Thirty-seven floors above Fifth Avenue, the sun set over Central Park as a room packed with art-world mainstays and literary leaders settled in to hear author Lynne Tillman speak with CULTURED Co-Chief Art Critic Johanna Fateman. The occasion? The release of Tillman’s new book, Paying Attention, a sweeping collection of essays on art and culture spanning four decades—each text a case for criticism as a sustained, living practice.
The Scene: Private, members-only space Coco’s at Colette, where dark wooden finishes and floor-to-ceiling windows framed the Manhattan skyline, creating a space brimming with sophisticated indulgence. Tillman read from Paying Attention, her voice underscoring the precision and wit that have long defined her criticism. In one particularly disarming moment, she recalled interviewing Méret Oppenheim in 1970s Paris.
The Crowd: Guests for the night’s conversation included CULTURED Editor in Chief Sarah Harrelson, Met Museum curator Jane Panetta; Art Intelligence Global director Rick Cappellazzo; dealers Clara Ha, David Fierman, Hong Gyu Shin, and Rachel Uffner; artists Hannah Beerman, Lorenzo Amos, and Sheree Hovsepian; and art critics Jason Farago, Ksenia M. Soboleva, and Whitney Mallett among other luminaries across the art world.
Parting Gift: Copies of CULTURED‘s star-studded Entertainers issue were available for attendees to flip through and take home.
More of our favorite stories from CULTURED
Marcel Duchamp Obliterated Expectations of What Art Could Be. These 4 Artists Are Carrying His Mantle.
How The Pitt’s Patrick Ball Went From Role-Playing Corporate Trainings to Starring on Broadway
The 2026 CULTURED Power Advisor List: Meet the Art Advisors Shaping the World’s Top Collections
A New Book Unearths the Heated Rivalry Between Artists Peter Hujar and Paul Thek
Speed Round! 13 Critics Review 25 NYC Shows Before You Finish Your Morning Coffee
Sign up for our newsletter here to get these stories direct to your inbox.
in your life?
