Even as rain poured down on Manhattan last night, the festive atmosphere at the Metropolitan Museum of Art could not be dampened. Over the past quarter-century, the Art & Artists Gala (formerly known as The Met Acquisitions Gala) has become one of the most anticipated balls of the season, raising funds for the museum’s continued acquisition of new works. This year’s event, attended by a glittering crowd and sponsored by Tiffany and Co., garnered a record $4.8 million.

Members of the New York City Gospel Choir filled the Great Hall with transcendent music as guests arrived, among them contemporary artists like Rashid Johnson, Sarah Sze, Jeff Koons, Tony Bechara, Jesse Krimes, Derek Fordjour and Jordan Casteel. Ever the iconoclast, Koons stood out in a blue tuxedo among the sea of black suits, while Jordan Casteel wore a dress as vibrant and playful as her figurative paintings. (Just see the work she made for the September 2020 cover of Vogue.) Johnson could be seen chatting with Martha Stewart as Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld laughed with film producer Ann Tenenbaum.

Elsewhere, tastemakers Lauren Santo Domingo, Aerin Lauder, and Tory Burch opted for dark gowns as designer and activist Aurora James wore a Chloé frock of ruffled red silk with a Bulgari Serpenti gleaming on neck and philanthropist Jamie Singer Soros shimmered in a blue sheath designed by Wes Gordon for Carolina Herrera. (Gordon himself was also in attendance, mingling, alongside his husband, Paul Arnhold, with the many socialites and tycoons in the room.)

As the cocktail hour drew to a close, a gong beckoned guests to dinner. Violinists stood before the pools encircling the Temple of Dendur, while projections of flowers—specifically, from a 1692 self portrait of Rachel Ruysch made in collaboration with Michiel van Musscher—drenched the stone walls ahead in modulations of violet, rose, and rust. The magnificent decor, courtesy of Bronson Van Wyck, continued to draw on the work with a rose arch, decadent centerpieces, and towering candles.

Before dinner, Max Hollein, who has served as both director and CEO of the Met since July 2023, echoed the feelings of so many in the room: “We come together in celebration of our mutual love for the arts, our deep belief in museums as places of joy and experience, and our passionate trust in the Met, this New York icon and truly global institution.”