgwick, Amy Phelan, or Melva Bucksbaum, also in Akris gowns — the label was the event’s chief sponsor. Neither did Bethany Rower, in a spiky necklace made by her husband’s grandfather, Alexander Calder, nor Lisa Perry in a gown she made out of fabric that the artist Chuck Close gave her, a one-of-a-kind piece she said she is thinking of donating to a museum.
Ms. Streep’s comment was, however, accurate in capturing the party’s mood: This was a comfortable evening among the museum’s friends. And on second thought, perhaps it was sartorially accurate as well. It’s possible to imagine that the well-tailored gowns and tuxedos of this glamorous set did indeed feel like pajamas to them. (And weren’t those velvet slippers of board member Wilbur Ross meant for bedtime?)
The comfort food also matched the party’s mood. Olivier Cheng served green balls made of spinach and coconut, a chicken tagine entrée, and a down-home banana tart with ice cream and butterscotch sauce for dessert.
People were able to relax during the performance of Philip Glass’s “A Musical Portrait of Chuck Close” by pianist Bruce Levingston. Fran Drescher, Arthur Becker, and Bryant Gumbel were among dozens of guests who had their eyes closed. The flickering candles and Chuck Close tapestries lining the dining room with images of Lorna Simpson, Renée Fleming, and Cindy Sherman — all of whom were present in the flesh — contributed to the meditative atmosphere. Mr. Levingston will perform the piece again on Saturday to accompany a world premiere of American Ballet Theatre’s ballet inspired by Mr. Close’s life.
The guest of honor at the event, Mr. Close, who will leave the Whitney board after seven years, was the first artist to serve on it. “My job has been to keep them honest,” he said. Ms. Bucksbaum’s job was to keep people quiet. After shushing and pleading, she announced that the event had raised more than $2.4 million.
Every slumber party needs a den mother who delivers such good news — and refuses to go to bed herself. In the wee hours of the night, Ms. Bucksbaum was seen viewing the Kara Walker retrospective.
agordon@nysun.com