Inside YoungArts’ New York Gala in the Met’s Magical Temple of Dendur

A mix of cultural and philanthropic luminaries gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art this week to raise funds to support young artists.

This past Monday, a mix of cultural and philanthropic luminaries gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to raise funds for YoungArts at the foundation’s annual gala. Emceed by Grammy- and Tony-nominated performer and 1985 YoungArts grantee Michael McElroy, the evening—executed by Met Gala designer Raùl Àvila—brought New York’s most engaged cultural and community leaders, artists, philanthropists, celebrities and art aficionados to the museum’s iconic Temple of Dendur for a seated dinner that raised nearly $1 million for the organization.

This year’s hosts included honorary chair Agnes Gund and gala co-chairs Sarah Arison and Thomas Willhelm, Gillian Hearst, Emily and Mitch Rales, Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield, and Sandra and Tony Tamer. 

Many of the city’s most prominent arts philanthropists—Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz, Jamie and Robert Soros and Katherine Farley and Jerry Speyer among them—made an appearance at the 2024 gala, rubbing elbows with museum leaders including MoMA PS1’s Connie Butler, the Met’s Max Hollein, MoMA’s Glenn Lowry, the Brooklyn Museum’s Anne Pasternak, the Whitney’s Scott Rothkopf and the Pérez Art Museum’s Franklin Sirmans.

And as one might expect, the list of artists in attendance was lengthy: painter Mickalene Thomas; dancer, choreographer and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov; artist and curator Derrick Adams; American Ballet Theater principal dancer Misty Copeland; painter Carroll Dunham; visual artist Jonah Freeman; choreographer and director Bill T. Jones; artists KAWS and Julia Chiang; painter José Parlá; conceptual artist Adam Pendleton; artist and photographer Laurie Simmons; playwright Anna Deavere Smith; and sculptor and painter Kennedy Yanko.

Throughout the dinner service, guests enjoyed performances by YoungArts award winners—who are indeed an accomplished bunch. Notable among the evening’s talent were choreographer and dancer Amanda Krische and musician, composer and multidisciplinary artist Samora Pinderhughes. There’s no questioning the impact YoungArts has had on arts and culture. Past participants in the organization’s programming include Timothée Chalamet, Vanessa Williams and Viola Davis.

Anna Deavere Smith and Agnes Gund

Misty Copeland

Stewart Butterfield and Jen Rubio

Julia Chiang, Emily Havens and Carla Shen

Mickalene Thomas

Elaine Molinar and Craig Dykers

Gillian Hearst

Nicole Fleetwood, Connie Butler and Rosie Gordon-Wallace

Dee Dee Sides, Sarah Arison and Angela Goding

Michael McElroy

Kennedy Yanko

Laurie Simmons and Jasmine Wahi

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jennifer Koh

Oren Michels and Natali Diggins

Joel Ehrenkranz and Scott Rothkopf

David Lin

Carroll Dunham and Laurie Simmons

Derrick Adams

Dario Natarelli

Tony Tamer, Sandy Tamer, Stewart Butterfield, Jen Rubio, Gillian Hearst, Emily Rales, Mitch Rales and Sarah Arison