The Met’s Engelhard Court swapped its customary hush for champagne chatter as the Vanguard Council—the museum’s invite‑only circle of next‑gen patrons—gathered for its inaugural awards dinner. After an afternoon vote that green‑lit a selection of the Met’s audacious and upcoming curatorial projects, guests nursed elderflower‑gin spritzes beneath the American Wing’s soaring skylight until Deputy Chief Development Officer of Individual Giving, Hannah Howe, summoned them to candlelit tables.
Council co‑chairs Sophia Cohen and Arielle Patrick set the tone with a toast to funding risk‑taking in real time, addressing a room of guests including artist Anna Weyant, writers Nate Freeman and Mary Julia Koch, the Met's David Breslin, TRLab co‑founder Audrey Ou, and restaurateur Scott Sartiano. Then came a three‑course manifesto from Manhattan hot spot Bridges: a flaky Comté tart studded with morels and English peas, rosy roast duck over braised greens and chili‑laced potatoes, and a mirror‑glazed chocolate‑hazelnut finale that had even the most disciplined collectors reaching for seconds.
Mid‑entrée, the museum's Marina Kellen French Director and CEO, Max Hollein, announced the first‑ever Vanguard Award recipients—sparking cheers, discreet high‑fives, and whispered pledges for next year’s giving round. As the night wound down, patrons drifted through the marble colonnade, embroidered “Vanguard Council” caps in hand—a stylish reminder that bold ideas now have equally bold backers. If this is the council’s opening act, the encore promises to be nothing short of transformative.
