Marina Abramovic, Tali Lennox, and the Chow Family Celebrate New York Academy of Art’s Tribeca Ball

If you’ve ever been to the New York Academy of Art’s Tribeca Ball, then you know to arrive early. Each year by around 7:00 p.m., the school’s narrow staircase is chockablock with regular patrons (Naomi Watts, Jeffrey Deitch) and new ones (Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Vera Wang), and much of the NYAA students’ work has already been snapped up. Last night, guests also contended with stilted mermaids—and mermen!—decked in aquamarine lamé, magenta headdresses, and Van Cleef Arpels jewelry; a seven seas theme was afoot. Upstairs, the students presented work in their studios, creating a mini art fair with plenty of unexpected discoveries. Favorites included Rachel Sard’s photo-realistic canvases, Daisy Dodd-Noble’s tinted woodcuts, and Ruonan Yan’s pictures of broccoli and king crab. And while late arrivals may not have scored any new acquisitions, they were soon awash in a maritime feast honoring Michael and Eva Chow. Talk about going overboard for a good reason.