An intimate crowd of the well-dressed (and undressed) gathered at Di Donna Galleries in Manhattan Tuesday evening for a drawing party benefiting the New York Academy of Art. Kristy Hinze-Clark, Naomi Watts, and Di Donna gallery owner Christina Di Donna hosted the event, bringing together many of their closest friends and Academy supporters. Among the group were Eileen Guggenheim, Derek Blasberg, Lauren Santo Domingo, Brett Heyman, Sylvana Ward Durrett, Wendi Murdoch, and Zani Gugelmann.
Amid cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres, guests were greeted by Academy president David Kratz, and an Academy instructor took them through a drawing demonstration. From there patrons settled in to try their own hand at sketching the live nude models.
“It feels good to get people interested in art!” Hinze-Clark said. “The thought process especially, and how [an artist] gets to a final product . . . we go to museums and we view the pieces, but we don’t fully understand what it takes to get there. This gives people a real appreciation for what artists go through to finalize their perfect—and sometimes imperfect!—final products.”
The New York Academy of Art has served as a world-class creative and intellectual center since its establishment in 1982. Founders include scholars, art patrons, and Andy Warhol.
“Coming to [the Academy’s] events for many years now, and always walking out with great purchases . . . I have always had an appreciation for emerging artists and beautiful art,” Academy trustee Watts said.
The drawing party was accompanied by a student exhibition titled “Contemporary Romantic.” All pieces from the show were available for purchase.