Last Night's Parties: Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen Come Out For Nate Lowman, Art Crowd Hits The Town

Nate Lowman threw what could be the best art world party of the year; Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld celebrated a seventeen ton teddy bear; Jeff Koons, Ross Bleckner, Francesco Clemente and more toasted David Salle's new paintings; Phillips de Pury kicked off their contemporary auction and more. This weekend's parties asked the question "What is art?"

Artists AARON YOUNG & NATE LOWMAN Show and After Party

Where: Gavin Brown Enterprise and Maccarone Gallery, The Jane

Who Was There: Nate Lowman, Mary Kate, Ashley Olsen, Julian Schnabel, Vito Schnabel, Olympia Scarry, Rachel Chandler, Aaron Young, Laure Heriard Dubreuil, Daisy Johnson, Clancy McCarty, Hannah Bronfman, Kim Heirston Evans, Richard Evans, Lucy Chadwick, Claire Coffey, Ryan McGinley, Susan Kirschbaum, Maya de Paula Hanika, Terry Richardson, Waris Ahluwalia, Aziz Ansari

Other Details: While there were plenty of art events going on this weekend, this was the place to see and be seen.  NylonMag Tweeted: "At Nate Lowman's art party, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen do casual versions of their Met Ball looks - MK in flowy red top, A in white tee & jeans." Maria Baibakova Tweeted: "Party for Nate Lowman and Aaron Young at the Jane Hotel was the best art world party in NYC of the year so far. Alas, I'm too tired..." [Via]

Christie's Teddy Bear Party [More photos HERE]

Where: Seagram Plaza

Who Was There: Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, Hannah Hollman, Nick Fouquet, Kim Rearte, Nicolas Berggruen, Lauren Remington Platt

Other Details: Christie's held a celebration at Seagram Plaza for Urs Fischer's giant yellow teddy bear desk lamp, Untitled (Lamp/Bear). Guests took their picture in front of the seventeen ton, bronze sculpture and enjoyed the antics of a clown, woman dressed like a doll, and of course, a bear. Take a look at more photos HERE.

-

-

-

CLIFFORD ROSS and DAVID SALLE Joint After Gallery Dinner

Where: Matsuri

Who Was There: Francesco Clemente, Salman Rushdie, Anh Duong, Clifford Ross, Jeff Koons, David Salle, Fran Lebowitz, Alba Clemente, Sante D'Orazio, Ross Bleckner, Dana Schutz,  Nicolai Ouroussoff, Stephanie Manes, Mary Boone, Cecily Brown, Nicole Miller, Ron Warren

Other Details: After viewing David Salle's new paintings at the Mary Boone Gallery, guests head over to Matsurii to toast the new exhibit. There is a good interview with David over on Artnet: "Everybody wants to be popular. Well, I suppose there might be a certain fascination in being unpopular -- but I guess the point is simply that art as art is not, or ought not to be, anyway, a popularity contest." It is. Everything is. He wins Prom King.

PART 1 CONTEMPORARY ART Presented by SIMON de PURY and the Directors of PHILLIPS de Pury and COMPANY

Where: Phillips de Pury and Company

Who Was There: Simon de Pury, Thomas Bark, Elga Wimmer, Alma Gould, Arnold Katzen, Alison Jackson, Meredith Ostrom,  Daniel Clurman, Zach Miner, Eloise Ashcroft, Julia Costantini, Edward Mahem, Michael McGinnis

Other Details: Phillips de Pury presented part one of their contemporary art auction which includes pieces from Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Georgia O'Keefe, Mark Rothko, David Hockney, Jean-Michel Basquiat and more. There are 51 lots with a pre-sale estimate of $84,970,000 to $120,500,000.

BERGDORF GOODMAN, Sharon and Lauren Bush and Mary Gleason celebrate the JUDITH LEIBER FEED1000 clutch

Where: Bergdorf Goodman

Who Was There: Lauren Bush, Mary Gleason, Lizzie Tisch, Yaz Hernandez, Sharon Bush, Deborah Soss, Nicole Dillon, Margo Langenberg

Other Details: Guests came out to shop for Mother's Day at Bergdorf's launch of Judith Leiber's sparkly FEED 1000 clutch. The photo to the right is not of the event, but of Lauren Bush carrying the bag to the Met Gala.

-

-

-

-

-

LOVE 4 ANIMALS FUNDRAISER

Where: Brian Farrell Art Gallery @ The Chelsea Modern

Who Was There: Katrina Szish, Brant Stead, Marcela Bruno, Shad Azimi, Paula Medeiros, Shad Azimi, Delphine Lincy, Emily Charette, Lauren Grafer, Annie Coleman, Maggie Yoon, Tia Walker, Karen Biehl

Other Details: Friends of Animal Care & Control (AC&C) came out in their best to help all creatures great and small with this benefit. After cocktails at the Brian Farrell Art Gallery, guests head to Avenue. No dogs were allowed.