“We must now learn to draw inspiration from the tangible miracles that surround us.” -Umberto Boccioni
Last week, we had the pleasure of designing a table for the 125th Anniversary Gala for the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House at Cipriani’s 42nd Street Ballroom. Every spring, forty interior designers, artists and floral designers from around the country are invited to design tables for the annual black tie charity event. This year’s theme was “The Future Starts Now” in honor of their 125th anniversary. Recognized as one of New York’s premier non profit organizations, the settlement house provides an extensive array of human services including social, educational, legal, health, housing, mental health, nutritional and fitness to improve the lives of 15,000 people in need each ranging from 3-103. The event raised close to $900,000 and we could not think of a more worthy cause to which we could donate our time, creativity, and resources. Thank you to Virginia Pittman, Honorary Design Chair Christopher Spitzmiller, and Design Chairs Alberto Villalobos and Lindsey Coral Harper for including us in the event.
Inspired by the Italian Futurist artists, my table entitled “Una Festa Futurismo” was based on their ideas of capturing forward movement to interpret “The Future is Now” theme. The color palette was pulled from one of my favorite paintings at the Museum of Modern Art, Gino Severini’s “Dynamic Hieroglyphic of the Bal Tabarin” that depicts dancers at a ball (seen on the menu card above and image below). All design elements, from the floral design to the fabrics and ceramics, reflect this momentum of progressive energy to honor the next 125 inspiring years of the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.
We assembled an incredibly talented group of creatives to pull off our vision. I wanted to work with as many artists as I could to create unique items for our table. Special thanks to all of these artists and especially to floral designers extraordinaire John Lupton and Andrew Thomas that created the magnificent centerpiece. They beautifully interpreted the essence of artistic movement for the theme with a stunning arrangement of peonies, aganpanthus, tulips, and gloriosa in a vibrant palette.
CREDITS
Gino Severini, Dynamic Hieroglyphic of the Bal Tabarin (1912) Oil on Canvas, Museum of Modern Art
Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space (1913) Bronze, Museum of Modern Art
Floral Design: John Lupton and Andrew Thomas
Fabric: Lindsay Cowles
Plates: Marie Daâge
Linens: Julian Mejia
Embroidery: Stephen Wilson Studio
Glassware: Nina Campbell
Rendering: B. Russell Art
Stationery: Arzberger
THE GALA
Each table was a masterpiece. I am always in awe of my interior design peers and their creative visions. Here is a glimpse of several tables that are even more magnificent in person than they are in pictures!
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