Tucked away on Franklin Street, the New York Academy of Art is easy to miss.
From the outside, its all quiet discretionbut inside, it brims with life.
Eschewing the typical Midtown ballroom, the Ball unfolds in the very heart of the school itself.
Helena Christensen, David Kratz, Brooke Shields
Kristin Middleton, for one, hadnt quite paused for the party.
She continued sketching crustaceans in her studio, perfectly on-theme for the evenings deep sea inspiration.
Its my whole house.
In previous years, the Ball spotlighted student work centered on current events and politics.
Its an analogy for life.
There are few places were allowed to let go.
Just next door, Andrea Olivia took a more humorous routewithout losing sight of emotional depth.
This one is just about two people talking.
I thought, wouldnt it be interesting to depict nuns like this?
You never see their feet, which feels illegal!
I make a run at add humor to African American culture and lifestyle.
And I couldnt do it without this school.
It has poured so much into meand now I can pour into my work.
The most important outcome is that students often get discovered tonight, Kratz toldVogue.
Once, Thelma Golden walked into a students studio and said, Youre ready for a solo show.
That kind of validation from someone of her statureits life-changing.
And the fact that many students sell their work tonight?
It gives them not only income, but collector relationships they take with them after graduation.
Liev Schreiber, Taylor Neisen, Eileen Guggenheim
Caroline Alt
