Design Legends Gala 2008

Watch videos from the Design Legends Gala, 2008

 

The fifth annual Design Legends Gala was held on Thursday, September 18, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers (23rd Street at the Hudson River) in New York City. This event honored 2008 recipients of:

• The AIGA Medal: Gail Anderson, Clement Mok and LeRoy Winbush
• The AIGA Corporate Leadership Award: Design Within Reach and Harley-Davidson
• The AIGA Fellow Award
• The Winterhouse Awards for Design Writing & Criticism
• The 2008/2009 Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships

View photos from the 2008 Design Legends Gala

Nearly 500 people attended this year’s Gala, which recognized 26 designers with excellence awards. More than $140,000 was raised—during a week marked by bad news in the financial markets. Beyond the numbers, guests had an incredibly entertaining time catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, networking and collectively enjoying the celebratory evening.

Highlights of the night included: Carbone Smolan Agency’s elegant 8-ft. cardboard silhouettes set among the mingling and cocktail-sipping guests; the Gala’s first-ever silent auction of 31 artworks donated by AIGA Medalists and design luminaries; Dana Arnett, in Clark Kent/Superman-style, revealing a Harley-Davidson T-shirt beneath his formal attire as he introduced Willie G. Davidson to the stage to receive a Corporate Leadership Award; Gail Anderson explaining her vision of natural balance and her unnatural fear that she might be struck by lightning after finding out she had been selected for a 2008 AIGA Medal; and Medalist Clement Mok’s heartfelt thanks to supportive friends, including Tom Suiter, who protected him from Steve Jobs while working at Apple.

At the coaxing of the inimitable Noreen Morioka, guests made contributions of $18,000 on the spot. And the silent auction, organized by Debbie Millman, added excitement to the evening, as well as further donations to AIGA’s special projects. The grand total of $140,000 will fund future AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships, the AIGA Design Archives and initiatives to increase diversity within the profession.