THE FIRST PARRISH MIDSUMMER PARTY AT NEW HOME IN WATER MILL IS SET FOR JULY 13!

The Parrish Art Museum’s Midsummer Party will take place for the first time at its new home in Water Mill on Saturday, July 13. A highlight of the summer season, the Midsummer Party is a festive social gathering of artists, socialites, philanthropists, art collectors, entertainers, gallerists, and business leaders. Dinner tickets have already sold out in advance of the party, but After Ten tickets are available for $225. Funds raised by the event support the Museum’s exhibitions, publications, and programs.

The décor for this year’s party will be furnished by Ron Wendt Design. Nearly 650 guests will enjoy a cocktail reception starting at 6:30 pm in the Museum galleries, followed by a premier dining experience on the museum’s charcoal grey open air Mildred C. Brinn Terrace. The summer breeze will drift down 34 foot long tomato red tables that Ron designed, featuring centerpieces inspired by the museum’s clean lineal architecture, while incorporating the meadow aesthetic of its surrounding 14 acres. An additional 300 guests will join the group for dessert and dancing at the After Ten party, where guests can get down in the museum’s Lichtenstein Theater, relax in lounge areas around the Museum, or visit the exhibitions in the galleries until 1 am.

KDH is so crazy about Ron Wendt [below]. Not only because he creates the most magical concepts for events, glorious gardens, and floral design in the Hamptons and NYC, but also because he is such a dream to be around ~ a true gentleman’s gentleman. Ron shares his Midsummer Party Design Diary below:

KDHamptons: What inspired your design scheme for this major event? Will you share a sneak peek into what you have planned?

Ron Wendt: I especially wanted to make this inaugural gala all about celebrating the museum and its new home. On my first visit, I arrived looking for those first impression inspirations, and certainly I found many in the commanding architecture. With its simple and honest materials, shapes and forms, I was immediately taken by the long powerful “V” shape of the trussing running throughout the spine of the museum.  Enter the idea of long tables featuring long brushed aluminum troughs with “X” patterned supports which echo the ceiling structure.

I sourced the local red oak supports and aluminum to create an interpretation of the Parrish’s architecture. These will be filled with meadow grasses and flowers representing the fields beyond.

I was also inspired by the charcoal textured porch walls. They are impossible not to touch!

KDHamptons: Why did you decide to use red for the tables?

Ron: I loved the neutrality and the deep shade of the 30ft wide porch and thought of a summer party and the season’s most famous fruit….the tomato!  Hence the “tail light red” shantung tablecloths we are using to brighten and soften the outdoor space.  [ahem, also a reference to the traffic on Route 27!]

KDHamptons: Are you sourcing the elements for your table top design locally?

Ron: Yes, as much as possible. I went to Water Mill Lumber for the wood and hardware.

KDHamptons: What do you love most about this particular job?

Ron: I feel so honored to have designed this first gala at the museum’s new home.  Everyone involved has had a common vision about what this party means and how it should look. Its been such a pleasure to work on this event.

KDHamptons: What do you love about the new contemporary space vs. the old Parrish [above]?

Ron: I love that it’s about the future, while its appearance and setting is about the East End agrarian vernacular…..also that it is open and contemplative, and possibly a little more egalitarian being on Route 27.

KDHamptons: Why is this party always such an important event for the Hamptons summer season?

Ron: Because it celebrates and exposes the art of Eastern Long Island to a world of visitors beyond the East End….and besides……it’s fun!

*For more information please go to:  http://parrishart.org/