The 19th Annual ARTWALK NY
The Coalition for the Homeless is the oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women and children in the United States. More than 3,500 homeless and at-risk New Yorkers receive assistance each day through the Coalition’s initiatives, which provide housing, job training, emergency food, crisis intervention and youth programs.
Empire Entertainment once again served as producer of the Coalition for the Homeless 19th annual ARTWALK NY, New York's premier contemporary art auction event. More than 800 Coalition supporters, artists, art collectors, and celebrities gathered in 82 Mercer’s expansive Soho loft for a night of festivities, including a live and silent auction. Artist Roxy Paine was honored for his contribution to contemporary art, and Kim & Michael McCarty were honored for their continuous philanthropic support of the Coalition over the years.
Sotheby’s Aileen Agopian auctioned off over 115 works of contemporary art, donated by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including Chuck Close, Jenny Holzer, Wade Guyton, Christo, Roxy Paine, Kim McCarty, Chuck Close, Israel Lund, Jenny Holzer, Pat Steir, Ed Ruscha, Alex Katz, Wade Guyton, McDermott & McGough, Adam McEwen and Ryan McGinness. The evening’s program also featured an impromptu and celebratory Irish Jig, danced by co-hosts Alec Baldwin and Coco Rocha after raising $100,000 for the Coalition's Camp Homeward Bound, a summer sleep-away camp for homeless youth.
The evening, generously sponsored by Dolce & Gabbana and Vogue, began with hors d’oeuvres by Pinch Food Design and cocktails graciously provided by Absolut Vodka, Peroni and City Winery. Several of New York’s best restaurants, including Michael’s, The National, Indochine, The Odeon, Crown Hospitality Group and David Burke Kitchen provided tasting stations.
The rest of 82 Mercer's multi-room space served as a gallery for the silent auction and featured vignettes of 18th century French and Italian style furniture, kindly donated through Dolce & Gabbana’s relationship with Newel. Throughout the night, guests bid on and purchased works from established and emerging artists while grooving to tunes spun by DJ Chelsea Leyland.
Working closely with Coalition for the Homeless’ events team and title sponsor Dolce & Gabbana, Empire Entertainment served as overall producer of the event and was responsible for aspects ranging from event design, layout, production and logistics to décor and restaurant coordination.
ARTWALK NY raised over $1 million to benefit the Coalition’s programs. Empire Entertainment is honored to have worked in collaboration with the Coalition for the Homeless and its many supporters, to make this year’s ARTWALK NY event the most successful one yet.
To learn more about the Coalition for the Homeless or to get involved and donate, visit www.coalitionforthehomeless.org
Guests received their first taste of technological innovation at registration, where they were welcomed by name on a reactive LED screen installation covering the full width of the entry wall. A large lunch café was created with a décor scheme that incorporated custom-built, ceiling-high steel LED frames draped with foliage to create smaller, intimate restaurant-style spaces that displayed both technology and nature.
A series of breakout sessions presented content targeted to attendees’ varied interests, while imagery displayed throughout the venue showcased real-life applications of how products designed to empower developers help to unleash the power of data and reimagine possibilities that will improve our world.
Every element of Microsoft Connect(); from registration, breakfast and keynote, to lunch and evening cocktails, were custom-designed to communicate exacting brand messaging and to deliver a high-touch guest experience to this important audience. The keynote and breakout sessions were livestreamed through an onsite studio built for this purpose and content was watched online by millions around the world.
Empire is proud to collaborate with Microsoft on this annual, top-tier business communication event.
To view excerpts of Connect(); 2017, please visit https://www.microsoft.com/connectevent
