The Glass House Hosts Summer Party: Picnic & High Wire Artist Philippe Petit

The Glass House announces its annual Summer Party to celebrate their 70th anniversary year with a dynamic program of performance, exhibition and auction to benefit the iconic Philip Johnson designed house (built in 1949) and 49-acre site.  The site will be activated by French high wire artist Philippe Petit for a site-specific aerial walk.

Tickets include a farm-to-table picnic by South End, rosé from Whispering Angel and artisanal cocktails. Enjoy a game of ping-pong or challenge a friend to a game of oversized chess. The day’s picnic along with the event’s festivities benefits preservation initiatives at the Glass House.

“The Glass House, since its opening 70 years ago (we are the same age), has had many, many visitors: but all used the door to come in!” states Petit.  “I wish to change that: I will enter through the sky—and offer as a birthday celebration to this iconic building— an AERIAL SURPRISE!”

The 70th Anniversary celebration will also feature a performance by the Harlem based drumline and danceline crew, The Marching Cobras. We invite guests to celebrate with us, recline in the grass and wander the sprawling grounds. Guests are encouraged to explore the property from every angle, one can visit our art galleries showcasing our newest exhibition, Gay Gatherings: Philip Johnson, David Whitney and the modern arts or Summer Party artist, Adam McEwen’s artwork, Chocked Rim, 2019, will be displayed in the Glass House. This graphite rim is the skull beneath the hubcap: a purely functional object which must be hidden. Additionally, Adam McEwen has created a limited-edition graphite sculpture to further benefit this significant milestone in our history. The work, entitled Hubcap, is a machined graphite version of the hubcap of a late 1950s Mercedes Gullwing coupe, a car which Philip Johnson drove.

Guests will also have the opportunity to experience through virtual reality technology a simulation of the restored interior of the Brick House. The Brick House currently remains closed and requires much needed restoration.

The Summer Party benefit auction, powered by Paddle8, provides the unique opportunity for discovering and collecting art from a curated selection of important artists including Josef Albers, Lynn Davis, Mary Heilmann, Maira Kalman, Alex Katz, Claes Oldenburg, Richard Prince, Herb Ritts, Cindy Sherman, and Lawrence Weiner as well as luxury trip packages and experiences.

The Summer Party is generously supported by Chelsfield, Hunter Douglas, and SRI Fine Art Services. Media sponsorship is provided by Cultured and Serendipity.

Special thanks to 2x4, Aesop, Design Within Reach, Diageo, Earth Garden, Green & Tonic, LAFCO New York, Leuchtturm1917, LOQI, Madewell, The Monacelli Press, NEAT Coffee, Rockwell Art & Framing, Sugarfina, Tossware, VOSS and Want Les Essentiels.

Ticket purchasers at the VIP Friend level and Platinum Table level will receive a single edition of the Adam McEwen sculpture as part of their donation. To reserve one from this edition please contact
Isabel Richards at irichards@theglasshouse.org or 203.978.3011 http://theglasshouse.org/whats-on/the-summer-party-2019/.