Evening Benefit
Co-Chairs: Liz and Rod Berens
On the special occasion of the Evening Benefit for the Morgan Library & Museum on Monday, November 14, 2016, the majestic doors to the historic 1906 McKim building opened, inviting guests to enter through the iron gates on 36th Street, past Edward Clark Potter's Assyrian lionesses that sit diligently on the steps, and into the marble Rotunda. Cocktail hour in the Library, Study, and Rotunda lent a festive start to the evening. For dinner, guests moved from the historic spaces into Gilbert Court, part of Renzo Piano's 2006 expansion of the Morgan. Gilbert Court was lit in a wash of purple, with special objects from the Morgan's collection and exhibitions projected across the room. The tables were festively ornamented with tea roses, orchids, pomegranates and more.
David Aaron Carpenter, Grace Carpenter, and Sean Avram Carpenter of New York's electrifying string ensemble, the Salomé Chamber Orchestra, performed for the guests at the Evening Benefit. The siblings played a diverse repertoire. A highlight moment was a special connection between the performance and the Morgan's collection: David Aaron Carpenter noted that they were inspired to play Brahams' Hungarian Dance after seeing the original score on view in the Treasures from the Vault display, an ongoing rotation of items from the collection.