The Gala Ball is El Museo's biggest fund raising event of the year and this year, as always, El Museo's Ball Committees created both fabulousness and fun. Guests of honor for the 2009 Gala were famed singer Gloria Estefan, her husband, Emilio Estefan and Luis Ubinas, the President of the Ford Foundation.

Gala guests floated around the marvelously lit Cipriani in romantic gowns and sharp tuxedos/suits, greeting each other with open arms and kisses. There was no shortage of press; cameras were snapping and lights were flashing. Among the evening's honored guests were: Governor David Patterson and his wife Michelle Paige Paterson; Gloria and Emilio Estefan; Carmen Ana Unanue, El Museo Board President; Gala Chairs Yaz and Valentin Hernandez and Isabel and Ruben Toledo; fashion designers Carolina Herrera, Angel Sanchez and Jason Wu; and Broadway star Tommy Tune (be sure to scroll down for party pictures).

Gloria Estefan
Photo Credit Daniel Perry

The evening started with cocktails, then dinner and dancing. The decor was reminiscent of A Midsummer's Nights' Dream, with floating candles and cherry blossoms hovering over the tables. New York Cool photographer Daniel Perry and I (Rene Levy-Abdo) had the pleasure of sitting at a table with Adriana Roche and her friends. The highlight of the evening was Gloria Estefan's performance. When Ms. Estefan performed, there was not one occupied chair in the hall; everyone was up and celebrating.

Cigar Box Top (Ruben Toledo Design)


El Museo's Limited Edition Cigars Designed by Ruben Toledo
Photo Credit Mark Andrew

On display at Cipriani during the Gala were some of the portraits from from a collaboration by artist Ruben Toledo and the children from El Museo’s Classroom Connections program. Mr. Toldeo and the children have (from the press release from Jonathan Marder), "created a whimsical gallery of sixty-eight portraits, including some of the most famous faces in Latin American history and culture, as well as leading Latino New Yorkers. The portraits as well as El Museo’s limited edition cigars, also designed by Ruben Toledo, were sold at the gala to benefit the museum. "

Governor David Patterson and Yaz Hernandez
Photo Credit Daniel Perry


Ruben and Isabel Toledo
Photo Credit Daniel Perry

Liliana Bautista, Horacio Ontiveros and Sandra Garcia
Photo Credit Daniel Perry

Michelle Paige Paterson, Governor David Patterson and Yaz Hernandez
Photo Credit Daniel Perry

Adriana Roche, Juliana Samper and Friend
Photo Credit Daniel Perry

Whitney and Sarah Wolfe
Photo Credit Chance Yeh of Patrick McMullen

Cipriani
Photo Credit Chance Yeh of Patrick McMullen

The Honorary Committee for the 2009 Gala included: Jonathan Adler; Tory Burch;
Tony Bechara; Edmundo Castillo; Francisco Costa; Christian Cota; Maria Cornejo; Simon Doonan; Patricia Field; Alex Gonzalez; Carolina Herrera; Reinaldo Herrera; Reed Krakoff; Isaac Mizrahi; Candy Pratts Price; Brian Reyes; Narciso Rodriguez; Ralph Rucci; Angel Sanchez; Jose Solis Betancourt; Zang Toi; Richard Turley; Diane von Furstenberg;and Jason Wu.

The Junion Gala Chairs were: Coromoto Atencio; Karla Farach; Mayra Hernandez; Michel Heredia; Luisana Mendoza; Jana Pasquel de Shapiro; Leticia Presutti; Gabriel Rivera; Samantha Thompson; and Whitney Wolfe.

El Museo's Gala Chairs were Yaz and Valentin Hernandez and Isabel and Ruben Toledo. The Gala Vice Chairs were Ramiro J. Ortiz and Joseph and Carmen Ana Unanue.

(From the press release) "El Museo del Barrio was founded in 1969, and is New York’s leading Latino cultural institution, representing the diversity of art and culture in all of the Caribbean and Latin America. El Museo has had a significant impact on New York’s culture, and is a major stop on Manhattan’s Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue. Currently El Museo is undergoing a $22 million-dollar facelift, which will be completed this fall."

For more information about El Museo del Barrio, log onto elmuseo.org