24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
How to Host a Hamptons Gala for the Super-Rich
She had tried to think of everything to make this year's gala perfect.
Celebrity attendees were confirmed. Starting bids on auction items were locked in. The floral centerpieces had even been pared back so that diners could talk across them. (That had been a problem last year, when the orchids got in the way.)
'They're buying a $2,000 or $3,000 ticket — they want to have a good experience,' said Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, the executive director of the Parrish Art Museum, who was overseeing its annual Midsummer Gala. 'So it's really important for us to be able to deliver that.'
The gala at the Parrish, situated amid the tall grasses of Water Mill on the East End of Long Island, is among the signature events in a series of high-end fund-raisers that are a staple of Hamptons summers, with their champagne upon arrival, designer outfits, air kisses and general hobnobbing among billionaires and millionaires who make up some of the nation's wealthiest elite.
This year, the pressure on nonprofit institutions to raise money at events like these is higher than ever. Federal support for the arts has become unreliable, and tapping just a little bit more of the immense wealth in the Hamptons could make or break an institution.
That means more pressure on directors such as Dr. Ramírez-Montagut, who must work harder than ever to please sometimes finicky benefactors.
'A good gala is increasingly critical and instrumental for museums' sustainability and financial stability, which is why we go all out,' she said.
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