After three long years, the annual Brooklyn Artists Ball made its mighty return on a Tuesday evening in April. This year’s gala honored Saundra Williams-Cornwell, W. Don Cornwell, and Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri. Coincidentally, the evening was held in the same space as the recent Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition.
The night kicked off with a metallic-clad marching band that called dinner and a welcome from Brooklyn Native Senator Chuck Schumer. Venturing into the dinner hall, guests felt as though they were being transported into outer space as the museum’s ceiling had been transformed into a stylized starry night’s sky with ethereal planetary bodies appearing to float overheard. Events designer David Stark drew inspiration for the evening’s decor from Christian Dior’s affinity for astrological motifs. “Mr. Dior’s lucky star was used by the Maison across many different creative directors. We thought about the museum’s future and the constellations of our communities at the Brooklyn Museum,” Stark told Vogue.
A moment of silence was held for the shocking subway shooting that occurred earlier that day. Shortly after, guests attentively listened as Swizz Beatz, the evening’s honorees, museum director Anne Pasternak, and artist Judy Chicago shared messages with a common theme: holding space for marginalized communities through art. After all, the museum is one of America’s only of its kind to have a Feminist Arts Center. The evening’s emphasis on community was echoed by the board members in attendance, including Janet Mock and Pyer Moss’s Kerby Jean-Raymond. “Many folks that I know who live in Brooklyn consider this museum their backyard. Having a feminist center for women’s art is amazing, especially in an industry where historically women have been marginalized, for its existence, or just seen as objects in it and subjects,” Mock told Vogue.
Other attendees included Carolina Herrera’s Wes Gorden, Paul Arnhold, singer Kelsey Lu, and many art world and New York notables. Amidst the crowd and candle-lit tables, conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas spoke of calling the museum home for over 20 years and its ongoing role as a changemaker in the art world.
The evening’s festivities most certainly didn’t end with dessert. Instead, the marching band returned, ushering everyone to a lively after-party deejayed by Swizz Beatz. While some might associate galas with the Upper East Side, this annual event represents the museum’s ongoing mission to provide accessibility to neighborhood regulars and visitors alike. “I grew up in East Flatbush Brooklyn, so this museum is local for me,” said Kerby Jean-Raymond. “After school, we had three options: the Grand Plaza, the Botanic Gardens, or the Brooklyn Museum, and these are the places that were friendly and allowed us to see a different world, even when we didn’t have the means to do so. Being on the board means that I get to continue that and find new opportunities for this museum to exist for the generations after me in a community that I love.”
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