Birthdays and the Art of Packaging

Thomas Cho, Sheryl Adkins-Green, Marie Swisher, Deanna Fell, Steven Webster, Priscilla Ober, and Rusty Wright at Pratt Institute's Art of Packaging Award Gala.

On Monday, April 28, 2014, The New York Pops marked its 31st birthday with a grand gala evening celebrating the work of composer, lyricist, and arranger Marc Shaiman and director, lyricist, and writer Scott Wittman, as well as the leadership and mentorship work of corporate honoree Paul J. Massey, Jr., CEO and Founding Partner of Massey Knakal Realty Services. Gala Co-Chairs included Neil Heilberg, Todd Korren, William C. Montana, and James A. Read. Serving as Honorary Co-Chairs for the event were stars Matthew Broderick, Debra Messing, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Honoree Paul J. Massey Jr. and Gretchen Massey

Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

The event began at 7:00 PM with a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall, featuring a spectacular lineup of stars from both stage and screen under the baton of Music Director Steven Reineke. Matthew Morrison and Clarke Thorell joined the line-up of guest artists who were celebrating the work of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman at the performance. Other guest artists included Nikki Blonsky, Christian Borle, Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Will Chase, Linda Hart, Megan Hilty, Capathia Jenkins, Jane Krakowski, Ricki Lake, Jenifer Lewis, Patti LuPone, Andrea Martin, Katharine McPhee, John Pizzarelli, Corey Reynolds, Martin Short, Aaron Tveit, and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

The event also featured Broadway Inspirational Voices, Ronald McDonald House® Rockin' the House Band and Singers, Camp Broadway Kids, and The New York Pops Kids On Stage Students. Following the concert, a black tie dinner dance was held at the elegant Mandarin Oriental New York.

Eric Gabbard and Steven Reineke

Brian Gallagher and Megan Hilty

Aaron Tveit, Katharine McPhee, and Marc Shaiman

Renee Puente and Matthew Morrison

Marc Shaiman and Capathia Jenkins

Andy Cohen and Jenifer Lewis

Laura Bell Bundy and Tom Meehan with guests

Laura Bell Bundy and John Hill

Marc Shaiman and Executive Director Anne M. Swanson

Martin Short and Victor Garber

Montego Glover and Julia Murney

Nathan Lane and Corey Reynolds

John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey

Patti LuPone and Adam Shankman

Nikki Blonsky and Adam Shankman

Ricki Lake, John Waters, Nikki Blonsky, and Marissa Jaret Winokur

On April 28, 2014, The Horticultural Society of New York (The Hort) hosted their 17th Annual New York Flower Show Dinner Dance. As a celebration of the influence of floral and garden design in society and the importance of flowers in the urban landscape, thirty of the tri-state area's premier floral, fashion and interior designers transformed the Pierre Hotel's ballroom into an over-the-top floral extravaganza. With their towering tabletop displays, the designers reflected this year's theme, Great Gardens. Each designer paid tribute to some of the most notable gardens in the world with their visionary tablescapes.

Nina Griscom and Frances Schultz

Page Goolrick, Alex Reese, and Alison Spear

Reed and Kelly McIlvaine

The Hort, along with some of New York City's most influential socialites and designers, enjoyed a black tie dinner dance amidst the towering floral tabletop displays. During the gala, The Hort recognized with the Award of Excellence: Sofia and Peter Blanchard, the visionaries behind the public oasis Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills, New Jersey, and John Danzer, founder of the creative garden furniture firm, Munder-Skiles.

Some of the designers who participated in the event included: Bowman Dahl Floral & Event Design, Congruent Creative Workshop, Design by Anthony Ortiz, Laura Clare, Floral Design & Event Décor, Mixed Greens Event Design, OVANDO Floral Design and Event Production, Renny & Reed, Rachel Cho Inc., Rebecca Cole Grow, Tantawan Bloom, ZAK Events, and many more. Gramercy Park Flower Shop won this year's prestigious "Best in Show" award.

Kamie Lightburn, Peter Blanchard, Sofia Blanchard, John Danzer, and Mary Van Pelt

Guests included: Kamie and Rich Lightburn, Guy Robinson and Elizabeth Stribling, Frances and Tom Dittmer, Dennis and Huguette Hersch, Deborah Royce, Hunt Slonem, Nina Griscom, Mary and Guy Van Pelt, Geoffrey Bradfield, Meg Braff, Lucy and Nat Day, John Danzer and Chip Allemann, Anne Shearman-Betts, Jenny du Pont, Kathy and Othon Prounis, Sofia and Peter Blanchard, Henry and Susan Johnson, Nell and Robert Kleinschmidt, Evelyn Tompkins, Sheila and George Stephenson, Edwina von Gal, Betsy and Michael Bacon, Mish Tworkowski and Joseph Singer, Barbara and Kevin McLaughlin, and Memrie Lewis.

Alexandra Porter and Lucy Day

Betsy Bacon, Sheila Stephenson, Guy Robinson, and Elizabeth Stribling

Alison Spear and Alex Reese

Cindy Ketchum and Mary Van Pelt

Diane van Amerongen and Barbara de Portago

Alison and Geoffrey Strong

Barbara McLaughlin, Kamie Lightburn, and Lara Marcon

Barbara Regna and Emily Leonard

Frances Schultz and Tom Dittmer

Geoffrey Bradfield and Debbie Bancroft

Blair Voltz Clarke, Martin Dessoffy, and Sandee Witt

Deborah Royce and Max Sinsteden

Brian Lym, Julie Lang, Peter Olson, and Scot Medbury

Chiara Ferragamo and Victor Geraci

Jane Gaillard and Gary Knisely

Jean Shafiroff

Edwina von Gal and Wayne Nordberg

Evelyn Tompkins and Jared Goss

Henry Johnson, Susan Johnson, and Mark Gilbertson

Laura Haley, Bill Haley, and Huguette Hersch

Frances Schultz, Hunt Slonem, Jenny du Pont, and Matko Tomicic

Kathy and Othon Prounis

Jared Goss and Anne Shearman-Betts

John Danzer and Christopher Petkanas

Mario Nievera, Audrey Dispigna,and Dan Dispigna

Nancy Sambuco and Mish Tworkowski

Pratt Institute welcomed more than 250 special guests at its Art of Packaging Award Gala, a glamorous annual event that celebrates excellence in packaging design. The gala, which was held May 6 at a private club in Manhattan, benefits the Marc Rosen Scholarship and Education Fund for Packaging by Design at Pratt Institute, and attracts leading companies and executives from the multi-billion-dollar cosmetics industry. Emceed by Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville, the event marked 25 years of the Fund that has helped raise more than $3.5 million for scholarships for graduate packaging design students at Pratt.

Marc Rosen, Sheryl Adkins-Green, and Thomas Schutte

Sheryl Adkins-Green, chief marketing officer for Mary Kay Inc., accepted the Art of Packaging Award on behalf of the beauty brand. Marc Rosen, an award-winning designer, and Pratt alumnus, trustee emeritus, and faculty member, was also presented with a special citation from Governor Andrew M. Cuomo that celebrated Rosen’s 25 years of support to emerging packaging designers.

Special guests at the Art of Packaging Award Gala included actress Arlene Dahl; Pratt Institute President Thomas F. Schutte and his wife, Tess L. Schutte; Bruce Gitlin, Pratt board chair; Mike Pratt, Pratt vice board chair; Juliana Terian, Pratt trustee and Rallye Motors chairwoman; Laura Bohn, Pratt alumna and interior designer; Terence Mack, interior designer; Fragrance Foundation President Elizabeth Musmanno; Mark Ackermann, COO of Lighthouse Guild; and Donald Stannard, jewelry designer.

Thomas Schutte, Sheryl Adkins-Green, Deborah Norville, and Marc Rosen

Mark Ackermann and Barbara Gyde

The Art of Packaging Award is presented each year to a beauty/cosmetics company that has excelled in the art form. Mary Kay Inc.’s President and CEO David Holl thanked Pratt Institute, Rosen, and Adkins-Green for their contributions to packaging design via video. Adkins-Green graciously accepted the award, and was joined at the event by a team of executives from the company’s Dallas headquarters.

Rosen teaches a course on cosmetic and fragrance package design where students are challenged to create a perfume bottle prototype, a scent card, box, shopping bag, and advertisement. To date, the Fund has provided scholarships to more than 100 Pratt students, many of whom have become industry leaders.

This year’s student scholarship winners, each with fragrance packaging design work on display at the event, are:

Tonya Oberlender (Hollywood, Florida): Oberlender’s “Enchanté” scent is a luxury evening floral fragrance for women. She created a design that is as elegant as an exquisite piece of jewelry.

Jessica Vande Werken (Upper Arlington, Ohio): Vande Werken designed “Provocateur” around an exotic scent for distinguished, well-traveled women. The design is meant to arouse the senses and create an air of mystery.

Ivy Chen (Wuhan, China): Chen’s “Q” scent is modern, with a hint of elegant glamour. The bottle is inspired by Modernist typography and art; the composition of basic geometries imply the form of the letter Q.

Chen Chen Hu (Hangzhou, China): Hu’s “Chuyu” scent is named for an ancient expression that means “the first rain” in Mandarin Chinese. The shape and color of the bottle reflect the freshness of green lotus leaves after the first rain.

Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute is a global leader in higher education dedicated to preparing its 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in art, design, architecture, information and library science, and liberal arts and sciences. Located in a cultural hub with historic campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Pratt is a living lab of craft and creativity with an esteemed faculty of accomplished professionals and scholars who challenge their talented students to transform their passion into meaningful expression.

Sara Tool, Carole Delouvrier, and Jon Rosen

Deborah Norville, Arlene Dahl, and Marc Rosen

Chen Chen Hu

Ivey Chen-Zheyu and Bruce Gitlin

Doug Virtue, Fred Rakity, Olivia Bransbourg, and Mark Hardy

Jessica Vande Werken

Tonya Oberlander

Arlene Dahl and Juliana Terian

Diane Crecca, Larry Berman, Pamela Vaile, and Cos Policastro

Richard Fiore and Laura Bohn

Sheryl Adkins-Green, Deborah Norville, Arlene Dahl, and Carole Delouvier

Theo Spilka and Andy Cohen

Elizabeth Musmanno and Jerry Vittoria

Wendy Diamond, Michael Mane, Tatiana Remick, and Francois Damide

Achim Daub, Rhona Stokols, and Terry Mahon

Mike Pratt, Thomas Schutte, Tess Schutte, and Bruce Gitlin

The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), the world's first child protection agency, held its Annual Junior Committee Spring Benefit on Monday, May 5, 2014 at The ONE Group's Asellina at The Gansevoort Park Hotel on Park Avenue. Cinco de Mayo was the theme of this year's benefit. The evening featured signature cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, along with a silent auction of highly covetable items and experiences. The event raised close to $35,000 for the NYSPCC's Trauma Recovery program.

The NYSPCC's set of young philanthropists assume social responsibility each year to raise essential funds for the efforts of the agency: helping children heal from abuse and neglect, and helping families grow stronger. The Junior Committee of The NYSPCC has been supporting the efforts of the agency since 2005.

The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), founded in 1875, is the first – and one of the most highly respected – child protective agencies in the world. The NYSPCC responds to the complex needs of abused and neglected children, and those involved in their care, by providing best practice counseling, legal and educational services. Through research, communications and training initiatives, we work to expand these programs to prevent abuse and help more children heal.

The NYSPCC's unique work is used as a model for child welfare agencies across the nation. Since its founding, The NYSPCC has investigated more than 650,000 cases on the behalf of over two million children, and has educated over 46,000 professionals on how to identify and report child abuse and neglect.