The Ziegfeld Ballroom has seen its share of grand evenings, but the 10th annual Hope Rising Benefit, hosted by the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, certainly stood out among them. Candlelit tables topped with towering floral arrangements overwhelmed the space in the best way possible, the chandeliers casting a warm glow over a sea of pink and red to create the kind of atmosphere that makes workaday midtown Manhattan briefly feel like somewhere else entirely.

The benefit chair was, as always, billionaire businessman and philanthropist Donald Newhouse, who in 2021 made a record-breaking $20 million donation to the organization—the single largest gift in its 20-year history. AFTD supports caregivers, education and scientific research on frontotemporal dementia, and Newhouse dedicated the donation to his late wife and his brother Si Newhouse, both of whom he lost to the disease. Though he was unable to attend, his daughter, Kathy Newhouse Mele, serving as vice chair for the evening, honored his legacy from the dais: “I know that many of you miss my father as much as he misses you. This event represents the fulfillment of a promise he made to himself. He wanted to do everything in his power to help other affected families.”

In the early part of the evening, well-heeled guests sipped rosewater cocktails and olive martinis as canapés circulated through a landscape of staid suits, gorgeous gowns and glittering jewelry. The fuchsia-draped step-and-repeat buzzed with activity as the assembled VIPs jostled for opportunities to chat with model, actress, author and advocate Emma Heming Willis, wife of actor Bruce Willis, who lives with frontotemporal dementia and was the evening’s honoree alongside his wife. In all, $2.1 million was raised to support research into the disease. When Heming Willis accepted the Susan Newhouse & Si Newhouse Award of Hope on behalf of both herself and her husband, who was officially diagnosed with FTD in 2023, she announced the launch of the Emma & Bruce Willis Fund for Dementia Research and Caregiver Support.

Observer spotted Tony Award winner Alex Newell sliding into a seat opposite biotech founder Zandy Forbes—great-granddaughter of the late New York tycoon Allen B. Forbes—who cut a striking silhouette in a red velvet cape. Nearby, Senator Michelle Hinchey traded laughs with Steven Newhouse, son of Donald, across the aisle from filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan. And the ebullient filmmaker Katie Prentiss was all smiles as she moved through the crowd.

After the evening’s speeches, Newell took to the stage and gave an energetic and heartfelt performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and Once on This Island’s “The Human Heart.” Off stage, media mogul Anna Wintour, one of the evening’s co-chairs, shimmered in an embellished beaded gown, her signature bob perfectly coiffed and entirely in step with the evening’s tightly curated atmosphere.

“Just 10 years ago, this event was simply an idea,” announced 10-time Emmy award-winning newscaster and documentarian Paula Zahn to a wave of applause, as plates of citrus carrot salad were placed atop the bright white tablecloths. Moments later, black velvet curtains were drawn closed by bustling staff, and the AFTD gala, suddenly secluded and enveloped in a warm pink light, felt worlds away from the sleeting mania of midtown.

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The Art Production Fund has thrown some memorable themed parties, but its 15th annual gala—an après-ski fantasia staged at the Seagram Building—may have been its most committed. Under cool blue lighting, fur-clad glitterati in trailing gowns and winter whites nabbed nibbles from servers in Moncler puffers, threw back Absolut Tabasco from a shotski and watched artist Amanda Ross-Ho (a former competitive figure skater) find her edge on the simulated ice in her durational work Untitled Figure (Reprise).

There was a line at Kelly Wall’s Wistful Thinking custom penny press for most of the cocktail hour, making it a prime spot for people watching. Among the more than 300 guests, Observer spotted former Clinton aide and author Huma Abedin, fashion CEO Stacey Bendet, society staple and designer Nicky Hilton, angel investor and influencer Hannah Bronfman, architect Kulapat Yantrasast, entrepreneurs Rachel Blumenthal and Neil Blumenthal, art collector Christine Mack, celebrity doctor Jake Deutsch and designers Cynthia Rowley, Sergio Hudson and Anna Sui. The artists on site included co-chairs Derrick Adams and Sanford Biggers, Mickalene Thomas, Will Cotton, Marilyn Minter, Michael Chuapoco and Ludovic Nkoth.

Upstairs at dinner, the assembled VIPs from media, fashion, finance, philanthropy and art found their way via place settings styled as ski passes to their tables, where they sat down to an alpine-inspired menu designed by author Sarah Hoover: fondue, truffle pizza and chicken schnitzel paired with lemon drop martinis and spiked hot chocolate kept the après-ski illusion alive. The Art Production Fund raised a record-breaking $1 million+ that night, thanks in part to a spirited paddle raise led by art advisor Gabriela Palmieri. From there, the night’s speakers capped off the speechifying with another round of ski shots before the fittingly themed DJ duo the Polar Bears took to the deck to spin classic anthems from the early aughts.

It was Aspen by way of Park Avenue until the clock struck midnight. Observer heard murmurs of an après-après party that may or may not have involved the influencer Tinx, gallerist Hannah Traore, writer Amanda Lee Burkett, illustrator Angelica Hicks, heiress Ivy Getty and author Chloe Wise, among others, but before we could confirm, the lights went up, and people were packing away their parkas.

Sarah Hoover and Matt Mercer

Kathleen Lynch and Casey Fremont Crowe

Ivy Getty

Marilyn Minter and Sanford Biggers

Yvonne Force Villareal, Will Cotton and Cynthia Rowley

Maneesh Goyal and Rachel Blumenthal

Tinx

Mickalene Thomas and Latham Thomas

Honor McGee, Jennifer Fisher and Tina Leung

Jenny Mollen and Stacey Bendet

Wisdom Kaye and Samuel Hine

Danielle Hankin and Sami Deller

Bianca Lawson and Hannah Bronfman

Kulapat Yantrasast and Yvonne Force Villareal

Genevieve Roth, Carri Twigg and Nadia Nascimento

Vanessa Riding, Stephanie Horton and Priya Shukla

Alexander Hankin and Makenzie Phelan

Bailey Jane

Federica Parruccini, Jenny Chandler and Adrienne Hahn

Christine Mack

Henry R. Muñoz III

Will Cotton and Rose Dergan

Terrence Charles and Angelica Hicks

Sujin Dolan and Nicole Federico

Neil Blumenthal and Umindi Francis

Brian Atwood and Jake Deutsch

Nicky Hilton

Doreen Remen and Yvonne Force Villareal

Rafa Olarra and Derrick Adams

Wisdom Kaye, Samuel Hine, Hannah Traore, Terrence Charles, Quil Lemons and Brooke Wise

Chloe Wise, Brooke Wise and Hannah Traore

Bianca Lawson and Sergio Hudson

Sami Deller

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On Thursday evening, the New York Botanical Garden took over the Plaza Hotel for its much-beloved Orchid Dinner, transforming the gilded Midtown landmark and its historic ballroom into an immersive world of florals celebrating New York City. The affair, as always, honored the year’s annual exhibition of orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory—in 2026, Mr. Flower Fantastic’s “Concrete Jungle.” The anonymous artist behind the Orchid Show fuses high floristry with pop art and street culture iconography; Mr. Flower Fantastic often wears a mask to conceal his identity, telling the New York Times that anonymity is “honestly the most authentic way to share my work.”

The atmosphere was unmistakably New York, with subway signage and sly city references woven into the tablescapes, each arrangement spilling over and piled high like a skyscraper. Guests arrived in flower-patterned gowns and suits, a nod to the night’s botanical decadence, with some going so far as to sport voluminous leafy halos and intricate flower crowns. The real stars of the evening were, however, the rows of rare orchids up for auction, selected, as is customary, by the New York Botanical Garden’s curators and beautifully spotlit in delicate brown pots. Grand dame of entertaining Martha Stewart was rumored to have purchased one for $300, though some fetched as much as $550, with proceeds supporting the NYBG’s research, education and outreach missions.

After the cocktail hour, Observer spotted philanthropist Sharon Jacob, cultural patrons Steven R. Swartz and Tina Swartz, director Kevin Cornish, supermodel Anne V, actor and singer Alex Newell, jeweler Emily P. Wheeler and artist Sara Arno among the flower-loving revelers. The evening was chaired by philanthropists Maureen K. Chilton and Richard L. Chilton, Susan Matelich and George Matelich, Allison Carmichael and Trent Carmichael. Christopher Griffin, a.k.a. Plant Kween, looked particularly resplendent in head-to-toe jewel-toned florals that competed for attention with the towering floral arrangements that paid tribute to New York City iconography.

A delightful dinner leaned into the floristry theme: napkins cinched with green and yellow vines and a three-course menu—salad, light cod and a chocolate dessert—constructed to resemble delicate flowers. At around 9 p.m., as DJ Runna started his set, guests began drifting from their tables toward the dance floor. “They’re moving the party really fast, it’s good,” publisher Joan Jedell remarked. Within minutes, most revelers had vanished behind the floral skyscrapers, leaving an empty, magical garden in their wake.

Anne V

Christopher Griffin a.k.a. Plant Kween

Alex Newell

Joseph Augello and Tiffany Skilling

George Matelich, Susan Matelich and Raymond Vargas

Sharon Jacob

Kevin Cornish and Sara Arno

Amy Goldman Fowler and Cary Fowler

Marilyn Kirschner

Avalon Ashley Bellos

Emily Wheeler

Steven R. Swartz and Tina Swartz

Isabel Leeds

Elizabeth Mirante and Arthur Mirante

Molly Ford and Romane Recalde

Under black suit jackets and striking wall projections, gallerists, artists and award winners mingled, strategized and celebrated their achievements, interrupted only, of course, by the delicate canapés and the commencement of speeches. “In 2009, Peter Kaplan told Charlie Rose that ‘Observer was meant to diagnose power,’” rang the voice of Observer’s head of editorial, Merin Curotto, from behind the DJ booth. “It was meant to be tremendous fun,” Curotto continued. “Tonight, we embody that spirit.” Scanning the room, it seemed to be just the right diagnosis—a stylish one, at that.

“Observer has chronicled the art world for over four decades,” Kristy Edmunds, director of MASS MoCA, said, perched on a velvety leopard-print sofa as the honoree portion of the evening got underway. The awards spotlighted the figures shaping how capital and vision move through today’s art world, and Christie’s CEO Bonnie Brennan was up first. Brennan wove through the crowd to collect her award from Muys Snijders, head of art services at Private Client Select, the evening’s presenting sponsor.

“This is a room full of visionaries,” Brennan said as she took the stage. “You are innovative and creative in a time when we face challenges, and we also face opportunities.” She was followed by Artsy CEO Jeffrey Yin, who accepted his honor from Perrotin director and former Guggenheim curator Ylinka Barotto. “Artists tell stories,” Yin said to an enamored room. “They tell stories about ourselves that we didn’t even know.”

Between speeches, chatter rose and cameras shuttered. “There’s some beautiful jewelry in here tonight,” one attendee, leaning on the marbled bar, whispered to her friend on a zebra stool. She may have been referencing Daniella Hull, De Beers’ director of high jewelry, who sparkled in a corner booth. “I love the location, it’s super chic,” said another, somewhere to my left. Pisco sours and espresso martinis floated through the crowd as guests claimed corners in the dimly lit basement. And, they weren’t just any corners. The walls were adorned with art from the private collection of Nur Khan, New York nightlife’s self-proclaimed “pied piper” and owner of Maison Nur. Two large, kaleidoscopic works by Damien Hirst, taken directly from Khan’s home, were hard to miss as you walked in—though, if you did, a third illuminated the lower-level bar. “All my friends are artists,” Khan was overheard telling Curotto as he introduced her to famed fashion photographer Sante d’Orazio. “Sante’s first job was working for Andy Warhol,” Khan said. 

Later in the evening, artist Derrick Adams presented Gagosian director Antwaun Sargent with an award in recognition of Sargent’s tireless advocacy for artists. Adams’ art resides in the permanent collections of The Met, the Whitney, the Brooklyn Museum and other top institutions. (In April, “View-Master”—a comprehensive survey of the artist’s twenty years of multidisciplinary practice celebrating contemporary Black life and culture—opens at the ICA in Boston.) Adams offered a gushing, heartfelt tribute as he welcomed Sargent to the stage. “Individuals like Antwaun are the people I speak about when I talk about discovery.”

“The art world is really just about making artist projects come alive,” a soft-spoken Sargent said, adding that he thinks it takes a village for this to happen. “Observer’s Art Index really does shine a light on all of us who are working together with artists to make their ideas come alive in the gallery spaces, museums, and other spaces that make up the institutionalized art world.” 

The final honoree of the evening was Dustin Yellin, artist and founder of Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn, who accepted the Social Sculpture Award in front of an increasingly packed room. “Ultimately, Dustin built Pioneer Works on the conviction that culture functions best as a commons—an idea many give lip service to but few follow through on,” Observer arts editor Christa Terry said by way of introduction. In his acceptance speech, Yellin implored the room to “work a little harder to love each other more,” and “to find ways to build bridges to each other.”

Most art parties are transient drop-in affairs, part of a curated calendar of gallery openings in a seemingly never-ending cycle of dinners and other happenings, but attendees at the Art Index lingered. Some, like Artforum editor-in-chief Tina Rivers Ryan, Sotheby’s chief communications officer Karina Sokolovsky and gallerist Nicholas Olney, drifted upstairs, where the restaurant had been closed to accommodate an oversubscribed guest list. Others milled around silver platters of pastel macarons. Artists Ryan McGinness and Sébastien Léon Agneessens flitted, all smiles, from one intense conversation to the next. Artnet China publisher Jessica Zhang circled the room in an ornate silk coat as art advisor Maria Brito swept through at full tilt in a giant fur, lamenting that she had to leave so soon. Mega-influencer Jessica Wang glowed beside Joseph Meyer, Observer’s owner and chairman. Ebony L. Haynes, a director at David Zwirner, chatted with Dmitry Komis of Marian Goodman Gallery in Tribeca and Tyler Blackwell, curator of contemporary art at the Speed Art Museum in Kentucky.

“It’s very exciting to be amongst so many great thinkers,” Blackwell said as the music got louder. Komis, standing beside him, nodded. “I think it’s a beautiful evening to celebrate peers and people of influence in the art world,” he added.