Copyright forbes
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Jonathan Adler, Amy Adler and Simon Doonan attend MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025 in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jonathan Adler;Amy Adler;Simon Doonan Patrick McMullan/PMC The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) exemplified its mission with its annual MAD Ball showcasing open artist studios and exhibitions during cocktails as live jazz filled the museum and guests crafted their own sparkly, glittery, feather-, frill-, and flower-embellished masks for a night of buoyant revelry honoring renowned designer and potter Jonathan Adler. A festive dinner at the Robert restaurant, sponsored by MAD Chair Emerita Barbara Tober, showcased centerpieces by Adler. Broadway baritone Nat Chandler (The Phantom of the Opera, The Scarlet Pimpernel) wowed guests with a performance before the celebration continued at Masquerade, where guests flaunted their craftiness and unique style donning their masks. Amid cuts to federal agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), with some grants being canceled and others threatened, there is urgency to celebrate and support the arts. A joyous occasion like MAD Ball amplifies the collective energy of those who seek to protect and promote arts funding for the sake of humanity. NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: A guest crafts a mask at MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025 in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Atmosphere Sean Zanni/PMC Adler, who began using clay at summer camp when he was 12 years old, overcame challenges, including a discouraging professor at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), to pursue his passion. “Jonathan rollerbladed into my life in a cloud of clay dust — there were lumps of dried clay in his hair, on his little backpack, on his jeans. Clay everywhere. He wasn’t just making pots — he was starting a mega business and was about to change the face of pottery, making it cool and stylish. Underpinning the style and glamour of his pottery was a dialogue with the history of twentieth-century craft,” said Adler’s husband, Simon Doonan, the former creative director of Barneys New York, who served as the evening’s emcee. NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Barbara Tober and Michele Cohen attend MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025 in New York. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Barbara Tober;Michele Cohen Patrick McMullan/PMC MORE FOR YOU MAD Board Chair Michele Cohen presented Adler with the Visionary Award, designed by jeweler Laura Fortune, who referenced elements of Adler’s life in her creation. “Jonathan once said that, ‘to do what I do, you must have a bubbling sense of possibilities,’” said Cohen. “What better way to honor him than with an award that quite literally bubbles over — a gleaming sink filled to the brim with imagination, humor, and joy.” Being honored at MAD Ball was a homecoming of sorts. “When I was 28, I had failed at working and realized I had no choice but to be a potter. The very first place I approached with my pots was the MAD gift shop. They placed an order and took a chance on an unknown potter. It was incredible,” said Adler. “One rainy day, I was feeling a little burnt out from the business mishegoss, and I got a call from MAD’s curator, Elissa Auther. Once again, it was MAD to the rescue. I’m so grateful to MAD and to all the potters and craftspeople who’ve made my mad, mad world possible.” NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Jan Whitman Ogden attends MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025 in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jan Whitman Ogden Sean Zanni/PMC Tim Rodgers, MAD’s Nanette L. Laitman Director, underscored the timeliness of celebrating arts and design amid the pressure on institutions, artists, artisans, and craftspeople to secure essential funding and achieve freedom of creative expression. “Your presence here tonight really affirms the importance of museums in this world at this particular moment,” said Rodgers. “There is a reason why museums and artists are under attack right now — it’s because we are the people who believe in creative freedom and freedom of expression. When you’re under attack, it’s because you have power.” Expanding his relationship with MAD, Adler made his curatorial debut by presenting more than 60 works from the museum’s permanent collection alongside his own singular designs. Reimagining craft history, The Mad MAD World of Jonathan Adler, on view through April 19, 2026 at MAD, magnifying Adler’s deep appreciation of objects, materials, and the makers who paved the path to his oeuvre. .Adler will appear in two upcoming talks: On the Couch with Jonathan Adler and Rachel Federman on December 11, and On the Couch with Jonathan Adler, Elissa Auther, and Sarah Archer on February 12, 2026. MAD Ball attendees included board members Susan Ach, and her husband Larry Ach, Glenn Adamson, Marian Burke, and her husband Russell Burke, Mike De Paola, Jeffrey Manocherian, Luam Melake, Cheryl R. Riley, Klara Silverstein, Barbara Waldman, Amy Adler, Louise Chazen Banon, Janna Bullock, Kathy Chazen, Liz Collins, Rachelle Dang, Machine Dazzle, LaVon Kellner, Jonathan Lucas, Debi Mazar, Nicole Miller, Jamel Robinson, Kim Taipale, and Saya Woolfalk. NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Guests make masks at MAD Ball 2025 at Museum of Arts and Design on October 29, 2025 in New York. (Photo by Sean Zanni/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Atmosphere Sean Zanni/PMC Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
