Jonathan Adler was showered with much-deserved love and appreciation at the Museum of Arts and Design’s annual MAD Ball on Oct. 29.
“When I was 28, I had failed at working and realized I had no choice but to be a potter. The very first place I approached with my pots was the MAD gift shop. They placed an order and took a chance on an unknown potter. It was incredible,” said Adler. “One rainy day, I was feeling a little burnt out from the business mishegoss, and I got a call from MAD’s curator, Elissa Auther. Once again, it was MAD to the rescue. I’m so grateful to MAD and to all the potters and craftspeople who’ve made my mad, mad world possible.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 29: Barbara Tober and Michele Cohen attend MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Barbara Tober;Michele Cohen
Board Chair Michele Cohen presented Adler with the Visionary Award, designed by jeweler Laura Fortune, whose piece referenced elements of Adler’s life.
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 29: Tim Rodgers, Cheryl R. Riley, and Jonathan Lucas attend MAD Ball 2025 at the Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Tim Rodgers;Cheryl R. Riley;Jonathan Lucas
“Your presence here tonight really affirms the importance of museums in this world at this particular moment,” said Tim Rodgers, MAD’s Nanette L. Laitman Director. “There is a reason why museums and artists are under attack right now — it’s because we are the people who believe in creative freedom and freedom of expression. When you’re under attack, it’s because you have power.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 29: Mike De Paola and Debi Mazar attend MAD Ball 2025 at the Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Mike De Paola;Debi Mazar
Simon Doonan emceed the whimsical night full of touches of artistic magic and brilliant wit.
“Jonathan rollerbladed into my life in a cloud of clay dust — there were lumps of dried clay in his hair, on his little backpack, on his jeans. Clay everywhere. He wasn’t just making pots — he was starting a mega business and was about to change the face of pottery, making it cool and stylish,” Doonan reflected on the night’s honoree. “Underpinning the style and glamour of his pottery was a dialogue with the history of twentieth-century craft.”
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 29: Millie Bratten and Machine Dazzle attend MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Millie Bratten;Machine Dazzle
During the divine affair, guests visited open artist studios and exhibitions with live jazz throughout the museum. Following was a sophisticated and sweet dinner at the Robert restaurant, sponsored by Chair Emerita Barbara Tober, featuring centerpieces by Adler.
Afterward, Broadway baritone Nat Chandler surprised guests with a performance before the celebration continued at The Masquerade, where guests wore masks they created earlier in the evening.
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 29: Nat Chandler, ? and Elizabeth Falk attend MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Nat Chandler;?;Elizabeth Falk
Attending were board members Susan Ach and her husband Larry Ach, Glenn Adamson, Marian Burke, and her husband Russell Burke, Mike De Paola, Jeffrey Manocherian, Luam Melake, Cheryl R. Riley, Klara Silverstein, and Barbara Waldman. Among the many guests were also Amy Adler, Louise Chazen Banon, Janna Bullock, Kathy Chazen, Liz Collins, Rachelle Dang, Machine Dazzle, LaVon Kellner, Jonathan Lucas, Debi Mazar, Nicole Miller, Jamel Robinson, Kim Taipale, Saya Woolfalk, and artists from the Silver Art residency.
The exhibition The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler runs through April 19, 2026, at the Museum of Arts and Design. Adler will appear in two upcoming talks: On the Couch with Jonathan Adler and Rachel Federman on December 11, 2025, and On the Couch with Jonathan Adler, Elissa Auther, and Sarah Archer on February 12, 2026.
For further information, please visit madmuseum.org.
