With a special tribute to Richard Roundtree and the 1971 film Shaft, stunning performances, and a historic auction sale.
Wednesday, February 7th, 2024. Silencio NYC. Manhattan, New York.—In urban aristocratic fashion, Tres Generaciones® Tequila, The Dean Collection, Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’ shut down New York City at Silencio NYC on Wednesday February 7th. Silencio NYC is the latest addition to the expansion of the coveted Private Members Club, with its origins in Paris. The exclusive celebration, “Just Because-Aquarius Edition”, honored the opening ceremony for the iconic power couple on their new exhibition GIANTS which will open its display on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at the historic Brooklyn Museum.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 07: Swizz Beatz attends The Dean Collection x Swizz Beatz x Tres Generaciones Tequila x Derrick Adams x Mickalene Thomas’ “Just Because – Aquarius Edition” a celebration for the artists of The Dean Collection on February 07, 2024 at Silencio in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
The affluent guests in attendance spanned from the world of art, literature, music and high-end to urban fashion to honor the high profile couple, Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys for the opening of their new exhibition, GIANTS, at Brooklyn Museum. Guests in attendance included Swizz Beatz and Silencio owner Arnaud Frisch; Comedian-Actor Evan Ross was in attendance, along with American singer-songwriter and actress Ashlee Simpson, Supermodel Joan Smalls; and artists, American visual and performance artist and curator Derrick Adams and Contemporary African-American visual artist and painter, Mickalene Thomas.
Also in attendance was Nigerian-American singer-songwriter recording artist Davido, America Rapper DSmoke, DJ and Producer Note Mercato, world-renowned and award-winning performing artist, entrepreneur, and advocate for the arts and humanities Lil Buck, 3X CFDA Menswear of the Year winner Maxwell Osborne, Human Rights Activists Mysonne General and Tamika Mallory and renowned publicist Nadine Johnson and more.
Davido attends The Dean Collection x Swizz Beatz x Tres Generaciones Tequila “Just Because – Aquarius Edition” a celebration for the artists of The Dean Collection at Silencio in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
Derrick Adams at the “Just Because – Aquarius Edition” a celebration for the artists of The Dean Collection Silencio in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
It’s important to place emphasis on the accolades and prestige of all the creatives in attendance. It speaks to the pedigree of collaborators, circles of influence and community that fuels The Dean’s passion for art and self expression. The event honored Black artists from the GIANTS Exhibition at The Brooklyn Museum. The exhibition as a collection will include works from artists Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson, Kehinde Wiley, Nina Chanel Abney and many more.
Ashlee Simpson, Evan Ross and Richie Akiva attend The Dean Collection x Swizz Beatz x Tres Generaciones Tequila x “Just Because – Aquarius Edition” a celebration for the artists of The Dean Collection at Silencio in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
Ever searching for inspiration, The Deans, are notable for their philanthropic appreciation of the arts in all forms and champion the philosophy of “artists supporting artists.” To back their beliefs, a large scale of the couple’s personal artistic pieces, which they have coined as ‘The Dean Collection, GIANTS’ will showcase a focused selection from the world-class holdings. The Brooklyn Museum’s presentation spotlights works by BIPOC (black and indiginious people of color) diasporic artists, which is part of Brooklyn Museums ongoing efforts to expand the art-historical narrative that shape our society. The “Just Because-Aquarius Edition” party also celebrated the birthdays of the acclaimed artists – Mickalene Thomas and Derrick Adams – whose work will be on display beginning February 10th, 2024; and with special mention to their contemporary Aquarian, Alicia Keys, who celebrated her birthday on January 25th.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 07: Swizz Beatz attends The Dean Collection x Swizz Beatz x Tres Generaciones Tequila “Just Because – Aquarius Edition” a celebration for the artists of The Dean Collection on February 07, 2024 at Silencio in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
The opening live music set included spins by DJ Sweets. Uptempo blends and sounds were also provided by Swizz Beats himself; Swizz Beats’ official DJ, DJ Runna, Soulection DJ and Co-Founder Joe Kay, Blonde filled the corners of the velvet walls. For the Wine & spirits enthusiast, specialty Silencio NYC cocktails were curated from Tres Generaciones® Tequila collection, which included signatures sips of, ‘The Aquarius Zaza’, a smooth mix of Tres Generaciones® Plata Tequila, Pineapple Syrup, Lime, Grapefruit Soda; ‘The GIANT’, comprised of Tres Generaciones® Reposado Tequila, Triple Sec, Hibiscus Syrup, and Lime; the ‘Big Tuna’, a blend of Tres Generaciones® Anejo Tequila with a lemon twist; and finally the ‘Chilly Chill Zone’, my personal favorite of the cocktails that included the Tres Generaciones® Anejo Tequila, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup and Champagne.
The evening closed with the guests richly satisfied by the open bar and the decadent indulgence of the rich and smokey Tres Generaciones® Tequila and the highlight of a remarkable lifetime experience at the private club Silencio NYC celebrating greatness and prestige with prolific and impactful art and culture leaders, The Deans.
The HBO film showcases the artists of today who draw inspiration from Gordon Parks as they too use their cameras to confront systemic inequities and celebrate their subjects.
The photography exhibition at the Jack Shainman Gallery will quietly wow you…
On Tuesday (June 6th), Grammy Award winning Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mavis Staples, Congressman John Lewis, philanthropist Alexander Soros and musician John Batiste were honored by the Gordon Parks Foundation at their annual awards gala which took place at Cipriani’s.
The foundation preserves Parks’ work and honors those who embody his legacy of art and activism. At the gala Staples said about Parks’ influence on her, “Well you know he’s the arts and he’s film and I’m a singer and that’s all I am is a singer. But I feel like the arts and the music are relatives, we’re cousins we go hand in hand we need each other. So I’m so honored. I met him [Parks] years ago. I’ve been out here a long time. I was at the Apollo in the fifties. But this is quite an honor I already talked to my father about it. I told my father ‘Pops I’m at it again’. Every time I get an award like this I tell the people that my father’s telling the angels ‘my baby daughter that’s Mavis you can’t stop her she’s getting up’. I just feel good, I feel good to be with Congressmen John Lewis. We together with Dr. King during the civil rights movement. It’s always good to see him, I took pics with him. I’m just like a kid in a candy store.”
Meanwhile in speaking with Congressman Lewis about Parks’ and the prevalence of his legacy today he said, “Well I think when you look at the unbelievable work, this body of work that he left it inspires all of us to keep on keeping on. I had an opportunity of meeting him twice. He was so just prince of a man. He used his eyes to make his camera talk, and when you look at some of his photographs they look so alive, they’re so inspiring. You know during the sixties when people were shooting for whether Life Magazine, some other major publication, or for the Afro American or the Pittsburgh Courier or New York Times, a Newsweek, it was very dangerous to be a photographer in the South to be a reporter to carry a pad and a pencil to carry a camera because people wanted to destroy the evidence. And many of these guys and a few women were out there. I saw reporters who were trying to cover the news beaten and left bloody and unconscious and then they would turn on us especially during the freedom rides, and the marches and sit ins.”
The gala included a special performance by Grammy and Academy award winning rapper and actor Common who chatted with us about his favorite piece of work by Gordon Parks telling us, “Well my favorite one, I don’t know the title of it but I used it on the cover of my album Like Water for Chocolate. So it has something to do with that civil rights movement, and it was like a picture of this young girl drinking water at the fountain and her mother was right there by her. It’s on my album Like Water for Chocolate.”
Other attendees included Usher who brought his son Naviyd, Martin Scorsese who was a presenter, Stephen Colbert, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr., Chelsea Clinton and Swizz Beatz who when asked about what’s next for him said, “The sky is not the limit it’s just a view.”
In total the gala raised over $1.3 million for the foundation.
This Tuesday night marked the 10th year anniversary of the Gordon Parks Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the work and legacy of Gordon Parks and other photographers, filmmakers and artists.