At Maker’s Mark, bourbon may be the house specialty, but this summer, it’s Dale Chihuly‘s light, glass, and color that shines in equal measure. In a new exhibition mounted across the grounds of its Kentucky distillery, the brand welcomes back the artist for Chihuly x Maker’s Mark, an ode to landscape, legacy and going to uncompromising lengths in pursuit of excellence.

Arriving on the grounds of the brand’s distillery at Star Hill Farm, the exhibition traces Chihuly’s longtime creative relationship with Maker’s Mark through nine sculptural works, from the Sapphire and Platinum Waterdrop Tower (2017), a 12-foot ode to the region’s watershed, to Moonbow Fiori (2025). At the center is Spirit of the Maker (2013), a permanent installation whose vivid palette celebrates the brand’s story, with “red pieces [that] nod to our iconic red wax, and the gold represent[ing] our distinctive soft red winter wheat. The blue pays homage to the water necessary to make our bourbon, and amber—Maker’s Mark bourbon,” Maker’s Mark Managing Director and eighth-generation whisky maker Rob Samuels shares.

“I drew a lot of inspiration from the landscape and architecture of the campus, and I’m excited to return with a new exhibition that responds to this special place,” the artist adds.

Throughout the show, light plays a starring role. “Chihuly was drawn to glass in part because of the way it transmits light and color,” Chihuly Studio President and CEO Leslie Jackson Chihuly explains. “Each artwork is also carefully lit with special equipment, causing it to seemingly glow from within and take on different character by night.” Guests visiting during summer’s long days or autumn’s early dusk are in for different spectacles, making each walk through Star Hill Farm uniquely timed to nature’s rhythms.

For after-dark tours on Saturday evenings, Chihuly (and whisky) fans have access to limited-release pours–Star Hill Farm Whisky, Cellar Aged expressions—and a cocktail tasting experience at Star Hill Provisions, the farm’s recently renovated restaurant. Reopening with a new menu and expanded outdoor patio, the space has seasonal drinks and dishes drawn directly from the farm’s regenerative growing program, led by head mixologist Leslie Krockenberger and chef Richard Knight.

While Chihuly’s blown-glass installations reimagine conventional ideas of form and function, shape and light, they also underscore a shared spirit that has animated Maker’s Mark since 1953, and the unconventional decisions that have made Maker’s Mark an icon.

Chihuly x Maker’s Mark is on view through December 7, with tours available on the Maker’s Mark website.

A variety show of the most high-camp proportions, Tanner Fletcher’s Pride party unfolded as a dazzling collision of fashion and performance. The hosts matched in crisp, ruffled tuxedo shirts and frilly aprons, while their friends and supporters slipped on cheeky “Tip Me, I’m Gay” tees as a festive wink to the night’s sponsor, CashApp. Guests cheered and danced in a swirl of lace-trimmed hearts and cabaret light—a fitting scene for a line built on joyful, radical glamour.

The Scene: A jazz-infused Pride fête at Hell’s Kitchen piano bar So and So’s, where steak frites and martinis were served with a side of sensual swansongs, Tony-worthy Broadway stars, and tap shoes on vibrant display.

The Crowd: The designers held court among a crush of fashion and culture insiders, including former “Real Housewives of New” star Luann de Lesseps; actors Ben Levi Ross, Nichelle Lewis, and Sydney Lemmon; writer and CULTURED contributing writer Adam Eli; chef Romilly Newman; style commentator Luke Meagher; and fashion creators Clara Perlmutter, Vienna Skye, and Griffin Maxwell Brooks.

The Entertainment: Cocktails flowed as a parade of performances ensued: Actor Nichelle Lewis ripped through a rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” drag personality Bosco brought the fire of her Drag Race turn to a lip-sync set, actor Izaiah Harris crooned and tapped, and Luann de Lesseps materialized to perform her track “Chic, C’est La Vie.”

Parting gifts: T-shirts that read “Tip Me, I’m Gay,” co-produced by Tanner Fletcher and CashApp.

Cause for FOMO: The show-stopping performance of “New York, New York” by a Liza Minnelli impersonator in a glowing red gown, which featured a kickline of guests from the audience.

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On Tuesday, Tappan Collective unveiled its latest show, “ELSEWHERE,” with a decidely festive Angeleno evening. Cold drinks and an expansive list of participating artists brought in a crowd buzzing with conversation. By the time founder Chelsea Nassib, painter Satsuki Shibuya, and CULTURED contributor Janelle Zara settled in for a conversation about art, intuition, and attunement, ears were perked and a hush fell over the gathering of cultural insiders.

The Locale: Tappan Collective’s brick-and-mortar gallery at 8200 Melrose Avenue.

The Occasion​​: The gallery inaugurated “ELSEWHERE,” a choral show exploring (and exploding) the landscape genre, featuring works by the likes of Gia Coppola, Michael Harnish, Sasha Court, Marleigh Culver, Michael DeSutter, Lisa Hardy, and Marina Ross.

The Crowd: A coterie of LA tastemakers, including entrepreneur Holly Liss Jammet, gallerist Rosa Park, art advisor and curator Kipton Cronkite, actor Nicole Kang, stylist Rob Zangardi, and beauty expert Mary Phillips turned out for Tappan.

Cause for FOMO: Clever soundbites between a spiritually-forward artist grounded in intuitive listening, and an arts writer with a special handle on the pulse of creative currency and how to ask just the right question.

 A heady mix of art, architecture, and estival glamour, the Serpentine Summer Party drew London’s cultural vanguard into Kensington Gardens last night for an evening that balanced elegance with edge. With co-host Cate Blanchett presiding over the celebration of Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum’s 25th Anniversary Serpentine Pavilion, the night offered an alluring mix of substance and spectacle.

The Crowd: A battery of cultural heavyweights including actor and producer Cate Blanchett, Chairman of Serpentine’s Board of Trustees Michael Bloomberg, Serpentine Galleries Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist, Serpentine Galleries CEO Bettina Korek, businesswoman Isha Ambani, actor Sebastian Croft, activist Bianca Jagger, actor Minnie Driver, designer Harris Reed, rapper Skepta, model Jourdan Dunn, actor Isla Fisher, musician Lily Allen, arts patron Maja Hoffman, actor Eiza González, and Internet personality Amelia Dimoldenberg.

The Occasion: The main event of the celebration was A Capsule in Time, the 25th Anniversary Serpentine Architecture Pavilion designed by Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum. Giuseppe Penone’s exhibition “Thoughts in the Roots,” and Sir Peter Cook‘s Play Pavilion provided further artistic inspiration for attendees.

The Entertainment: Musical performances by Caroline Polachek and GALLiVANTER.

The Winning Detail: Cate Blanchett wearing a rhapsody in shells by buzzy British designer Dilara Findikoğlu.

Cause for FOMO: The afterparty at Tramp, thrown by Host Committee members Sonam Kapoor and Eugenio López.

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Real estate is often less about what is and more about what has been and can be. No one understands that better than Skylight, a female-founded company revitalizing historic locations and transforming them into modern destinations. In the words of CEO Stephanie Blake, the ethos of Skylight is to perfect “the art of gathering.”

Skylight has a growing, global portfolio of venues across New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. On the West Coast, ROW DTLA is the first of Skylight’s Los Angeles locations. “It’s really traditional to think about an event space as four walls and a ceiling,” Blake said of the 32-acre venue, while in conversation with CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson. “When we think of a venue, it’s not one space, it’s really a district.” ROW DTLA occupies the former LA Terminal Market and offers a wide variety of activation spaces, from open lots and skyline-facing rooftops to terraces and plazas. Each harkens back to the district’s 100-year history without feeling beholden to it.

“Going into vacant, underutilized space, you can’t predict how it’s going to be used,” admitted Blake, “but you work with a vision around the possibility and you really do reference the history and the soul of a neighborhood. Even if it’s a new development, there’s always something that came before you on that land. You bring that story to the forefront and then offer that up to have an activation.”

So far, ROW DTLA has been home to Seth Rogen’s Hilarity For Charity, Netflix activations, an Amazon film premiere, and a Billie Eilish experience, among other festivities. “I think that’s the future of real estate: experience-driven,” said Blake. “What does it make you feel? Why are you there? It can’t be purely for the transaction. It’s the experience that makes you go back again.”

The company’s other LA spot on Rio Street is a massive 1979 garment factory located in Downtown LA. Unlike ROW, which is known for its outdoor experiences, the value of Rio Street lies in its striking interiors. The continuous space spans 52,000 square feet with ceilings that reach heights of 29 feet. Several points of entry make it easy to coordinate guest flow, and with ample opportunity to configure the building’s layout, Rio Street is a simple canvas that is as flexible as it is inspiring.

“I think that’s the future of real estate: experience-driven. What does it make you feel? Why are you there? It can't be purely for the transaction. It's the experience that makes you go back again.”

Stephanie Blake

Blake confessed, “As a result of Covid, there’s a question mark of what is the future of downtown?” With it’s expanding investments in the area, Skylight is hoping to lead a reinvigoration of and movement toward underappreciated neighborhoods.

“I see a seismic shift happening in the built environment and the real estate landscape because all of a sudden it’s not a landlord’s game—it’s a tenant’s game,” explained Blake. “It used to be build, [then] they will come and sign a 20-year lease. That’s not the case anymore. Everyone in the real estate industry is talking about hospitality without really knowing what that means. They’re looking to the industries that provide great experiences as a way to shift how they might interact with their own tenants.”

Since its launch, WhiskeyX has already tapped Skylight Rio Street for a packed tasting event. “This goes back to our philosophy around pioneering new districts and new environments and being the first to take that leap,” said Blake. “Rio is in an area that’s still very underused at the moment. We are using it as a calling card to say, Hey, we’re putting down roots here.”

This practice extends to Skylight’s San Francisco venues, which range from a refurbished shipyard warehouse to a sprawling vineyard. The Cube & The Town Hall, located in the Financial District, is a city block-spanning venue complete with several bank vaults and an auditorium. Over in the Mission District, Skylight at The Armory, previously known as the “Madison Square Garden of the West,” is built out of a 1912 former National Guard outpost.

“There is so much unrealized space,” noted Blake, “so how might we repurpose that again to be fertile ground for artists? Artists … create the vibrancy, tell the story, provide the integrity of a neighborhood that actually does create the value that others want to participate in.” While many in the industry are chasing unused acreage or new developments, Skylight is committed to building on and reinvigorating a city’s existing strengths.