An Intimate Spectacle: Inside the Frick Collection’s Grand Reopening Gala
Over 150 floral varieties, twelve plate-setting trials, and a guest list surpassing 450—these are just a few of the numerical signatures that defined The Frick Collection’s historic reopening gala at the Henry Clay Frick House, which reopens to the public on April 17 after a transformative five-year renovation.
The evening unfolded in two refined acts. Cocktails opened the night, allowing guests to glide through the newly reimagined museum—its expanded galleries, refreshed Garden Court, and, for the first time, the once-private family quarters on the second floor, now accessible to the public. Later, rather than convening in a single cavernous dining room, the evening’s dinner was orchestrated across a constellation of jewel-box salons. Over 400 guests were clustered into intimate configurations throughout the West Gallery, the Oval Room, the Library, and the East Gallery—each setting singular in atmosphere and design. It lent the night both grandeur and intimacy. After dessert, guests once again wandered freely, discovering new floral compositions and artworks their fellow gala-goers dined amongst.
The black-tie fête, held within the storied walls that had been shuttered for half a decade, was not merely a party. Guests, draped in silks and sequins, stepped through the limestone archways of the newly updated Reception Hall, where architect Annabelle Selldorf’s interventions—though quiet, precise, and reverent—spoke volumes.
The guest list was as polished as the parquet floors. Among the artfully dressed attendees were Ivy Getty, theater impresario Jordan Roth, bringing his signature flair, and Young Fellow Co-Chair Laurence Milstein. Gala chairs Margot and Jerry Bogert, longtime supporters of the Frick, led the evening’s festivities with a sense of gracious, old-world hospitality.
Selldorf, known for her sensitive treatment of historical spaces, brought a considered grace to this commission. Tasked with modernizing the Frick without compromising its soul, she expanded the museum’s footprint by 10%, added 30% more gallery space, and introduced thoughtful new amenities: a 218-seat auditorium, a dedicated gift shop, and—for the first time in the institution’s history—a café. “In a funny way, this project was about safeguarding the art,” she told Vogue last night, the West Gallery that evening, “but in doing so, making it more available for everyone.”
That ethos of accessible splendor was echoed in every detail of the gala, where flowers weren’t mere decoration but part of the spectacle. Brian Bowman and Dan Dahl of BowmanDahl—the evening’s floral and event design visionaries—sourced blooms from Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands, crafting arrangements that felt more like installations than centerpieces. Longtime collaborators with the Frick, the duo considered the night a culmination of their creative journey with the institution.
“I hope guests feel that we did this space justice,” Bowman said as the first arrivals stepped through the doors. “That they’re able to walk through each room, take in the works, and truly enjoy the evening.” A towering, hand-painted vase welcomed guests with a kaleidoscope of blooms. Candlelight flickered over cut crystal, silver vases, and blush-toned ranunculus. From the fine china to the scent of the blooms, each detail was orchestrated to stir a sense of romance.
As one moved between the rooms—the Fragonard Room, the Library, the East Gallery—each tableau revealed a floral narrative in dialogue with the artworks themselves. In the Whistler-draped Oval Room, green leaves veered cool-gray in deference to the silver damask wallpaper, while petals carried delicate whispers of pink and black, a nod to the tones on canvas.
