Somewhere between the shimmer of a Muscadet and the bassline of Duke Ellington’s spirit, the Astor House was reborn. On Saturday, April 26, the New York Junior League hosted its annual Savor the Spring benefit, a night so rich with sensory wonder that it felt like slipping into a dream stitched together by Chagall and Diana Vreeland.
The theme—A Night at the Museum—was not a metaphor, darling. It was a full-throttle metamorphosis of The Astor House into a time-traveling temple of New York’s most iconic institutions. From MoMA’s modernist boldness to the refined hush of The Morgan Library, each room became a sacred gallery of art, wine, and cultural reverence. But this wasn’t about dusty museum placards. It was about living, breathing beauty—and the women who know how to throw a fundraiser worth writing poems about.
The evening raised a significant sum to further the New York Junior League’s philanthropic mission—empowering women, children, and families across the city through grassroots initiatives. Though the figures were graciously discreet, whispers of five and six digits danced through the air with the same thrill as the live auction paddles.
Inspired by the glamour of the Met Gala, the Harriman Room on the second floor set the tone with theatrical flair. Channeling the Costume Institute’s reverence for fashion-as-art, the space shimmered with red carpet elegance and creative swagger. Guests in sequins and velvet sipped curated pairings of D. de la Pepiere Muscadet and Cantina Del Pino Langhe Nebbiolo beneath original works by Shenna Vaughn and Milagros Batista, both presented in collaboration with Art on the Ave. It was a sartorial salon meets soirée—equal parts Anna Wintour and Josephine Baker.
Upstairs, the Board Room paid homage to MoMA and the electric birth of modernism. Swirls of abstraction by Kate Fauvell pulsed alongside Chef Segun Odofa’s culinary art—his “Delicious African Orchards” experience was a sumptuous nod to diasporic flavor, paired with vibrant pours of Domaine Pelle Menetou-Salon and Istine Chianti Classico. It was Warhol meets West African spice, and the crowd couldn’t get enough.
Just down the hall, the Awards Room leaned into sensuality and sweetness with an elegant trifecta: dazzling wines, spellbinding pieces by Shenequa Benitez, and confections from Orwashers, Lady M, Beny, and Levain. It was dessert as devotion—each bite a tribute to beauty and boldness.
And then came the soul.
The Harlem Room, titled It Don’t Mean a Thing: Harlem’s Art in Full Swing, transported guests straight to the smoky euphoria of the Harlem Renaissance. There was a heartbeat to this space—syncopated and brilliant—as Ruthy Valdez’s works beamed from the walls and Left Lane Creative’s live music brought the house to a slow, simmering boil. Wines from Chablis to Ribeira Sacra played background to the real art: the resilience, rhythm, and renaissance spirit still echoing through Black culture today.
Meanwhile, the Pine Room served as a whispered ode to The Morgan Library. Lit like a scene from a Wharton novel, it held space for quiet contemplation and literary luxury. Signature cocktails featuring Ette Vodka accompanied the refined hush, while student watercolors—provided by NYJL’s own Artistic Journeys committee—offered moments of fresh, unfiltered innocence. A lovely reminder that the future of art rests in tender, determined hands.
The rooms were jeweled with creativity, the guests were dressed like Gatsby had just sent out an invitation, and every detail—down to the final pour and parting gift—felt intentional and luminous. From the art by Art on the Ave’s female powerhouses to the polished palate of sommelier-selected wine flights, it was a night that honored the city’s soul through its culture, history, and humanitarian heart.
In a city where galas are as common as taxicabs, Savor the Spring stood apart—a glittering affirmation that elegance is most powerful when anchored in purpose. It wasn’t just a celebration of New York’s artistic soul, but a tribute to the women who shape it. At the heart of it all was the New York Junior League, whose storied legacy—stretching back to 1901—continues to ignite progress, empower communities, and preserve the cultural and philanthropic fabric of this city. Through evenings like this, they don’t just keep tradition alive—they make it shimmer.
