Bowery Hotel

Artist Chuck Close's Portrait Project with AOL

Filed under: Events, Art

Wednesday night the rooftop space at New York's New Museum was utterly jam-packed with artists, tech-heads and creative types, including Kate Spade and model Doutzen Kroes, celebrating the 25th anniversary of AOL (Luxist's parent company). Famed artist Chuck Close was commissioned by AOL to create portraits of innovators from the last 25 years. The first phase of this "Project on Creativity" was on display in the rooftop space while model-worthy servers made the rounds with Champagne and truffle mac and cheese on Lucite trays.

Close's literally larger-than-life portraits focused on the faces of Claire Danes, the Dali Lama, inventor Dean Kaman, Close himself and others, all done in the artist's typical documentary style. (The trouble was catching a glimpse of them through the thick crowd.) The photographs (and others yet to be taken) will be used in a campaign for AOL's 25th anniversary year.

How did AOL ever get hooked up with the renowned artist whose work hangs in the MoMA and the collections of many other museums -- and how is Kate Spade involved?

Tags: aols 25th anniversary, bowery hotel, chuck close, dean kaman, new museum, new museum of contemporary art, project on creativity

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Even in a Recession, Philanthropy Can Be Sexy

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Charity, Big Givers

Perhaps we should say especially in a recession. The Tycher Family Foundation, based in New York, strives to create a network of young professionals who share a common goal: to donate their time and money towards a worthy cause. The other night the Foundation threw an event at the hip new Bowery Hotel, dubbed "A Truly HAPPY Hour," benefiting Met Council, one of New York's largest human service agencies and an affiliate of UJA Federation of New York. Guests including the attractive trio above enjoyed gourmet hors d'oeuvres, sipped cocktails and bid on silent auction items such as VIP passes to the 2010 Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge, tickets to an episode taping of Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a weekend in South Beach at the W Hotel, and a jaunt to Nantucket via private jet. Selecting one deserving charity each year, the Tycher Family Foundation hosts an exciting and memorable evening, underwriting 100% of the evening's costs to ensure that all revenue – from ticket sales to silent auction earnings – go directly to the chosen charity.