Inside Skowhegan’s Star-Studded 53rd Annual Awards Dinner

On Oct. 24, a lively group of artists, collectors, gallerists, and art-world enthusiasts gathered at Guastavino’s under New York City’s 59th Street Bridge to celebrate Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture’s 53rd annual Awards Dinner. The Maine-based artist school and summer residency honored multi-hyphenate artist Lonnie Holley with the Medal for Visual Arts & Music, presented by musician and R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe; arts advocate Suzanne Deal Booth received the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Award for Outstanding Patronage of the Arts and the advocacy organization Visual AIDS received the Governors’ Award for Outstanding Service to Artists. After dinner and remarks, guests headed downstairs to enjoy an after-party headlined by keiyaA and DJ duo musclecars. Notables in attendance include Derrick Adams, Ivy Arce, Sarah Workneh, Baseera Khan, Jeffrey Meris, Matthew Day Jackson, Alison Saar, Farah Al Qasimi, Pamela Sneed, Clifford Prince King, Elliott Brown Jr., Hank Willis Thomas, and more. Photos by Bre Johnson/BFA.