Though it may seem that Armory Week and Frieze Week get all the action, the reality is that there is never a dull moment in the New York art world. From the East Side to the West Side, there’s always something happening at the city’s museums, galleries, and various event spaces. This week was no exception.

Josephine Halvorson at Storm King Art Center’s Summer Solstice Celebration. Courtesy of Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.

Mike Starn and Doug Starn at Storm King Art Center’s Summer Solstice Celebration. Courtesy of Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.

Storm King Art Center’s Summer Solstice Celebration. Courtesy of Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.

Storm King Art Center‘s Summer Solstice Celebration
It was a beautiful summer day in New Windsor, New York, as Storm King Art Center welcomes guests including Amy Plumb Oppenheim, Agnes Gund, Klaus Biesenbach, Helen Drutt English, Chakaia Booker, and Doug and Mike Starn to its annual summer solstice dinner party on June 18.

Celebrity chef Amanda Freitag was responsible for the night’s menu, which was based on the Dennis Oppenheim exhibition currently on view. “The inspiration runs deep,” said Freitag, who incorporated cactus into the menu in the artist’s honor. A self-proclaimed fan of the open-air museum, the “Chopped” judge got a kick out of the art-themed cooking assignment. “How often do chefs get to do something like this?” Freitag asked.

The museum grounds were also an inspiration to Josephine Halvorson, the chosen artist for this year’s “Outlooks” exhibition. “Scale is so strange here. Something large feels very small; something small feels very large,” Halvorson told artnet News of the thinking behind her massive ruler sculptures. She selected the sites for her three works by “just wandering around and finding a place that spoke to me.”

Courtesy of Rozalia Jovanovic.

Courtesy of Rozalia Jovanovic.

MoMA PS1 40th Anniversary Benefit Gala
As the Strawberry Moon hung overhead, guests gathered at the Museum of Modern Art on June 20, the summer solstice, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of MoMA PS1, which was founded by Alanna Heiss, and opened its doors in 1976.

One of the highlights of the event, which started with cocktails in the sculpture garden at MoMA and moved on to a dinner in the museum, was when Heiss partially-gifted a photograph by Richard Avedon of MoMA PS1’s founding board members to Agnes Gund, chairman of the MoMA PS1 board (and one of its founding members). Chief curator of painting and sculpture at MoMA, Ann Temkin, countersigned the contract.

The night ended with an after party on the wrap-around terrace at Bar SixtyFive at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Mark Lubell and Charlotte Cotton at the opening reception for the International Center of Photography Museum. Courtesy of photographer Clint Spaulding © Patrick McMullan.

Kate Shin at the opening reception for the International Center of Photography Museum. Courtesy of photographer Clint Spaulding © Patrick McMullan.

Pat Schoenfeld, Jennifer Tripp, and Gemma Clough at the opening reception for the International Center of Photography Museum. Courtesy of photographer Clint Spaulding © Patrick McMullan.

Anne Pasternak and Elizabeth Easton at the opening reception for the International Center of Photography Museum. Courtesy of photographer Clint Spaulding © Patrick McMullan.

Opening Reception for the International Center of Photography
The guest list was full as art lovers gathered to celebrate the long-awaited debut of the International Center of Photography’s new home at 250 Bowery on June 21, ahead of the official June 23 opening.

Attendees, who included director Mark Lubell, curators Charlotte Cotton and Christopher Phillips, Brooklyn Museum director Anne Pasternak, artists Jill Magid and Pat Schoenfeld, and Elizabeth Easton, co-founder and director of New York’s Center for Curatorial Leadership, enjoyed a sneak peak at the inaugural exhibition, “Public, Private, Secret.“and champagne courtesy of Perrier-Jouët.

Thati Mokgoro, member of the Mandela Poster Project Collective, introduces the project at its US debut at the Brooklyn Museum. Courtesy of the Nelson Mandela Poster Project.

Posters from the Mandela Poster Project Collective at the project’s US debut at the Brooklyn Museum. Courtesy of the Nelson Mandela Poster Project.

The Nelson Mandela Poster Project at the Brooklyn Museum
When South African politician and civil rights leader Nelson Mandela died in 2013, a group of 10 South African designers launched the Mandela Poster Project in celebration of his life and legacy. Over 700 artists from 70 countries submitted their designs, which were whittled down to just 95 winning posters.

Having toured the world, from Barcelona to Tokyo, those images finally made their New York debut at the Brooklyn Museum on June 21. Thati Mokgoro, of the Mandela Poster Project Collective, was on hand for the one-night only event.

“It’s amazing to be able to partner with the Mandela Poster Project Collective to spread the spirit of Mandela through this one-of-a-kind collection,” Kalahari Resort founder and event sponsor Todd Nelson told the crowd. “Mandela has an unmatchable impact on the world, and this collection captures his significance beautifully.”

New Orleans artist Aron Belka unveils his massive public mural at 188 Lafayette St. Courtesy of Jennifer Mitchell on behalf of Bombay Sapphire Gin.

Courtesy of Jennifer Mitchell on behalf of Bombay Sapphire Gin.

Mural Unveiling and Bombay Sapphire Cocktail Party
New Orleans artist Aron Belka unveiled his newest mural, an interactive work created with actress and activist Rosario Dawson, at a cocktail reception in Soho on June 23. The piece, which Belka created as the winner of the 6th Annual Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series competition, was inspired by New Orleans jazz pianist and composer, Allen Toussaint.

A live jazz band played in tribute to the late musician during the post-unveiling cocktail party. Dawson serves as creative mentor of the Bombay Sapphire Mural Project, and worked closely with Belka to bring his vision to life.

IFPDA executive director Michele Senecal, artist Donald Sultan, IFPDA board president Robert Newman ©Patrick McMullan. Photo by Sylvain Gaboury/PMC.

Artist Donald Sultan, art dealer Mary Ryan. IFPDA executive director Michele Senecal, artist Donald Sultan, IFPDA board president Robert Newman ©Patrick McMullan. Photo by Sylvain Gaboury/PMC.

International Fine Print Dealers Association 2016 Patrons Circle Cocktail Benefit at Donald Sultan’s Studio
Artist Donald Sultan opened his spacious two-level Tribeca studio for the IFPDA’s annual fundraiser on Wednesday, June 22. Guests were free to roam and see the artist’s prints and paintings on view across two floors while sipping cocktails and enjoying hors d’ouevres.

IFPDA executive director Michele Senecal and president Robert Newman mingled with guests, as did Sultan himself and Chelsea dealer Mary Ryan, who shows the artist’s prints.

At the benefit, the six recipients announced for this year’s IFPDA Foundation Curatorial Internship Program include the Chrysler Museum of Art, the David Museum at Wellesley College, Harvard Art Museums, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the RISD Museum, and the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri.

Additional reporting by Rozalia Jovanovic and Eileen Kinsella.