On Thursday, June 6th, The New York Botanical Garden held its annual Conservatory Ball to celebrate its brand-new exhibition. The garden-wide exhibition titled Wonderland: Curious Nature is heavily inspired by the cult-classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The exhibition will run through October 27th, 2024, and features a flower show, contemporary art installations, daytime programming, tea parties, and nighttime activations.
The black-tie evening began with a cocktail hour where vibrant flowers adorned the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, transporting guests to 19th-century England.
Following the cocktail reception, guests were able to wander the Conservatory Lawn which featured kinetic mushroom sculptures by FoldHaus Art Collective and, of course, stunning flowers.
The guests were then moved inside the Conservatory Tent where they were treated to dinner and entertainment by DJ Runna.
Honorees at this year’s Conservatory Ball included William D. and Fleur Rueckert. The lead chairs were Maureen K. and Richard L. Chilton, Jr. as well as Chairs, Sasha and Edward Bass, Friederike K. Biggs, J. Barclay Collins II and Kristina Durr, Ravenel Curry and Jane Moss, Sharon and Bill Jacob, Jill Joyce, Bethany and Robert B. Millard, Janet M. Montag, and Deborah and Charles Royce.
Notable attendees of the ball included Tina Leung, Sai De Silva, Sophie Elgort, Peter Som, Jessica Wang, Marcus Teo, Eric Rutherford, Jessel Taank, Oscar de la Renta Co-CreaOve Directors Laura Kim and
Fernando Garcia, and many more.
De Beers Jewelers was one of the main sponsors of this year’s New York Botanical Garden Conservatory Ball. Many of the guests including Tina Leung, Sai De Silva, Sophie Elgort, Jessel Tank, and Jessica Wang were wearing De Beers diamonds.
The De Beers diamonds worn by some of the most prominent guests at the ball contributed to the magical feel of the night. De Beers was founded in London, where Alice’s character is said to be from.
De Beers commitment to creating a fairer, safer, cleaner, and healthier future coincides with the New York Botanical Gardens’ mission perfectly.
This was truly an unforgettable evening in New York City. You will want to check out the Wonderland: Curious Nature exhibition at the gardens this summer.
**All images courtesy of NYBG.
