Museum of Arts and Design’s MAD Ball

The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) held its annual MAD Ball benefit at the Museum’s home in New York at 2 Columbus Circle on November 14. MAD honored renowned multimedia artist Jeffrey Gibson and esteemed New York gallerist Cristina Grajales with Visionary Awards, while celebrating the institution’s mission to champion contemporary makers across creative fields.

Tim Rodgers, MAD’s Nanette L. Laitman Director, welcomed guests before a conversation between Christian Larsen, MAD Windgate Research Curator, and Cristina Grajales in The Theater at MAD. Cocktails were held in the Luminaries Lounge, specially designed with items from the Shantell Martin x HOEK limited-edition collab and featuring music by DJ Timo Weiland. Guests were invited to browse open exhibitions including Queer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle, Chris Schanck: Off-World, and Jewelry Stories, and participate in art-making activities such as fabricating masks with Lexy Ho-Tai, creating brooches with Aimee Petkus, and making jewelry charms with Ashley Khirea Wahba and Ada Chen, in partnership with NYC Jewelry Week.

New York comedian, beloved cabaret performer, and actor Murray Hill, hosted the benefit ceremony at the museum’s ninth floor restaurant, Robert, overlooking Central Park.

“When I was growing up in Pereira, a small city in the coffee region of Colombia, I never expected that I would be standing in front of all of you at the Museum of Arts and Design,” said Cristina Grajales, upon receiving her award from celebrated art collector and philanthropist, Beth Rudin DeWoody. After being introduced by art business advisor Colleen Keegan, Jeffrey Gibson shared, “Being honored by MAD for my work and practice is incredibly meaningful for me. The Museum has shown me support for more than a decade and was the first to show the very first punching bag sculpture in Changing Hands 3 in 2012. I am grateful to have shared this night with my husband, many supporters, and collectors of my work.”

The awards took the form of one-of-a-kind sashes, made by artist Beau McCall in his signature style, using hand-sewn decorative buttons of various materials such as rhinestone, wood, and mother-of-pearl to create wearable visual artworks, each customized to reflect the honoree’s affinities and interests. For Jeffrey Gibson’s sash McCall wanted to celebrate various aspects of his Native American culture. For Cristina Grajales’ sash, McCall created a bucolic-inspired piece reflecting some of her favorite hobbies of sitting in her country house and watching the birds.

Led by MAD Board Chair Michele Cohen, the evening included a special memorial tribute to Jerome A. Chazen, MAD Chairman Emeritus, who passed away on February 6. In attendance were Chazen’s wife, Simona Chazen, and their children, Louise Chazen Banon, Kathy, and David Chazen.

MAD Chairman Emeritus Lewis Kruger, joined by his wife, Laura Kruger, was celebrated with a cake for his birthday.

Guests included MAD Board Members Marian and Russell Burke, Mike De Paola, Michael and Patti Dweck, Jeffrey Manocherian, Marsy Mittlemann, Bill and Ellen Taubman, MAD Chair Emerita Barbara Tober, MAD Luminaries Co-Chairs Alexander Hankin and Christina Senia, MAD William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator Elissa Auther, MAD Associate Curator Barbara Paris Gifford, as well as Wes Aderhold, Chiara Clemente, Rebecca Hessel Cohen, Fe and Alessandro Fendi, Misha Kahn, Elizabeth Kurpis, Casey Kohlberg, Eric Kuhn, Wendy Goodman, Julia Haart, Dakota Jackson, Lisa Perry, Bryna Pomp, Polina Proshkina, Ruben Toledo, and Mia Wright-Ross.

MAD Ball’s online auction, powered by Artsy, features artwork and jewelry by a host of talented artists, including Lindsey Adelman, Paul Arnhold, Giulia Boccafogli, Oliver Clegg, Orly Cogan, Liz Collins, Mercedes Castro Corbat, Rachelle Dang, Jocelyn DeSisto, Ben Dory, Octavia Elizabeth, Andrew Erdos, Jeffrey Gibson, Paula Giecco, Danielle Gori-Montanelli, Rebecca Hannon, Paula Hayes, Marge Hinge, Joan Hornig, Lauren Kalman, Eileen Keane, Heechan Kim, Chao-Hsien Kuo, Mariko Kusumoto, Peter Lane, Jessica Lichtenstein, Cannupa Hanska Luger, MoAnA Luu, Francesca Marcenaro, Shantell Martin x Hoek, Issey Miyake, Margo Morrison, Nick Moss, Jolie Ngo, Of Rare Origin, Richard Orlinski, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Faith Ringgold, Dame Zandra Rhodes and Andrew Logan, Roche Bobois, Chris Schanck, Kiki Smith, Carmen Tapia, Deborah Tseng, Claire Webb, Lorraine West, Diana Weymer, Kazumi Yoshida, and David Yurman.