Highlights From The 2017 Conservatory Ball
The New York Botanical Garden‘s annual Conservatory Ball is considered one of the highlights of the New York City social calendar– one of the few black-tie affairs in which guests dress in colorful ball gowns and dapper tuxedos for evening of food, fundraising, and flowers in full repose.
This year, the garden’s annual event raised $1.7 million for Children’s Education and International Plant Research at NYBG, in Partnership with Northern Trust.
The June 1st celebration was centered around the garden’s highly-anticipated Dale Chihuly Glass Sculpture installation, which has already become one of the city’s most anticipated art installations on the summer calendar– one that just so happens to be installed in one of the world’s most famous gardens. More than 20 installations by the world-renowned artist currently surround NYBG’s dramatic landscape, which was alight in the early summer dusk as guests roamed about the gardens before heading into the Conservatory Tent for dinner and dancing. Delightful arrangements of purple lilacs, blue hydrangeas, and autumnal roses greeted guests at each table, in homage to the vibrant acrylic panels on display within Chihuly’s new Koda series, installed in the Conservatory courtyard’s Tropical pool.
Early in the evening the event’s 500 guests met in the Perennial Garden across from rows of gorgeous blooming peonies. For dinner, they were guided towards the music-filled Conservatory tent (designed by DeJuan Stroud) and greeted on a royal blue carpet in front of Chihuly’s Sol de Citron sculpture– a towering objet d’arte that has become a centerpiece to the collection currently on display. Soulsystem Orchestras provided live music during dinner, including more than a few clever renditions of contemporary hits ranging from Outkast’s “Hey Ya” to Bon Jovi’s “Living On A Prayer” and a very welcome “Uptown Funk”– it wouldn’t be a party without it, after all.
For more of the evening’s best looks, check out the gallery, below.
For more information on this and future Conservatory Balls, visit the NYBG’s website.
