UNY 5th Anniversary Celebration and Benefit
Photos by Nate Dorr
On the perfectly watery evening of October 15, 2014, over one hundred guests came together at Dumbo Sky to help us celebrate five years of Underwater New York. We were thrilled to see all of your beautiful faces there!
It was a fantastic evening during which we screened two short films created for the celebration: an animation, Riparianism, by Nicole Antebi about the Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek and a documentary short, Submerged, by Charis Emily Shafer about a Sheepshead Bay couple in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Guests also used custom viewmasters to click through a selection of once-underwater objects from the collection of Staten Island diver-extraordinaire Ed Fanuzzi. Dan Selzer provided a nautical playlist.
All guests received an UNY tote bag and a print by one of our contributing artists--Isaac Kestenbaum, Melissa Murray, Elizabeth Hamby and Erika Vala--and bid in a silent auction to take home the original artwork, as well as a letterpress print by Nick Hurd from Wasp Print and a digital print by Adrian Kinloch, a six-week course at the Sackett Street Writers Workshop, a terrarium from Twig, and tours from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and Oyster City. Raffle prizes included a pie from Four & Twenty Blackbirds, a cookbook from Saltie, a book and albums from Michael Hearst and One Ring Zero, gift certificates from Artist & Craftsman Supply and a dinner for two at Luke's Lobster. Guests who purchased premium tote bags also received books and CDs by Amy Shearn, Julia Fierro, Ben Greenman, Gabriel Brownstein and Michael Hearst, chocolate from Mast Brothers and Narwhal beers.
Delicious craft beer and nautical drinks were provided courtesy of The Gate, Coney Island Brewery, Van Brunt Stillhouse, Waterfront Wines & Spirits, and Red White & Bubbly. Snacks were donated by Saltie and Coffeed and the evening's centerpiece was a boat of oysters shucked on the spot, courtesy of Island Creek Oysters. The event was staffed by a great team of volunteers, many of whom are also UNY contributing writers and artists: Kate Overgaard and Maya Edelman at the bar, Dan Arlein and Rose Nestler at the door, and photography by Nate Dorr.
Proceeds from ticket sales went to offset the costs of running UNY and to develop future programming.
We were absolutely blown away by the support, enthusiasm and success of the event and can't wait to see what the next five years brings! Thank you!
