In years past, we’ve shared various aspects of this event via social media mostly in the form of documentation; artists creating tables, guests arriving, and activity happening throughout the night.  This year, we decided to go a more creative route and our Twitter and Instagram feeds will become #table17.

Starting Friday, Brooklyn-based artist Man Bartlett will take over these two feeds and create a project that speaks to how everyone can bring something to the table.  In his own words:

The People’s Table is a virtual collection of images submitted by people around the world in response to the question, “What do you bring to the table?” It is meant to act as a reminder of the multitude of ways that people attribute value to objects and ideas in culture, while simultaneously offering access without regard to significant financial or societal limitations. Anyone with access to an Internet connection can bring themselves, and their vision to the table. Additionally, this collection will be projected for the guests of the 2013 BK Ball, where they will be invited to participate as well.

Man is working with Barry Hoggard to help bring the table to life and we couldn’t be more excited to see it materialize both online and in the building on April 24.  Follow @brooklynmuseum on Twitter and Instagram to join us at #table17.

This year’s Brooklyn Ball will feature several art history-inspired works of food to make the evening fun and interesting for all who attend. The most visible of these takes the form of a twenty foot tall piñata in the shape of Andy Warhol’s head, which is currently installed in our Rubin Pavilion. The idea for the piñata came from Jennifer Rubell, who is creating these food installations inside the Brooklyn Museum that evening as a project she is calling “Icons.” What, you ask, will the piñata be filled with? That will be kept a secret—one staff co-worker hopefully quipped, “It’s going to be filled with $100 bills for staff, right?”—until the start of “High Style: The After Party,” which begins at 9 p.m. I have been told, however, that its contents will be edible.

In order to make this event more accessible for the Museum’s members, tickets are being offered at a reduced price of $50 for all membership levels including 1stfans. If you’re not a member and would like to attend the After Party, you can join or purchase full price tickets on our website. And if you can’t make it that night, the piñata will be on display for another week and then Shelley will be live-tweeting some of the more interesting discoveries from the Brooklyn Ball that evening on the Museum’s twitter feed.

Dear [Development Staff]

I spoke with you briefly last year regarding my experience over 50 years ago as a recipient of an art scholarship [to the Brooklyn Museum] I received at Graduation from P.S. 83 in Brooklyn.

I was exposed to many wonderful things that, up until then, I had no idea existed. I was a student for four years and met many wonderful people also. My interest in the arts around the world remains varied, to my betterment. When I think of the Brooklyn Museum it is with extreme proprietary comfort.

It is with much gratitude that I present this token of my appreciation to the Museum and its continuance.

Thank you

Sincerely,

Patsy Glover

Left: Fall of 1959 in front of Brooklyn Museum after art class. Right: Winter 2003 Festival at Rochdale Village Community Center

Included with the letter was a check for $250 and two photographs. The first photograph is of Ms. Glover in front of the Museum in 1959, and the other one is of Ms. Glover with a painting of hers in 2003. Ms. Glover’s art classes here at the Museum contributed to a lifelong love of art and a career as an artist herself. Once we received the letter, we invited her to attend the Members preview in February for To Live Forever and Kiki Smith: Sojourn. She reiterated in person how much she enjoyed the Museum, and how she is grateful to have an institution with such remarkable education opportunities for people of all ages.

Copy of the scholarship Ms. Glover received from P.S. 83 to take classes at Brooklyn Museum

It’s cynical to think of the people that we educate and the public that we serve as being the next donors and supporters of the Museum, but in this case it’s true. It’s a testament to the great work of our Education department that people like Ms. Glover can make art a central part of their lives as a result of their educational experiences at the Museum, and we are grateful for her support.

Download Letter

Friday was an up and down day here at the Museum and on Saturday afternoon, 1stfan Member Nina Simon seized the moment when delivering her closing plenary at the Museums and the Web conference by encouraging anyone who cared about the Brooklyn Museum to join as a Member. Roughly around the same time, New Curator put out a similar call to action.

Then, 1stfans and colleagues from other institutions lit up twitter with the same message. Within hours, 21 people had signed up for 1stfans Membership, many of them from around the world. In New Zealand, Courtney Johnson joined and wrote a spectacular blog post in which she volunteered to buy 1stfans Memberships for four people who would comment on her post or would pass it along to others.

In tough times, I find that Members often can help the Museum with the important work that needs to be done. Not only do they contribute much-needed financial support, but they bring friends when they visit, they shop at the Museum and share their experiences in a variety of ways.  This weekend was no exception, but the support generated online was so swift and heartfelt, that it took us by total surprise. We continue to be extremely grateful for the support of every one of our members: thank you all.

Download Letter

You can also find a message from Arnold on the Web site.