New Canaan Glass House To Host Summer Party Celebrating 75 Years

Information via The Glass House

NEW CANAAN, CT — The Glass House will present its annual summer party June 8, celebrating 75 years of the Glass House (1949) and the 49-acre campus featuring architecture, art and design in New Canaan.

According to a news release provided by The Glass House, guests will have a chance to explore the newly restored 1949 Brick House, open to the public for the first time in 16 years.

With generous support by Presenting Sponsor Max Mara, and additional support from Aesop, Design Within Reach and Land Rover Darien, guests are invited to immerse themselves in a day of art and design surrounded by a stunning landscape.

This year's event will include a picnic basket lunch by New Canaan's own Elm restaurant inspired by the flavors of the season, performances by Brendan Fernandes and summer vibes by DJ Rachel Winters, according to The Glass House.

The event will also debut the benefit art edition by this year's summer party artist, Ed Ruscha. Inspired by the ever-changing environment of the Glass House, Ruscha said the work references the "reflections and shadows from glass windows and doors," according to The Glass House.

Fernandes will present an adaptation of two recent performances in the Glass House and the surrounding landscape.

In "Endless Summer," three dancers will roam through the site's pastoral landscape and engage in a fun, flirty dance about summer love.

In "in/visible," the dancers will use the Glass House's transparent walls to examine the relationship between visibility, invisibility and cultural hybridity, according to The Glass House.

Experience an alfresco shopping experience by Max Mara featuring the spring/summer 2024 collection complete with cold treats, special gifts and an experiential photo moment. A portion of proceeds benefit The Glass House.

Guests can delight their senses and stop by Aesop's activation for a summer refresh with their Garden Spritz fragrance experience. Picnic on the Pond Pavilion or next to this year's exhibition "Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House," according to The Glass House.

Guests can also visit the painting gallery where a selection of works by Frank Stella from The Glass House's permanent collection are on view or visit the sculpture gallery to view Stella's larger than life sculpture "The Raft of the Medusa" along with works by Robert Morris, Michael Heizer and Bruce Nauman.

Attendees can savor wines by Belle Glos and Elouan and handcrafted organic cocktails by Greenology and Litchfield Distillery while lounging on Design Within Reach furniture or a blanket on the lawn, according to The Glass House.

For an afternoon pick me up, stop by the bar for a Jack’s Coffee cold brew or the campus' cookie bar provided by Drs. Orders Baking Co. On their way, guests can also check out a silent auction.

Each auction item is on display in an art tent and beautifully framed by Fine Art Frameworks. All guests will leave with a custom-designed Max Mara tote filled with goodies to remember their visit, according to The Glass House.

This year's summer party benefit will kick off on Friday at 12 p.m. with a silent auction hosted by Artsy and will feature a range of artworks in all mediums, design items, unique experiences and jewelry. The auction will close June 10 at 12 p.m.

Highlights from the auction include Baccarat, Tyler Hays, Annie Leibovitz, Tom Otterness, Cindy Sherman and Pierre Yovanovitch.

The following ticket information was also provided by The Glass House:

$500 – Individual Ticket
One Individual ticket; One gift bag.

$1,000 – VIP Ticket
Reserved VIP seating area; One VIP gift bag.

$9,000 – VIP Friend Ticket
One VIP Ticket; Priority reserved seating; A limited edition print by Summer Party Artist, Ed Ruscha; One VIP gift bag.

$10,000 – Gold Table Captain
Ten VIP tickets; Priority seating with a reserved table; Ten VIP gift bags.

$25,000 – Platinum Table Captain
Ten VIP tickets; Private champagne reception in the Glass House for up to 10 guests; Top priority seating with a reserved table; A limited edition print by Summer Party Artist, Ed Ruscha; Ten VIP gift bags.

Tickets are available for purchase here. All proceeds support the preservation of The Glass House site.