Last night, the American Friends of the Louvre’s Young Patrons Circle hosted their annual spring gala at Forbes on Fifth, the private event space of Forbes Media LLC. The evening dubbed “The Astronomer’s Ball,” celebrated Johannes Vermeer’s masterpiece “The Astronomer” and the Louvre’s blockbuster exhibition Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting. The proceeds from the evening will support the mission of American Friends of the Louvre and its efforts to make the Louvre’s collections more widely accessible to art lovers in the U.S. and around the world.
The evening began with a cocktail reception followed by seated 3-course dinner expertly prepared by Forbes head chef Jeff Lamperti. A slide show of Vermeer’s stunning masterworks ran throughout the evening, bringing the heart of the Louvre’s exhibition to partygoers. The evening concluded with cocktails and a silent auction of magnificent luxury French goods, featuring items from Assouline Publishing, Longchamp, Petrossian, and more.
Through special fundraising events and activities in New York City, the Young Patrons Circle supports AFL’s mission to raise awareness for the Louvre’s collections and museum expertise.
“In our current geopolitical environment, funding of the fine arts is at stake, now more than ever. I can’t think of many more important philanthropic duties than to help preserve the world’s largest and arguably most historically significant museum,” noted Arielle Patrick, who served on the leadership committee for the evening.
Now in its sixth year, the Young Patrons Circle’s annual benefit has become a prime example of Franco-American support for the Louvre Museum. Want to get involved? Click here.
images // bfa.com, Samantha Nandez
