This was the special moment we needed to start off a season of holiday cruising in ultimate style.
If you are looking for a grand holiday adventure The Willard in Washington D.C is the place to be.
From heiress to artist
There hasn’t been a better way to close Art Basel than with fried fish and Chaka Khan
Lindsay Lohan is back and stunning on the front page of Interview Magazine
Celebrating the latest edition of PIN-UP Magazine and the newest furniture collection by Ben Ganz
Mashonda Tifrere is teaming up with SunChips to amplify the work of underrepresented artists as part of the brand’s latest Art Seen campaign.Β
Last week for Art Basel, American Express created an exclusive lounge in the Design District in Miami to showcase some of the finest art and food.Β The pop-up featured a number of incredible and renowned chefs including two-time James Beard award-winning chef, Mashama Bailey.Β The event, titled American Express presents SAVOR & SOUL, was an intimate brunch that aimed to feature and discuss the current state of Black art and artists.Β The brunch featured a number of delicious soul food items including fried chicken with a delectable hot sauce, waffles, shrimp and grits, and much more.
This pop-up experience also served to feature the latest work by Phillip K. Smith III, titled Garden of Reflections.Β This installation is composed of 17 columnar sculptures that collage the light, atmosphere, and movement through folded mirrors and polished steel.Β This installation is able to morph the space throughout the day by playing with the natural light as well as the presence of all the guests in the pop-up lounge.Β By creating a piece that redefines the perception of reality, it creates a powerful, yet almost modest piece that allows for one to reflect.
Later on in the event, a panel was formed featuring Black artists, curators and collectors, including Artist Sabrena Khadija, Gallerist and Collector Hannah Traore (Hannah Traore Gallery) and Everette Taylor (CEO of Kickstarter and former CMO of Artsy), moderated by Phillip Collins (Founder and Curator of Good Black Art).Β This panel of esteemed guests discussed the state of Black art as well as methods to uplift and amplify Black art and artists.Β Discussions formed around how to create a network that circulates and promotes Black art as well as how to truly succeed as a Black artist in an industry that has historically underrepresented and under-appreciatedΒ Black art.
As the event concluded, it was §  Announced at American Express Presents SAVOR & SOULβ’, ArtistsΒ Adrian Brandon,Β Sabrena KhadijaΒ andΒ Gianni LeeΒ have teamed up with premier live-stream shopping appΒ NTWRKΒ and American Express for an exclusive artΒ drop, which was unveiled during the event. Fans will have the opportunity to purchase the three pieces on December 9th at 3pm PT/6pm ET, exclusively on the NTWRK app. Proceeds will be donated by NTWRK toΒ Good Black Art, a global platform centered around the most promising emerging Black artists.
Art phenomenon Thierry Guetta known as Mr. Brainwash has broken all the rules again as he invites gets for an exclusive first look at the only Contemporary Art Museum in the world created and run by a living artist.
Spoiling a crowd that is already well familiar with the highest levels of human creativity and talent, soprano Rosa Feola and tenor Stephen Costello still offered their very best with an intimate recital including excerpts from Rigoletto by Verdi and LβElisir dβAmore by Donizetti. The recital, punctuating a joyous dinner, was rife with deft humor, astounding vocal power, and charming actions. Even without translation, the story was easy to follow thanks to the rich animation of the performers.
These performers, coming straight from the Metropolitan Opera, managed to create a rich atmosphere out of nearly nothing and defined setting and story by voice and a single prop: a bottle of wine from The Duckhorn Portfolio, the wine choice of the evening. It felt spontaneous and deeply engaging, it was a performance that revealed the diverse talents of today’s opera stars. Pianist Katelan Tran Terrell accompanied on the piano.
Within the dining room of New York City’s legendary Union Club, an air of charm and optimism pervaded. The Salzburg Festival is, without a doubt, the most important performing arts festival in the world. It is unique for combining all types of performance works such as opera, drama and concerts as well offering innovative and refreshing interpretations of a enormous selection of works. Tickets to performances are cherished and go quickly.
βSince its founding more than 100 years ago, the great American tradition of supporting the arts through private philanthropy has enabled the Salzburg Festival to implement artistic projects and other major initiatives which would have otherwise been impossible,β said Dr. Kristina Hammer, the new president of the Salzburg Festival and keynote speaker at the New York Gala.
As part of the celebrations, the evening co-chairsΒ Carole Bailey FrenchΒ andΒ John French III, welcomed their guest of honor, Peter Gelb, the general manager of The Metropolitan Opera. This was an important point of recognition because The Met and Salzburg Festival have had a long and fruitful engagement together.
Peter Gelb speaks at Salzburg Festival Society Gala
βThe Met and Salzburg [Festival] have a healthy symbiotic relationship,β opined Gelb, βin those months during fall, winter, and spring when the Salzburg Festival is not in session, The Met is there to help fill the gap.Β My personal history with the Salzburg Festival goes back to the time when it was still being ruled imperiously by Herbert von Karajan.
John French III presented both Kristina Hammer, the newly installed as the president of the festival, and Peter Gelb, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, with a hand-blown engraved decanter by artisan Simon Pearce.
The uniting factor in the room was the overwhelming appreciation for the traditions of the Salzburg Festival, along with the curiosity of what is to come under Dr. Hammer’s direction.Β Dr. Hammer expressed particular enthusiasm for supporting younger members of the public who wish to fund or participate in the festival, including through programs like the Young Singers ProjectΒ as well as other programs strictly for young people.
For those in the US, the Salzburg Festival Society is an appropriate point of entry to the festivities. The Society isΒ the liaison between the Salzburg Festival and its American friends and patrons, providing members with exclusive access to events and services related to the Festival. Support starts at $1,500 and grants, among many other benefits, two tickets to up to 15 performances at the festival, typically held in July and August.
Guests at the Gala included Salzburg Festival Society president Nabil Chartouni and his wife Samantha, as well as board members Isabelle Harnoncourt-Feigen, Maria Hernandez with Joel Bell, Alexandra Kauka-Hamill,Β Isabella Ponta,Β andΒ Sana H. Sabbagh,Β as well as Afsaneh Akhtari, Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, Elizabeth Stribling, Barbara Tober and more.
The eveningβs generous sponsor was Bank of AmericaΒ Private Bank. Rolex was a Gala Benefactor and Global Sponsor of the Salzburg Festival.