You're invited to the celebratory reception of Children’s Museum of the Arts' benefit exhibition and auction curated by the architect and designer Rafael de Cárdenas with the leading platform for collectible contemporary design, The Future Perfect, on Thursday, October 6 from 6 PM to 9 PM. The reception celebrates the incredible work of Harriet Taub, who served as the Executive Director of Materials for the Arts (MFTA) for over 20 years, and remains a beloved friend and mentor to cultural organizations citywide.
Entitled Hold Me, the exhibit explores the intersection of design, childhood, and play culling from diverse artists and artisans across the globe. This special presentation is on view from October 3-7, 2022 at The Future Perfect’s exceptional 5-story townhouse located in the West Village in tandem with an exclusive online auction powered by Artsy.
Bid on one-of-a-kind artworks while enjoying exquisite seasonal hors d’oeuvres from Blue Lion and refreshments by Wandering Barman, Topo Chico, and Tara Chardonnay from Ventisquero Winery in Chile's Atacama Desert — all for an extraordinary cause. Guests will also be treated to a special acapella performance from Nicholas Ryan Gant.
Individual Tickets:
$275 — Individual Ticket
$700 — Two Tickets + 1 Limited Edition Print by Tommy Coleman
Executive Tickets:
Collector $5,000 — 4 Tickets + 1 Limited Edition Print by Tommy Coleman
Connoisseur $10,000 — 6 Tickets + 2 Limited Edition Prints by Tommy Coleman
Platinum Patron $25,000 — 10 Tickets + 5 Limited Edition Prints by Tommy Coleman
Executive-level tickets include a one-page personalized message option to be included in the evening’s printed program.
Select ticket options include a limited edition tricolor risograph 8.5 x 11″ print by Tommy Coleman printed by Endless Editions. Individual prints are available to purchase for $150.
About Harriet Taub
Harriet Taub is the former Executive Director of Materials for the Arts (MFTA), a program of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and one of the largest creative reuse centers in the U.S. Its mission is to keep valuable materials from heading to the landfill, and in turn give these donated items away for free to non-profit arts organizations and public schools in New York City. The New York Times described the program as “like a Kmart reimagined as Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” Harriet joined the organization in 1998 and later co-founded and helmed its affiliated nonprofit, Friends of Materials for the Arts, which provides teacher training, arts and environmental education, and community arts programming. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Taub asserted that “without question, the thing I am most proud of and they can put it on my tombstone, is that I helped start the Education Program” at Friends of Materials for the Arts.
Taub graduated from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education and spent her early career in education, then fashion (starting her own children’s clothing line, Bumblewear). In 1979, Taub co-produced a documentary film called Sosúa about a community of Jewish refugees who found refuge from Hitler in the Dominican Republic.
She is a 2017 recipient of the Sloan Award for public service, colloquially referred to as the “Oscars for public servants.” In 2022, she received a Giraffe Award from second grade students at All Saints Episcopal School in Hoboken, NJ in recognition of her volunteer work with The Lighthouse, a local nonprofit that supports recent asylees and refugees, and as someone who, like a giraffe, sticks their neck out for others.
Harriet retired at the beginning of the pandemic and we are pleased to honor and thank her in this way for her over two decades of service to the NYC arts and educational communities.
About Rafael de Cárdenas
Rafael de Cárdenas is a designer and creative director based in New York. Since 2006, he has maintained a multifaceted international practice encompassing residential and commercial interiors, architecture, furniture design, art advisory, and brand development. De Cárdenas and his studio, Rafael de Cárdenas, Ltd., have been the recipients of numerous awards and were the subject of a book-length monograph published by Rizzoli in 2017. His projects for clients including Nike, Kenzo, Baccarat, Glossier, Cartier, and Nordstrom – as well as numerous private individuals – span the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
About The Future Perfect
The Future Perfect was founded by David Alhadeff in 2003 and has become one of the world’s foremost contemporary design galleries. From its inception, The Future Perfect has been distinguished by its thoroughly creative and ebullient vision and strong curatorial focus, which showcases studio-created works alongside one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces that adhere to Alhadeff’s mission: the coalescence of playfulness, craftsmanship, and innovation. Now in its 20th year, The Future Perfect’s prestigious gallery program is tailored to its unique locations in North America, with residential exhibition spaces in Manhattan’s West Village, San Francisco, and Beverly Hills. By design, each space is a highly customized environment that presents exclusive, site-specific exhibitions from cutting-edge contemporary artists and designers, complemented by an eclectic mix of contemporary production and gallery pieces — all of which can be discovered under one roof.
The non-tax deductible portion of an individual ticket is $100. Contributions are fully tax deductible.
Programs at Children's Museum of the Arts are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.