Press Room

Celebrating MAD's 1st Anniversary
A Benefit Gala for the Children's Education Programs at MAD
Hosted by Coco Rocha & Bryan Batt

New York, NY (September 28, 2009)

On Wednesday, October 14th, 2009, the Museum of Arts and Design celebrates its one-year "paper" anniversary in its new home at 2 Columbus Circle with the first annual young patron's gala, the MAD PAPERBALL. With a host committee of designers, artists, and fashion moguls, including Chris Benz, Dror Benshetrit and Genevieve Jones, MAD welcomes guests to attend a night of dinning, dancing and design, all to support the Museum's acclaimed education programs. This benefit features one of a kind artist-designed paper dresses, accessories and product design available for purchase and allows guests to preview MAD's newly opened paper exhibition, Slash: Paper Under the Knife.

The PAPERBALL begins at 6 PM and includes a private dinner for top-level supporters in the Museum's new restaurant, with staggered entries at the various ticket levels, ranging from $150 to $350 and premium tickets at $500 and $1000. At 8:30 PM, the dancing begins and will go until midnight. The PAPERBALL features music by DJs Paul Sevigny, Harley Viera-Newton & Cassie Coane, and Leo Fitzpatrick. To purchase tickets, visit thestore.madmuseum.org.

A featured highlight of the PAPERBALL will be the one of a kind life size paper dresses, accessories, and objects, commissioned by the Museum and created by some of the most intriguing minds in fashion and design, including Issey Miyake, James Rosenquist, Matthew Williamson, Kai Kühne, Dror Benshetrit, Zaldy, and Maria Pinto, among many others. These works will be on view throughout the Museum, with a major installation in the Museum's spectacular theater auditorium. All commissions are available for purchase to benefit the Museum's educational programs.

Savory food creations by top chefs, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, will add to flavor to the evening, giving guests the opportunity to see and interact with chefs as they create sensuous works of edible art. Food demonstrations held in MAD's Open Studios will explore the creative process of the culinary arts and connect guests with working chefs and a variety of delectable treats.

Host Committee members include: Chris Benz, Dror Benshetrit, Robert Geller, Fabiola Beracasa, Rogan Gregory, Genevieve Jones, Lyle Maltz, Lorenzo Martone, Steven Cox & Daniel Silver, Adam Dugas, Joseph Quartana & Steve Sang, Slava Mogutin & Brian Kenny, Peter Knell, Patrick Duffy, Ken Kaufman & Isaac Franco, Brian Wolk & Claude Morais, Matthew Bangsar, Daniel Jackson & Joshua Safalow, Zaldy Goco, Zoe Lister Jones & Daryl Wein, Stefan Miljanic, Lela Rose, Sonja Rubin & Kip Chapelle, VJ Carbone & Michael Buess, Todd J. Cohen, Sharon & Eric Draghi, Michael Dwork, Stephanie Goto, Donna Marfino, Nicole Murray, Anthony Mazzei, Michele & Seth Metsh, Zach Gold, John Cooper, Jonathan Keidan, Adam Budgor, Randall Buck, Cheryl Family, Kathleen Tait, Sally Wu, among others.

Participating artists include: Matthew Williamson, Dror Benshetrit, Issey Miyake, Kai Kühne, Ruffian, Yeohlee Teng, Rogan Gregory, Kenzo Minami, Surface to Air, Frank Tell, Zaldy, Gemma Kahng, Brian Kenny, Bliss Lau, Maria Pinto, Slava Mogutin, Jen Kao, Lela Rose, Gilded Age, Rubin Chapelle, Donald Deal, Craig McDean, Ryder Robison, Jeffrey Monteiro, Henrik Vibskov, Steven & William Ladd, Nina Basharova, Larisa Barrera, Beth Sosin, Amanda Eufer, Corinne Grassini, Susan Woo, Anna Chen, Pam Levine, Playground, Gina Pankowski, Susan Suh, Ben Aranda, Marcus Tremonto, Peter Macapia, Stephanie Goto, Auguste Garufi, Chris Gilmour, Tasja Keetman, Alexandra Weems, Trove, among others.

The PAPERBALL Lead Sponsor is Kate's Paperie, with additional sponsorship provided by Hugo Boss and Oldcastle Glass.

The exhibition Slash: Paper Under the Knife is made possible by Kate's Paperie with additional generous support provided by the Angelica Berrie Foundation.

This exhibition is made possible, in part, through the generous support of the Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam. Additional support is provided by the Office of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Israel and the Dutch Consulate General.

ABOUT SLASH: PAPER UNDER THE KNIFE
Slash: Paper Under the Knife explores the international phenomenon of cut paper in contemporary art-showcasing the work of artists who reach beyond the traditional role of paper as a neutral surface to consider its potential as a medium for provocative, expressive, and visually striking sculpture, installation, and video animation. Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design, Slash features 12 new site-specific installations and other new and recent work by over 50 contemporary artists from around the world, including Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Tom Friedman, Nina Katchadourian, Judy Pfaff, and Kara Walker, among others.

A special weeklong Visitor Preview of Slash, starting October 7, will invite museum visitors to watch the creative process as six Slash artists install their site-specific installations during regular museum hours. Andreas Kocks, Celio Braga, Michael Velliquette, Tomas Rivas, and Mark Fox will install and assemble their new commissions in the Museum's 4th and 5th floor galleries. Andrea Mastrovito will hang his massive paper installation, depicting a storm seizing Christopher Columbus's ship, from the ceiling of MAD's lobby, visible to all visitors passing through the Museum and from the street. The completed exhibition will be on view from October 14, 2009 through April 4, 2010.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF ARTS AND DESIGN
The Museum of Arts and Design explores how craftsmanship, art, and design intersect in the visual arts today. The Museum focuses on contemporary creativity and the ways in which artists and designers from around the world transform materials through processes ranging from the handmade to cutting edge technologies.

The Museum's exhibition program explores and illuminates issues and ideas, highlights creativity and craftsmanship, and celebrates the limitless potential of materials and techniques when used by creative and innovative artists. MAD's permanent collection is global in scope and focuses on art, craft, and design from 1950 to the present day.

At the center of the Museum's mission is education. The Museum's dynamic new facility features classrooms and studios for master classes, seminars, and workshops for students, families and adults. Three open artist studios engage visitors in the creative processes of artists at work and enhance the exhibition programs. Lectures, films, performances and symposia related to the Museum's collection and topical subjects affecting the world of contemporary art, craft and design are held in a renovated 150-seat auditorium.