New York | United States
Since the first Young Fellows Ball took place, the event soon became one of the highlights on the New York social calendar. Hosted by the Frick, this year in partnership with sponsor ESCADA, the annual ball raised funds for programs at both the museum as well as the Frick Art Reference Library. The Frick Collection started its, not so humble beginnings, as the private home and collection of Henry Clay Frick. The Fifth Avenue mansion remained the private home of the American Industrialist until his death in 1919 when, with his passing, he bequeathed both the building as well as the art collection to the public.
Since his death in 1919, the Frick Collection has expanded to the extent where nearly half of the Collection’s paintings and several important sculptures and decorative art objects have been acquired since. Furthermore, the building has been enlarged three times in order to better accommodate the public with a further expansion on the drawing-board. The collection regularly hosts functions and is depended on public funding in order to conserve and grow the collection. The Young Fellows Ball serves as a wonderful platform to do so.
The 19th Young Fellows Ball saw over 600 patrons of the art gather in the building’s sumptuous interiors. The theme for this year’s ball – Virtue & Vice – was inspired by one of the Frick’s great works within their permanent collection, the Choice Between Virtue and Vice by Paolo Veronese.
Upon arrival the guests were greeted with either a choice between Ferrari Trento Sparkling Wine or two cocktails before entering into the elegant Garden Court. One of these specialty cocktails was the Virtue. This bespoke cocktail was created with Simple Syrup, Lime Juice, Mint and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The other was named Dark Side. This exotic cocktail was created by mixing Johnnie Walker Black Label with blood orange juice, lemon juice, earl grey and lavender honey. A selection of spirits and wines were also served throughout the course of the evening.
Cocktails, wine, spirits and bubbly were served in the Garden Court while guests were thrilled with a selection of hors d’oeuvres and nibbles catered by Olivier Cheng. The trays overflowed with a selection of delicious treats such as truffle grilled cheese sandwiches with celery relish, New England lobster rolls, chicken schnitzel with red cabbage, lemon and Dijon mustard, spicy tuna on a crispy rice cake with furikake, vegetable spring rolls and edamame puree on a nori chip. After 11 pm the puddings were introduced to the guests. These included mini glazed donuts, apple crumble tartlets, milk chocolate salted caramel rice crispy treats and Toblerone semifreddo lollipops.
Throughout the course of the evening, the galleries were opened where the guests had the privilege of wondering through them and by doing so managed to step back in time into the private world of Henry Clay Frick and his family. The collection’s masterpieces includes works by Degas, Fragonard, Goya, Manet, Rembrandt, Turner, Vermeer, and Whistler, among others, which are displayed amidst Renaissance bronzes, Limoges enamels, Sèvres porcelain, and French and Italian furniture. The evening ended with dancing in the music room where the music was provided by DJ Timo and Rosé.
