Earlier this week, the Whitney held its 2025 gala, and as always, it was a sharp, high-gloss celebration of contemporary culture. The satin-fueled spectacle celebrated ten years since the Whitney decamped to its Renzo Piano–designed home in the Meatpacking District—a milestone nearly upstaged by it also being a decade since Max Mara released its iconic Whitney Bag (seen here dangling from the forearms of Kathy Hilton, Andie MacDowell and others).

The evening also honored three major forces in the art world: acclaimed artist Amy Sherald (whose “American Sublime” opened to major fanfare last month), beloved Whitney curator Barbara Haskell and philanthropist Richard DeMartini. All three have made indelible—though very different—contributions to American art, and their legacies were celebrated by the beau monde of New York City culture.

The night began with a burst of energy as guests sipped margaritas and espresso martinis in the museum’s ground-floor lobby, soundtracked by a DJ set from the vivacious Natasha Diggs. From there, the crowd ascended to the seventh-floor galleries for a seated dinner beneath the museum’s vaulted ceilings. And what a crowd it was! Among the bold-faced names in attendance: thespians Claire Danes, Hugh Dancy, Laura Harrier, Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb; designers June Ambrose, Wes Gordon, Maria Giulia Prezioso Maramotti and Nicky Hilton Rothschild, along with model Ubah Hassan and photographer Mario Sorrenti.

The art world turned out in full force. Firelei Báez, Kevin Beasley, Jordan Casteel, Torkwase Dyson, Teresita Fernández, Jeffrey Gibson, Wade Guyton, Camille Henrot, Lotus Kang, Josh Kline, Jeff Koons, Jesse Krimes, Julian Lethbridge, Glenn Ligon, Trevor Paglen, Rachel Rose, Ian Cheng, Tom Sachs, Ilana Savdie, Laurie Simmons, Carroll Dunham, Lorna Simpson, Henry Taylor, Dyani White Hawk and Terry Winters rubbed shoulders with high-profile patrons and cultural power players, including Steven Beltrani, Donna De Salvo, Rick Hilton, Sarah Hoover, Tina Kim, Matthew Marks, Lisa Phillips, Jordan Roth and the inimitable Darren Walker.

But the evening’s highest high note came after dinner, when—without preamble and quite unexpectedly—four-time Grammy Award winners TLC (Tionne Watkins and Rozonda Thomas) took the stage and brought the house down with a live performance of their biggest hits. All in all, the Whitney’s 2025 gala raised a record-breaking $6 million for the museum, plus an unexpected $1 million gift from Whitney Trustee and songwriter Judy Hart Angelo to support the museum’s free admissions program. Another $750,000 was raised for the Barbara Haskell American Fellows Legacy Fund, ensuring the legacy of a curator who’s shaped generations of American art history. Not bad for a Tuesday night in May.

Claire Danes

Andie MacDowell

Sarah Hoover and Tom Sachs

Dyani White Hawk and Leilani Houston

Laura Harrier

Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan and Stephanie March

Henry Taylor

Nicky Hilton

Lenard Tessler and Fern Tessler

Paul Arnhold and Meg Onli

Ilana Savdie

Jeffrey Gibson and Rune Olsen

Cathy Ho Lee and Jen Rubio

Kyle DeWoody

Jennie Goldstein, Josh Kline and Lisa Kim

Jay Manuel and Jaimie Alexander

Jeff Koons

Giorgio Guidotti and Kristina O’Neill

Nigel Barker and Cristen Barker

Michael Berman and Susan Hess

Sara Shlesinger

Lisa Phillips and Chad Leat

Katja Goldman and Michael Sonnenfeldt

Ubah Hassan

Kathy Hilton and Richard Hilton

Steven Beltrani and Claire Paull

Natasha Diggs

Maria Giulia Maramotti and Mario Sorrenti

Sarah Gavlak

Maynard Monrow, Richard DeMartini, Jenny Brorsen and Carter Foster

Jesse Krimes

June Ambrose

Rhea Combs and Barbara Haskell

Ronnie Kassan and Michael Kassan

Jessica Morgan and Connie Butler

Kim Conaty