Past galas

Design Legends Gala 2008

Watch videos from the Design Legends Gala, 2008

Watch videos from the Design Legends Gala, 2008

 

The fifth annual Design Legends Gala was held on Thursday, September 18, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street at the Hudson River) in New York City. This event honored 2008 recipients of:

View photos from the 2008 Design Legends Gala

Nearly 500 people attended this year’s Gala, which recognized 26 designers with excellence awards. More than $140,000 was raised—during a week marked by bad news in the financial markets. Beyond the numbers, guests had an incredibly entertaining time catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, networking and collectively enjoying the celebratory evening.

Highlights of the night included: Carbone Smolan Agency’s elegant 8-ft. cardboard silhouettes set among the mingling and cocktail-sipping guests; the Gala’s first-ever silent auction of 31 artworks donated by AIGA Medalists and design luminaries; Dana Arnett, in Clark Kent/Superman-style, revealing a Harley-Davidson T-shirt beneath his formal attire as he introduced Willie G. Davidson to the stage to receive a Corporate Leadership Award; Gail Anderson explaining her vision of natural balance and her unnatural fear that she might be struck by lightning after finding out she had been selected for a 2008 AIGA Medal; and Medalist Clement Mok’s heartfelt thanks to supportive friends, including Tom Suiter, who protected him from Steve Jobs while working at Apple.

At the coaxing of the inimitable Noreen Morioka, guests made contributions of $18,000 on the spot. And the silent auction, organized by Debbie Millman, added excitement to the evening, as well as further donations to AIGA’s special projects. The grand total of $140,000 will fund future AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships, the AIGA Design Archives and initiatives to increase diversity within the profession.

Photos from the 2008 Design Legends Gala

  • 1/21
    Welcome to the 2008 AIGA Design Legends Gala, held September 18 at Chelsea Piers.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 2/21
    (top row) Silent auction table; scenes from the cocktail reception; (bottom row) Innovative designs by the 2008 Corporate Leadership Awardees: Harley-Davidson’s 2009 FLSTSB Softail® Cross Bones; and Eames La Chaise, available at Design Within Reach.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 3/21
    Guests mingled at the event and silent auction, which was organized by Debbie Millman (lower right).
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 4/21
    Guests mingled at the cocktail reception and silent auction.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 5/21
    Guests bid on the silent auction.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 6/21
    Gala co-chairs Mark Randall (left) and Mick Hodgson.
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 7/21
    (top row) Dana Arnett presented a 2008 AIGA Corporate Leadership Award to Harley-Davidson; (bottom row) Willie G. Davidson accepted the award.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 8/21
    (top row) Julie Lasky presented a 2008 AIGA Corporate Leadership Award to Design Within Reach; (bottom row) Ray Brunner and Jennifer Morla accepted the award.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 9/21
    AIGA Fellows (from left): Frank Baseman, Sam Shelton, Scott Gericke, Paula Savage Hanson, Jennifer Morla, Kenneth Botts, Terry Marks, Mick Hodgson, Tim Smith, R. Michael Hendrix, Antonio Alcalá, Christopher Liechty, Noreen Morioka, Christopher Pullman, Reed Agnew, Doug Kisor, Jim Watson, Don Moyer, Grant Smith, John Bielenberg, MaeLin Levine, Ron Miriello.
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 10/21
    Guests mingled during dinner—and Massimo Vignelli sported a brilliant-red cape.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 11/21
    Jessica Helfand presented the Winterhouse Award for Design Writing & Criticism to David Barringer.
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 12/21
    Mark Randall announced the recipients of the 2008–2009 Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships. Five attended the Gala: (from left) Lyanne Dubon, Ethan Bodnar, Camilo Godoy, Karla Mickens and Christina Choe.
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 13/21
    (from left) Noreen Morioka encouraged guests to increase their gifts to AIGA and explained what those funds would support; guests, in turn, gave back generously to the profession.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 14/21
    (top row) Chuck Harrison (right) presented the 2008 AIGA Medal to Vernon Lockhart, accepting on behalf of LeRoy Winbush; (bottom row) guests listened intently as Vernon Lockhart spoke of his mentor.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 15/21
    Steven Heller presented the 2008 AIGA Medal to Gail Anderson.
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 16/21
    Clement Mok accepted his 2008 AIGA Medal.
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 17/21
    2008 AIGA Medalists Clement Mok and Gail Anderson.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 18/21
    Past and present AIGA Medalists (from left): Massimo and Lella Vignelli, Ivan Chermayeff, Chris Pullman, Ellen Lupton, Gail Anderson, Clement Mok, Patrick Coyne, Milton Glaser, Bruce Mau, Steff Geissbuhler
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 19/21
    (top row) Friends, family and AIGA Philadelphia members celebrated 2008 Fellow Frank Baseman (center); (bottom row) new and old friends posed for the camera.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 20/21
    Guests were encouraged to take home and reuse Carbone Smolan’s recycled-cardboard centerpieces.
    Photos: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli
  • 21/21
    (from left) AIGA executive director Richard Grefé, 2008 Medalist Clement Mok, 2008 Medalist Gail Anderson, AIGA president Sean Adams.
    Photo: Jen Petreshock and Jon Muzzarelli