At the 2023 Brooklyn Academy of Music Gala
Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for BAM
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) held its annual gala honoring the musician on May 10 at the historic Howard Gilman Opera House David Byrne, filmmaker Spike Lee and BAM trustee Claire Wood – all passionate advocates and supporters of the arts. Celebrities and members of the art scene alike, like Tamron Hall, Ethan HawkeIlana Glaser, Esther Perland curator Isolde Brielmaier, walked the purple carpet and the guests could treat themselves to a cocktail hour before the official start of the programme.
“I’m so excited,” said the singer-songwriter. St Vincent – aka Annie Clark – before her performance that night. “I can’t tell you how many dance performances, shows or movies I’ve seen at BAM over the years; it is magic. It’s really important.” She later took the stage in a high-neck leather mini dress by the Warsaw-based designer Magda Butrym.
Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for BAM
Gina Duncan, President of BAM, echoed the sentiment, praising host Hanif Abdurraqib for his evening’s poetry reading, as well as Byrne and Clark. For her, the evening was about “celebrating BAM with incredible artists, the board, staff and everyone who makes BAM and our work possible.”
From the left: Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImagePhoto Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images
From above: Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImagePhoto Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images
And for Byrne, it just took a little persuasion American utopia Employee who engages in the night. “It’s incredibly flattering,” he said. “I thought, If Spike does it, I’m in. But I also thought If I can help them raise some money – The arts always need funding – It’s all about this.”
As guests poured in, it became clear that the Howard Gilman Opera House had been transformed. Almost unrecognizable, it served as the dining room where guests enjoyed an intimate dinner while listening to Abdurraqib, Rosie Perez and honorees Lee and Wood.
Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for BAM
“Tonight is about finding a cultural home where we can actually party instead of sinking into our own silos,” he said Jonathan McCrory, Executive Artistic Director at the National Black Theatre. “It’s about helping the culture of New York City, especially the culture of Brooklyn, have a good time and explore what it means to be happy again.”
After St. Vincent filled the room with a pared-down solo performance of her songs “New York,” “Los Ageless,” and “Dancing With a Ghost,” she closed the set with Byrne, covering Stevie Wonder’s “Chemical Love.” ” a song featured in Lee’s film jungle fever.
Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for BAM
Following dinner, the gala guests made their way to the Adam Space to enjoy an open bar with dynamic sounds DJ Dee Digs. The dimly lit dance floor was illuminated by an array of flashy fashion ensembles and free-spirited movements throughout the space. “I’ll stay here all night and then go back to Harlem!” Sade Lythcott of the National Black Theater shines in a sherbet-colored ombre set by STAUD. It was an atmospheric conclusion to a celebration for some of our city’s greatest cultural figures.
