Purim Ball
The Jewish Museum
The Jewish Museum’s annual Purim Ball is a raucous soirée that has served as one of the Museum’s primary fundraising events since 1986. As benevolent as it is decadent, the Purim Ball brings together artists and patrons for one of the year’s must-attend events.
We designed the event’s invitation suite and collateral, partnering with David Stark Design and Production on the event itself from 2016 through 2019.
Photograph by Hagop Kalaidjian/BFA.com, credit to David Stark Design and Production, Photograph by Scott Rudd, and Aria Isadora/BFA.com
What is Purim?
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jews from Haman, a court official who plotted to eradicate all of Persia’s Jewish subjects. Celebrations often draw inspiration from Esther Rabbah, who said, “It is the duty of a man to mellow himself...on Purim until he cannot tell the difference between ‘cursed be Haman’ and ‘blessed be Mordecai.’”
This means that people should drink until they reach a state of not being able to distinguish between the evil Haman and the blessed Mordecai; it calls for a party.
2019
The theme of 2019’s Purim Ball was Carnival. The team at David Stark created an immersive elegant experience, including booths, acrobats, and a giant Ferris wheel.
Photograph by Hagop Kalaidjian/BFA.com, credit to David Stark Design and Production
2018
In 2018 we were transported to the court of Marie Antoinette. The location, the Pierre Hotel, was the perfect setting to celebrate. We were inspired by lace, a material that reveals as much as it masks.
Photograph by Aria Isadora/BFA.com
Photograph by Scott Rudd
2017
Decor inspiration in 2017 came from an installation by the Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes displayed at the Jewish Museum. The four hanging sculptures were inspired by the ephemeral, brightly colored, and reflective materials used to decorate carnival floats. In turn, we created an elaborate collage of Purim-themed images and symbols such as Queen Esther, a fish, a noisemaker, and more.
Photograph by Aria Isadora/BFA.com
Photograph by Aria Isadora/BFA.com
2016
Coming off the heels of the Isaac Mizrahi exhibition An Unruly History at the Jewish Museum, the environmental design was inspired by one of Mizrahi’s most recognizable stylistic flourishes: mixing high-brow and low-brow. David Stark designed and incorporated thousands of paper plate mobiles that hung from the ceiling of New York City’s famous Park Avenue Armory; the simple plates contrasted with an otherwise glamorous gala, and we drew inspiration from the idea, carrying it through to the invitation design.
Photograph by Will Ragozzino
