A sell out crowd of art enthusiasts, fashionistas, budding philanthropists and associate board members converged at the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago the evening of Friday June 19 for the fifth annual Night Heist, The Evening Associates of the Art Institute of Chicago‘s fundraising event. With VIP tickets at $150 and non-associate board member pricing at $135 for those that didn’t catch the early bird or Gilt special, it was a reasonable price for a junior board event and it was packed house. This year’s event co-chairs were Catherine Napier (Northern Trust, CFN Daily), Brandon Clark and Autumn Fincher.
The night began with VIP reception, which went from 9-9:30, at Terzo Piano where master mixologist Adam Seger created a delicious concoction for guests to sip as they took in the skyline and swayed to the beats from DJ Ryan Paradise. Some guests took in a VIP tour of the Charles Ray exhibit at the museum.
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As more guests began to arrive, the energy in the room grew as DJ Matt Roan got behind the decks and body painted performers interacted throughout the room. Specialty cocktails and select food, inspired by the by Charles Ray: Sculpture, 1997-2014 exhibition were created by: Paul McGee (Lost Lake and Land & Sea Dept.), Meghan Konecny and Danny Shapiro (Scofflaw), Wade Hall McElroy and Jeff Donahue (Sportsman’s Club), Alex Renshaw, Clint Rogers and Brian Sturgulewski (The Dogma Group), John Stanton and Mike Ryan (Sable Kitchen and Bar), Freddie Sarkis and Scotty LoBianco (Broken Shaker). When guests weren’t chatting and networking, grabbing drinks from the numerous bar stations, they were smiling and making faces at the Square56 Photo Booth and checked out the exhibit which was led by a museum staff member.
Though most of the over 1,000 guests in attendance didn’t hit the dance floor, some familiar faces spotted on the scene included Associates Board President Jeremy Rothschild and Erika Knierim, Autumn Fincher, Catherine Napier, Alex Demers, Claudine Tambuatco along with Jena Gambaccini with Micky Cicchinelli, Aramide Esubi, Karl Nano, Elysia Baker, Rendel Solomon and many more.
Related: The Art Institute of Chicago’s Evening Associates Host 4th Annual Night Heist
Night Heist is the Evening Associates’ annual benefit to raise funds for audience development programing and increase young Chicagoans’ awareness of the Art Institute of Chicago. Thinking about joining the board? The Evening Associates is a group of young professional Art Institute members who enjoy a full schedule of exciting monthly programs to socialize and learn more about the museum and its iconic collections. Check out more pics in the gallery below.
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photo credits: Dave Suarez; Melissa Song; Cameron Moore
