Dadaism, a century old artistic expression merged with a distinguished evening of giving and celebration produced by the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis Friday night at the historic Post Building.
This industrial space was transformed into an upscale and elegant venue to celebrate fashion and creativity while raising the needed funds to keep exhibits free and public programs thriving at CAM. With “Dada Ball & Bash: Ripple Effect,” CAM wanted guests to “Imagine CAM as a vast, ever changing body of water, where each artist, workshop, program, and initiative creates a ripple that extends far beyond its point of origin”.
The Dada Ball brought out key players like fashion expert Mary Clarke, community developer revivalist Ken Kranzberg, business leader Deborah Patterson, and other prominent nonprofit organizations – like the History Museum – who found the evening to be a great opportunity to network and share ideas.
Guests were asked to arrive in “water-inspired outfits”, a concept derived from CAM’s “Like Water” exhibition on display until August 10. The guests did not disappoint. They arrived in textured fabrics and flowing silks in shades of cobalt, turquoise, and sky blue. Brilliant silver sequin adorned men’s loafers and blazer jackets. Ladies brought out layered pearls to resemble mermaids.
The Dada artistic movement was a form of cultural resistance to World War I that involved transposing satirical takes like quotes or clown makeup on a collage of classical and renaissance mediums. The guests were also “encourage[d] to have fun with the theme and embrace the absurd, like the Dadaist!”
One creative gentleman came wearing a plush replica of an antique divers helmet, and a lady in a textured angelfish helmet with blue LED lights. Another guest brought out a bow tie and another in a ballgown both equipped with blue LED lights. A final guest came in a classic suit with a large fishnet that draped across both shoulders filled with clams and seashells.
During the cocktail hour the guests enjoying an array of wine as water inspired hors d’oeuvres made their rounds. Afterwards, guests made their way to the dining area. Immediately following dinner, the guests moved to the lower level where a dance party commenced.
Beneath, the fog and dim lighting transformed the industrial Post Building into an Euro-inspired night club. Shades of blue and purple strobe lights flashed against the walls in a collection of small circles that appeared to look like bubbles. A row of round bar tables lined the edge and center of the room where guests again mingled with drinks from the open bar.
To the rear of the dance floor was a collection of crystal and pearl gems that the guests were encouraged to add to their face or arms for a Dada inspired look. Guests could also add blue or white metallic stars to elevate the most classic ball gowns into an ethereal and aquatic look.
The after party was led by DJ Crim Dolla Cray. She has been playing at local dance venues like The B- Side and Sophie’s Artist Lounge. Her set included a mix of 70’s disco and 80’s house music full of electronic sounds and a throbbing bass that filled the room.
Besides the music, guests were entertained by interpretive dancers from Pack Dance, a Kranzberg Arts Foundation resident and a member of the .ZACK Incubator. They moved throughout the steel beams and dance floor of The Post Building in large white chiffon shawls and soft blue streamers tied to their waist that flowed behind them like water.
The dancers would move their arms around creating waves and ripples in the fabric. They would come together and move apart just like water merges into a confluence then splits into separate streams and lakes. The dancers undulated through the room moving to the steady bass from DJ Crim Dolla Cray – together they created waves that rippled far into the night.
For more information on the exhibitions currently on display at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, visit https://camstl.org/.
Living It content is produced with funding by the ARPA for the Arts grants program in partnership with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and the Community Development Administration.
