National Academy Grand Re-Opening Festivities
The National Academy Museum & School, located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, was ready to welcome guests once again into their historic beaux-arts home after completely remodeling their public spaces, including a new main entrance and several new galleries. Bowen & Company was charged with planning a series of exclusive, invitation-only events to celebrate the big reveal with their community of artists, educators, and supporters.
- To celebrate the opening of the highly anticipated exhibition Will Barnet at 100, the artist’s closest friends and admirers were invited to attend an intimate dinner in the Museum’s galleries. Bowen & Company created a unique, layered invitation featuring a black and white photograph of the artist viewed though a vellum overlay containing the event details.
- Working carefully within the budget set forth by the client, we were able to produce four signature events with custom menus, all offered free of charge as a thank-you to the National Academy’s friends and supporters.
- Coordinated show-flows for each event to maximize dramatic impact of special guest speakers like Smithsonian American Art Museum Director Betsy Broun and a ceremony revealing the new ceiling engraved with the names of each and every National Academician, many of whom were in attendance that evening.
- Favors included a custom print of the National Academy Museum and School created especially for the event by famed artist Richard Haas.
- Coordinated and staffed an open house event on the final night, welcoming a steady flow of over 1,000 guests throughout the galleries for the first time, while maintaining security precautions necessary to protect the art on view.
Photography: Copyright David Plakke Media
