Editors’ Picks: 7 Great Art and Design Events This Week

Whether you want to party in the city or escape to the Hamptons, this week abounds with celebrations in the world of art and design. Saturday marks the annual extravaganza (one of the few events that actually lives up to that description) that is the Watermill Center’s Summer Benefit & Auction, the always entertaining, and provocative, occasion. Parsons School of Design will present the next iteration of its anticipated menswear program “Next in Class,” Eerdmans Fine Art pays homage to Bunny Mellon, plus a festival surrounding Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawaii at the New York Botanical Garden. Read on for our full list of the very best festivities happening this week.

NIHL S/S 2019 – NYFWM. Photo: Stephen Valestegui

1.“Next In Class” Juried Menswear Program
Jacob Javits Center

Presented by the New School’s Parsons School of Design and Project New York, the fourth iteration of “Next in Class” will showcase four collections by menswear and dual-gender designers who are recent graduates of the MFA and BFA programs.

Where: Jacob Javits Center, 655 W. 34 Street

When: Sunday, July 22 – Tuesday, July 24. Hours: Sunday and Monday, 9am – 6pm; Tuesday, 9am – 4pm.

Mrs. Paul Mellon in her greenhouse in Upperville, Virginia. Photo: Horst P. Horst/Condé Nast via Getty Images

2. An Homage to Bunny Mellon
Eerdmans Fine Art

A vignette featuring items from the celebrated gardener, horticulturalist, and art collector Bunny Mellon’s personal collection will add a seasonal touch to Eerdmans through the end of the summer. 

Where: Eerdmans Fine Art, 14 E. 10th Street, Downstairs

When: Opening reception: Wednesday, July 25; On view from Monday, July 23 – Thursday, August 30. Summer hours: Monday – Wednesday, 11am – 6pm; Rosé Thursdays, 1pm – 7pm

Combo Chimbita. Photo: Itzel Alejandra

3. Summer Thursdays: Combo Chimbita
Museum of Modern Art, Sculpture Garden

Fusing styles from cumbia to Cape Verde’s 1970s funaná and Haiti’s kompa, the Colombia-rooted, New York-based four piece will bring their hybrid sound to MoMA for the third installment of the institution’s Thursday night music series. 

Where: The Museum of Modern Art, Sculpture Garden, 11 W. 53rd St.

When: Thursday, July 26, 5:30–8pm; live music begins at 6:30pm

2017 installation at Shin Gallery by Andreas Emenius, one of the night’s honorees. Photo: Shin Gallery

4. Summer Haze Soiree
Shin Gallery

Co-hosted by Flora Donovan and Shin Gallery, a soiree in honor of artists Andreas Emenius, Hyon Gyon, Loredana Sperini, and Keunmin Lee will combine exceptional art with a night of drinks, music, and dancing.

Where: 9 Jay Street, New York, NY

When: Thursday, July 26 at 8pm

Angie Pittman. Photo: Scott Shaw

5. Angie Pittman: Sequined Kisses and Vazlean
The Kitchen 

Dance artist Angie Pittman puts on a diptych performance of “Sequined Kisses” and “Vazlean,” which explore historical black trauma and African diasporic concepts through choreographed moves. Pittman’s event is concurrent with the Kitchen’s The Racial Imaginary Institute: On Whiteness, which includes a series of exhibitions, performances, and symposiums, and residencies that examine whiteness and cultural behaviors.

Where: The Kitchen, 512 West 19th St.

When: Friday, July 27, 7pm, Free with RSVP

“Georgia O’Keefe: Visions of Hawai’i” at the New York Botanical Garden. Photo: New York Botanical Garden

6. Celebrate Hawai’i Weekend: Fashion & Design
New York Botanical Garden

The two-day festival surrounding “Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai’i” will feature a plethora of Hawaiian performers, artists, and artisans. From tattoo demonstrations with artist Keone Nunes to lei dress-making with Bliss Lau, the various festivities will showcase the islands’ vibrant cultural heritage. In addition, the NYBG will host a fashion walk highlighting work by contemporary Hawaiian designers.

Where: New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx

When: Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29. Hours: 10am – 6pm

An installation by Trina Merry, 2013. Photo: Lovis Ostenrik, Courtesy of the Watermill Center

7. TIME BOMB: The 25th Annual Watermill Center Summer Benefit & Auction
The Watermill Center

Robert Wilson’s collaborative arts space, The Watermill Center, transforms into a full on arts spectacle for its 25th Summer Benefit & Auction. A series of fantastical performances and installations in the woods and gardens surrounding the center as well as music, theatre, design, and architecture have a slew of celebrities and illuminaries coming back each year to celebrate as well as raise money for a good cause. The event includes dinner, dancing and a live auction. Funds raised from the fête support the center’s year-round artist residency and education programs.

Where: The Watermill Center, 39 Watermill Towd Road, Water Mill, NY

When: Saturday, July 28, 6pm – 12am

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