BROOKLYN, NY.- On Monday, May 11, 2026, the Brooklyn Museum will host the fifteenth annual Brooklyn Artists Ball, one of the art world’s most cherished, vibrant, and inspiring annual events. This year, the Artists Ball honors pioneering Dutch designer Iris van Herpen, celebrating her singular contributions to contemporary fashion—as well as the opening of Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses on Saturday, May 16. As the first major New York presentation devoted to Van Herpen’s work, the exhibition introduces her visionary practice to a broad audience, situating her at the intersection of couture, science, nature, and innovation.
“The Brooklyn Artists Ball celebrates artists who expand the possibilities of their fields, and Iris van Herpen exemplifies that spirit of experimentation and imagination,” says Anne Pasternak, Shelby White and Leon Levy Director, Brooklyn Museum. “We are proud to honor her groundbreaking work while welcoming audiences to experience Iris van Herpen: Sculpting the Senses.”
The Artists Ball is the Museum’s largest annual fundraiser, generating vital support for exhibitions, public programs, and educational initiatives that serve visitors of all ages. This year’s celebration places Sculpting the Senses at the heart of one of the Museum’s most prominent cultural moments. Inspired by Van Herpen’s avant-garde, interdisciplinary approach, the evening will pay tribute to her remarkable career while offering guests an exclusive first look at the exhibition.
Sculpting the Senses features more than 140 of the designer’s extraordinary haute couture creations alongside contemporary artworks and designs, as well as scientific artifacts and natural history specimens. Together they reveal how she combines traditional artisanship with new technologies and scientific inquiry, transforming cutting-edge discoveries into sculptural gowns and ethereal fabrics. Drawing on forms and systems found in nature—from coral reefs to cosmic motion—Van Herpen’s designs push the boundaries of material, movement, and the human body.
On May 11, the evening begins with a cocktail reception in the Museum’s lobby at 6 pm, followed by an elegant seated dinner in the Beaux-Arts Court at 7:30 pm. Guests will enjoy a menu developed and catered by Great Performances. At 9 pm, the Artists Ball After Party—hosted by the Museum’s Young Leadership Council—will feature a live DJ set by Swizz Beatz and one-night-only artist activations.
Tickets for the 2026 Brooklyn Artists Ball start at $3,000, and tables including tickets for ten guests start at $30,000. Tickets to the Tickets to the After Party are available now and start at $150, with discounts for Museum Members.
Iris van Herpen is one of the most visionary couturiers of our time. Since founding her Maison in 2007, she has continuously woven together traditional craftsmanship with groundbreaking technology and radical innovation, pushing the boundaries of materiality, silhouette, and movement.
Her work forms a sensory language where nature, art, and science converge, transforming the body through design. Combining handcraft with material innovation, often in direct dialogue with scientists, architects and artists, she creates pieces that are both experimental and enduring. Her work is held in major museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Palais de Tokyo.
