“Man, this is really where it’s at, this is the hot spot for art right now,” one man told his friend as they stood outside of Dustin Yellin’s The Intercourse art space in Red Hook, Brooklyn, last night. But it wasn’t the art that drew the crowd to last night’s party—the likes of Glenn O’Brien, artist Charlotte Kidd (pictured), musician Adam Green, and Yellin were there in support of Downtown for Democracy (D4D), an alliance of arts and creative media professionals (founded in 2003) dedicated to using its cultural capital for political power.
“People need to be aware of these things. That’s what D4D does; it makes people aware of the bigger picture and the politics in our country,” said Yellin as he made his way out to the backyard garden, where chefs from the who’s who of Brooklyn restaurants (including Frankies 457, The Good Fork, and Fort Defiance) were grilling up a storm and guests were sitting cross-legged on the lawn sipping beers from Brooklyn Brewery. “People need to get their voice and need to get involved.”
Though political talk might have been trumped by art chatter (and ice cream from Vinegar Hill House), D4D board member Audrey Gelman, who is Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s press secretary as well as Terry Richardson’s better half, took a moment to address the crowd. “We are taking on Tea Party 10 this year, so thanks, everyone, for not being in the Hamptons and being here instead,” said Gelman of the night’s fundraising efforts. (The Tea Party 10 is the name given to the ten most extreme Tea Party-affiliated members in the House of Representatives.) To close out the night, Green performed his quirky ballads, including one of his better-known hits, “Jessica,” about Jessica Simpson. “I wrote this song before Jessica Simpson was fat—just saying,” he said. At that, guests went searching for a cab (or their bikes) to find their way home from Red Hook.
—Kristin Studeman
Photo: Angela Pham / BFAnyc.com
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