We were proud to plan the 2009 Henry Art Gallery benefit, See Listen Taste Feel! We worked with a group of the most amazing people at The Henry and elsewhere, including Jeppe Hein, the Berlin-based visionary behind the event, to transform a light industrial space in South Lake Union into party central. The party was as delicious as it was beautiful, featuring incredible food by Johnathan Sundstrom from Lark and glam desserts from Bakery Nouveau’s chef/owner William Leaman, Champion De Monde de la Boulangerie. Jeppe Hein created a vision complete with burning barrels in the parking lot to 30 secret ping-pong tables and a large site specific installation entitled 360º Illusion to enchant all who wandered in from Chihuly to SHAG members (Student / Henry Advisory Group). Entertainment was a beautiful chaos including composer Zeke Keeble and bassist Evan Florey-Barnes, Orkestar Zirconium
, Mark Siano and The Freedom Dancers, Merce Cunnigham Duo, bacon suits, and a fabulous troop of fashionable volunteer table tennis enthusiasts.

Photos by Jenny Jimenez.

We created an awesome Aurora Borealis as witnessed from an Alaskan Lodge for PopCap Games’ annual holiday party. Every detail was authentic from the hundred Stansport red lanterns burning the midnight oil to the hand carved wooden sign. It was a green affair with 20 pairs of free-cycled skis, found deer antlers, family heirloom chainsaw carvings and several vintage toboggans. DJ Whatever spun some clever tunes while guests gambled the night away, sang to karaoke in the Northern Lights Karaoke den, took ice luge shots and blended boozy milkshakes on the bike-powered Adventure blender. All capped off by a midnight snack of good old fashioned grilled cheese sandwiches.

Grand Geometrician’s Ball by Patrick Wright .

Brad Benner welcomed in his thirties with a fabulous bash for all of his pals. With psychic Maria Lujan de Peralta on board amid a sea of metallic megaloons people partied the night away. His guests enjoyed fabulous vegan peanut butter and jelly cake by The Flying Apron and delicious drinks/eats by Vermillion Gallery. Charitable contributions were made by the party guests to three separate organizations close to Brad’s heart: PRIDE Foundation, Washington CASH and Cancer Lifeline.

Photo by Jenny Jimenez.

The PopCap Games Summer Picnic was held Saturday August 2nd at Magnuson Park. We created a Neu-Rave Circus atmosphere for the PopCap staff, family and friends. There were tons of kids enjoying the Italian Soda bar and cotton candy while watching a Circus show by
Circus Contraption. Folks were seated in the whimsical beer garden enjoying Choppers and Manny’s by the Georgetown Brewing Company, local draft cider and local wines, eating delicious pizza and salads by Veraci Pizza while big props like 12 six foot banners hung from the nearby amphitheatre. Kids and adults alike were wild for the pedal powered spin art machine conceived by The Adventure School and created by Haulin’ Colin and the tile painting garden. Dog wranglers, kid wranglers and delicious cooking by Skillet were enjoyed by all. The prizes for the Human/Pet Lookalike contest were distributed to a stunning man/dog combo and over 300 dollars was raised in one hour for the Chicken Soup Brigade at the Charity Dunk Tank populated by various PopCap staffers.

Carol was celebrated in casual style with this Sweatpants!- themed 35th Birthday Bash. With over 300 pairs of paper sweatpants, large and small and a piazza-like festooned backyard, the party was set for perfection. Sturgeon, a crawfish boil and cheese handmade by chef Aaron Cruse complimented copious amounts of beer swilled straight from special “Carol is Turning 35″ beer coozies. A heartfelt speech by the birthday girl’s best pal was capped off with a secret spontaneous synchronized dance scene starring ten friends copied directly from the Freddie Prinze vehicle, She’s All That. The birthday girl and all of her guests celebrated in coordinated sweatpants, track suits, sweatskirts and even one Mariner’s uniform. A tequila toast served in Hard Rock Cafe shotglasses collected by the host’s uncle in as many different international cities directly preceded the Sweatpants Sweet Off Dessert competition – with the baker of a sweatpants shaped cake taking home the Sweatpants trophy. All in all it was a beautiful evening that will not be soon forgotten. Viva la sweats!

Synapse Product Development held its annual Christmas party in their office this year. The Synapsters arrived to a winter wonderland filled with snowboards, skis, and disco balls. All guests were treated to a walk down a tree-lined aisle culminating in a glowing sculpture of an icy mountain. All twenty-five Christmas trees were purchased from the Dunshee House Christmas Tree sale, with the lion’s share of the proceeds going to their programming, including the Seattle Aids Support Group. A guitarist strummed as Synapsters, friends, families and clients nibbled on tasty morsels from The Boat Street Kitchen and sugary snowballs from Trophy Cupcakes. The elegant affair was punctuated by a skateboard exhibition in the company’s in-office half pipe and a parade led by girls dressed in winter forest ensembles.

All photos by Philip Kramer.

As the clock struck 7 p.m. over 200 people gathered in a lobby for the ZAAZ holiday party. They were surprised when they were whisked upstairs to the their office-com-nightclub replete with stiltwalkers, the larger than life bust of a stallion ice luge, and the two largest black satined and be-ostrich feathered dream catchers the world has ever known. Guests were treated to copious amounts of dim sum, Veuve Cliquot, and video projections as they danced to the sweet beats of the Sam Rousso Soundsystem. Belly dance performances were held on the hour in the hookah village as ZAAZ staff munched on mediterranean tastes from Cedars restaurant. The ZAAZ holiday party was in full David Lynchian effect as a man dressed in a penguin suit and Charlie Chaplin mustache bounced up and down on a bed at the Mayflower Park Hotel across the street holding a moveable light marquee saying, “Something tells me you are having a holiday party”. To cap it off there was a glamorous performance by the gorgeous Atomic Bombshells Burlesque and a raucous CEO birthday honoring cake smashing ceremony. At 12 o’clock no one turned into a pumpkin but hundreds of Dick’s burgers arrived, as well as Neapolitan pizza from Via Tribunali and the taste of childhood smore’s in the body of elegant chocolates by Sculpt. By the end of the party, staffers and guests who weren’t in the karaoke room or dancing on the bar were treated to a performance by the Merce Cunningham duo in the Ice Lounge.

All photos by Philip Kramer.