Earlier this week, we stopped by Pier 60 for the Museum of Arts and Design gala, also known as The MAD Ball. The annual gala recognizes individuals from the arts and design field. This year’s honorees were not only inspiring but creatives that many upcoming artists look up to. The Visionaries! Awards honored design advocate, patron, and longtime MAD Trustee and CEO of Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation Charles S. Cohen; the late architect Zaha Hadid; Angela Missoni of the Italian design house MISSONI; and conceptual artist Yinka Shonibare MBE. The Museum also celebrated its Diamond Jubilee 60th Anniversary this year.
Attendees included the MC for the night, Simon Doonan, along with Jonathan Adler, Dror Benshetrit, Andi Potamkin Blackmore, Zoe Buckman, Felix Burrichter, Wendell Castle, Jerome A. Chazen, Anna Cleveland, Pat Cleveland, Clo Cohen, Sebastian Errazuriz, Leila Heller, Elizabeth Kabler, Nan L. Laitman, Shari Siadat Loeffler, Francesco Maccapani, Rosita Missoni, Luca Missoni, Monique Péan, Linda Plattus, Ralph Pucci, Bruno Ragazzi, Randi Schatz, Patrik Schumacher, Jean Shafiroff, Hadieh Shafie, Shannon Stratton, Barbara Tober, Stefano Tonchi, Jorge Daniel Veneciano and hundreds of other art patrons, artists, and civic leaders.
Charles Cohen expressed his excitement, telling us, “It’s an honor to be recognized by my peers and the Museum.” Cohen has achieved a national reputation for exceptional business acumen, innovation, and creativity. His real estate portfolio includes over 12 million square feet of prime commercial properties in New York, Texas, Southeast Florida, and Southern California. The Museum of Arts and Design (founded in 1956) champions contemporary makers across creative fields and presents the work of artists, designers, and artisans who apply the highest level of ingenuity and skill. For more information, please visit:
For more information, please visit www.madmuseum.org.
Photos: BFA.com