The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) held its annual gala on May 10, in the historic Howard Gilman Opera House to honor musician David Byrne, filmmaker Spike Lee, and BAM trustee Claire Wood — all fierce advocates for and patrons of the arts. Celebs and members of the art community alike, such as Tamron Hall, Ethan Hawke, Ilana Glazer, Esther Perel, and curator Isolde Brielmaier, made their way along the purple carpet, and guests were able to indulge in a cocktail hour before the program officially started.
“I’m so excited,” said singer-songwriter, St. Vincent — a.k.a. Annie Clark — ahead of her performance that evening. “I can’t tell you the number of dance performances or shows or films I’ve seen at BAM over the years; it’s magic. It’s really major.” She later hit the stage in a leather mock-neck minidress by Warsaw-based designer Magda Butrym.
Gina Duncan, BAM’s president, echoed the sentiment and gave shout-outs to host Hanif Abdurraqib for his poetry reading during the evening, as well as to Byrne and Clark. For her, the evening was all about “celebrating BAM with incredible artists, the board, the staff, and everyone who makes BAM and our work possible.”
And for Byrne, all it took was a little convincing from his American Utopia collaborator to get involved in the night. “It’s incredibly flattering,” he said. “I thought, If Spike’s doing it, I’m in. But I also thought, If I can help them bring in some funding — the arts need funding, always — that’s what it’s about.”
As guests filtered inside, it was clear that the Howard Gilman Opera House had been transformed. Nearly unrecognizable, it functioned as a dining hall, where guests enjoyed an intimate dinner spread while listening to remarks from Abdurraqib, Rosie Perez, and honorees Lee and Wood.
“The opportunity to find a cultural home where we can actually celebrate instead of being in our own silos is what tonight’s all about,” said Jonathan McCrory, executive artistic director at the National Black Theatre. “It’s about helping the culture of New York City, the culture of Brooklyn in particular, to have a good time and to figure out what it means to be joyful once again.”
After St. Vincent serenaded the room with a stripped-down solo performance of her songs “New York,” “Los Ageless,” and “Dancing With a Ghost,” she closed out the set with Byrne, covering Stevie Wonder’s “Chemical Love,” a song featured in Lee’s film Jungle Fever.
Following the dinner, gala guests made their way up to the “Adam Space” to enjoy an open bar backed by the dynamic sounds of DJ Dee Digs. The low-lit dance floor was illuminated by an array of eye-catching fashion ensembles and liberated moves across the entire space. “I’mma be here all night, and I have to get back to Harlem!” said Sade Lythcott of the National Black Theatre, glowing in a sherbet-colored hombre set by STAUD. It was a high-spirited ending to a celebration of some of our city’s greatest cultural contributors.