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GALERIE magazine: DIFFA Hosts Glamorous Night at the Museum Benefit in New York

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The event, held at a panoramic rooftop venue, celebrated the city’s many cultural institutions with design-focused auction items, all to raise money to a multitude of worthwhile initiatives

BY JILL SIERACKI

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

   

DIFFA Executive Director Dawn Roberson (right) at the organization's Night@the Museum event in New York.

DIFFA Executive Director Dawn Roberson (right) at the organization’s Night@the Museum event in New York. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) unites the many facets of the creative community in humanitarian efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, food and housing insecurities, and mental health awareness among its many other worthwhile initiatives. Helping fund this important philanthropic programming are the myriad events the organization hosts, including the popular DIFFA by Design. On September 24, architects, gallerists, designers, and more gathered at the Starchild Rooftop at the Civilian Hotel for a festive evening to support the philanthropy’s fundraising efforts.

“DIFFA remains one of the few organizations that offers unrestricted funding to service agencies, ensuring vital programs like transportation, healthcare services, housing, and meals remain available for those most at risk,” says Dawn Roberson, Executive Director of DIFFA. “We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of New York’s design community and hope that the upcoming Night@theMuseum event will allow us to extend even more aid to our grantees in the coming year.”

Gramercy Design's auction lot at DIFFA's Night@the Museum event paid homage to the Morgan Library.

Gramercy Design’s auction lot at DIFFA’s Night@the Museum event paid homage to the Morgan Library. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Francis Interiors's auction lot at DIFFA's Night@the Museum event celebrated the Guggenheim.

Francis Interiors’s auction lot at DIFFA’s Night@the Museum event celebrated the Guggenheim. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Taking in unobstructed views of the New York City skyline, guests enjoyed decadent morsels and upbeat music while bidding on creative auction lots that paid homage to the many museums found throughout New York. Attendees could place bids for innovative groupings, like the nod to the Guggenheim by Francis Toumbakaris of Francis Interiors, which featured two Villeroy & Boch dinnerware sets, the pieces’ interlocking shapes creating a perfect sphere, its geometries a homage to the building’s iconic architecture; an original artwork by Alberto Murillo, a Calder-esque mobile, and membership to the uptown institution.

Other lots, which will remain open for bidding through the end of September, were collected by industry experts like Ashley Stark, Laura Krey, Rockwell Group, Sarah Storms, and Vanessa de Leon, among others, their thoughtful curation nodding to other cultural landmarks, like the Studio Museum of Harlem, MoMA, The Morgan Library and Museum, and Mercer Labs, the Museum of Art and Technology, to name just a few.

Adding to the atmosphere was the night’s sponsors and contributors, including GalerieMagazine, Benjamin Moore, Pooky Lighting, and Kravet, while Lauren Corbin, Senior Manager of the Architects & Designers Segment at Benjamin Moore, and Jamie Gagliano, Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Noble Black & Partner chaired the event.

See more images below: 

Vanessa DeLeon curated an auction lot at DIFFA's Night@the Museum event that celebrated MoMA.

Vanessa DeLeon curated an auction lot at DIFFA’s Night@the Museum event that celebrated MoMA. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Brooklyn studio Calder Design crafted an auction lot at DIFFA's Night@the Museum event that paid homage to the city's American Museum of Natural History.

Brooklyn studio Calder Design crafted an auction lot at DIFFA’s Night@the Museum event that paid homage to the city’s American Museum of Natural History. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

The Pooky Lighting team at DIFFA's Night@theMuseum event in New York.

The Pooky Lighting team at DIFFA’s Night@theMuseum event in New York. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Long Island's Riese Design at DIFFA's Night@the Museum event.

Long Island’s Riese Design at DIFFA’s Night@the Museum event. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

DIFFA event at Starchild Rooftop

Architects, gallerists, designers, and more gathered at the Starchild Rooftop at the Civilian Hotel. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Cindy Lewis and Elaine Heyda of Galerie at the DIFFA Night@the Museum event in New York.

Cindy Lewis and Elaine Heyda of Galerie at the DIFFA Night@the Museum event in New York. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Scenes from DIFFA.

Guests enjoyed unobstructed views of the New York City skyline. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

DIFFA attendees could place bids for innovative groupings, like Alberto Murillo’s nod to the Guggenheim, which featured two Villeroy & Boch dinnerware sets

Attendees could place bids for innovative groupings, like Alberto Murillo’s nod to the Guggenheim, which featured two Villeroy & Boch dinnerware sets. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

guests enjoyed decadent morsels and upbeat music at the DIFFA event.

Guests enjoyed decadent morsels and upbeat music PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Adding to the atmosphere was the DIFFA's sponsors and contributors.

Adding to the atmosphere was the night’s sponsors and contributors. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

DIFFA scenes

Creative auction lots paid homage to the many museums found throughout New York. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

DIFFA scenes.

Some lots will remain open for bidding through the end of September. PHOTO: PAUL APHISIT

Credit : https://galeriemagazine.com/diffa-hosts-glamorous-night-at-the-museum-benefit-in-new-york/