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Barbara Tober

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Barbara Tober BIO

A collector, journalist and longtime patron of the arts, Barbara Tober joined the Museum’s Board in 1988 and was named Chairman in 1994. Her foundation has twice funded Quilts Across America, an educational arts project for children nationwide sponsored by the Museum.

Tober is president of Acronym, Inc., a venture capital firm that invests in art-related projects, including The Guild Publishing Company, Inc., publishers of The Sourcebook for Architectural and Interior Art. Prior to her involvement in the art world, Tober spent over four decades in corporate advertising and magazine publishing, most notably at Condé Nast Publications where she was editor-in-chief of Brides magazine for nearly 30 years.

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Barbara Tober News


New York Landmarks Conservancy Hosts 2023 Living Landmarks Gala


On November 1, 2023, The New York Landmarks Conservancy hosted its Annual Living Landmarks Gala at The Plaza, celebrating its 50th Anniversary. 

The New York Landmarks Conservancy 2023 Living Landmarks Gala to Honor Distinguished New Yorkers and Celebrate 50 Years Preserving the City


Join in on November 1st at The Plaza for The New York Landmarks Conservancy 2023 Living Landmarks Gala, where we will honor distinguished New Yorkers and celebrate 50 years of preserving the city we love. Don't miss this special event!

Photos: DAY OF THE DEAD LIVE! Previews at Brooklyn Art Haus


An intrepid group made the journey to Williamsburg Brooklyn last Thursday night for a preview of a new musical, Day of the Dead LIVE! Check out photos from the big night here!

Photos: Joshua Beamish And MOVETHECOMPANY Present @GISELLE


Choreographer Joshua Beamish and MOVETHECOMPANY gave New York audiences a modern reimagining of the beloved classic ballet romance, Giselle. See photos from the event.

LongHouse Reserve Will Open For 2023 Season


In the coming season, LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton's beloved 16-acre sculpture garden and nature reserve, will display significant new works of art including two large scale sculptures by Maren Hassinger and three by Wyatt Kahn, plus a special exhibition curated by Glenn Adamson and designed by Colin King.

Photos: Inside Dress Rehearsal for BASSLINE FABULOUS With Machine Dazzle and Catalyst Quartet


Mrs. Barbara D. Tober hosted the dress rehearsal for The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Live Arts production, Bassline Fabulous: J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Vibrations with Machine Dazzle Thursday night at the Museum’s Vanderlyn Panorama in the American Wing (which depicts the palace and gardens of Versailles). 

St. Bartholomew's Conservancy Announces Digital Streaming Event Of The Philadelphia Orchestra


The Philadelphia Orchestra's Digital Stage will offer the free streaming premiere of The Philadelphia Orchestra's Organ Concert, presented by St. Bartholomew's Conservancy, at St. Bartholomew's Church, New York, on May 24, 2022. 

Barbara Tober & La Tanya S. Autry Honored at ARTTABLE Benefit


ArtTable, the foremost organization dedicated to the advancement of women in the arts, honored philanthropist Barbara Tober and cultural organizer La Tanya S. Autry at a virtual benefit celebrating 40 years of advancing leadership of women in the visual arts.

Museum Of Arts And Design Names Interim Director And Elects Two New Trustees To Board


The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) announces the appointment of Terry Skoda as Interim Director, effective immediately, and the election of two new members to its Board of Trustees—art collector and entrepreneur Lorin Gu and art enthusiast and philanthropist Alexander Mason Hankin.

Photo Flash: MAD BALL 2020 Honoring Judy Chicago Featured Mx Justin Vivian Bond, Rosanne Cash and More


Judy Chicago burst into tears when crowned during MAD Ball 2020. 'I have gotten a number of awards, and this tops them all. What is most meaningful to me is to help MAD because my goal always has been to make a contribution. I have a long history with MAD.'

Photo Flash: Friends of The Budapest Festival Orchestra Gala with Steven Van Zandt, and More


Maestro Iván Fischer led The Budapest Festival Orchestra in a thrilling all-Dvořák program at David Geffen Hall Sunday including an encore of Braham's Hungarian Dance No. 5. Maestro Fischer announced from his podium, “the arrangement includes some of the original folk melody', which was sung by the members of the Orchestra. It was a memorable performance punctuated by multiple standing ovations. Daisy Soros, chairman emeritus of the Friends of The Budapest Festival Orchestra, sat on an aisle in the front row.

Museum Of Arts & Design Previews New Exhibition '45 Stories In Jewelry'


The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) had a private opening of their new exhibition, 45 Stories in Jewelry: 1947 to Now on February 12th. Artists, curators, and collectors were invited to preview MAD's unique, world-class collection of studio and contemporary art jewelry. Selected by an advisory committee to represent significant developments in art jewelry since the mid-century, 45 Stories in Jewelry showcases jewelry artists for whom anything can serve as inspirationa?"from a material or found object to the pressing social and political issues of our time. In 2008, MAD created a dedicated jewelry gallery with forty-five open storage drawers. 45 Stories in Jewelry debuts the redesign of these drawers, contextualizing the work within history to deepen viewers' understanding of the field.

BWW Exclusive: Peter Gelb Honored At NISS Dinner


Peter Gelb, General Manager of The Metropolitan Opera, was honored at the National Institute of Social Science's 105th Gold Medal Dinner along with Partners in Health co-founder Paul Edward Farmer. One of the nation's oldest honorary societies, the NISS presents Gold Medals to men and women whose lives have manifested the highest achievements and have made significant contribution to society and humanity.

The Museum of Arts and Design's Annual Exhibition and Sale of Contemporary Jewelry Returns


The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) presents the nineteenth edition of LOOT: MAD About Jewelry, its annual exhibition and sale of one-of-a-kind contemporary jewelry. Open to the public April 9 through April 13, following the Opening Benefit on April 8, LOOT 2019 showcases the work of fifty-five emerging and acclaimed international jewelry artists and designers, most of whom have never been shown in New York. The event provides the rare opportunity for collectors and jewelry enthusiasts to meet and acquire pieces from some of the most innovative creators in the field.

MAD Ball To Feature Presentation Of Visionaries! Awards And Announcement Of Inaugural Burke Prize Winner


On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at Cipriani 42nd Street, the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) will hold its annual gala to celebrate five outstanding individuals and organizations for their contributions to the fields of art, craft, and design. In addition, this year's MAD Ball will feature the announcement of the winner of the inaugural Burke Prize, an unrestricted $50,000 award given to a professional artist working in craft.

Tanya Aguiñiga Investigates The Creation Of Community Through Fiber Art, Furniture, Sculpture, And Performance


The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) is pleased to present the first institutional solo exhibition of works by Los Angeles-based artist and designer Tanya Aguiñiga. Craft & Care highlights Aguiñiga's practice at the intersection of fiber art, design, social practice, and activism, with a focus on motherhood, care, border issues, and the creation of community-themes that run throughout the artist's work. On view through October 2, the exhibition spotlights AMBOS Project (Art Made Between Opposite Sides), Aguiñiga's ongoing activation of the US-Mexico border.

Jean & Martin Shafiroff Host Cocktails In Honor Of NYC Mission Society


Author and Philanthropist Jean Shafiroff and Martin Shafiroff hosted a reception on the Upper East Side on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 to celebrate New York City Mission Society's annual Champions for Children Gala, which raises funds to support youth and families in our city's most underserved communities to break the cycle of poverty and achieve success.

MAD To Present Annual Visionaries Awards At MAD Ball 2017


On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at Cipriani 42nd Street, the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) will hold its annual gala celebrating five outstanding individuals.

Photo Flash: The New Jewish Home Celebrates 8 Remarkable New Yorkers Over 80


At its fourth annual Eight Over Eighty benefit gala The New Jewish Home will pay tribute to eight New Yorkers who, in their ninth and tenth decades, continue to live lives of remarkable achievement, vitality and civic engagement.

MAD Announces New Trustees and Treasurer


The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) announced today the appointment of two new Trustees: Andi Potamkin Blackmore and Simon Bolton. The Board of Trustees also named current Finance Committee Chair Michael Dweck Treasurer. The election took place at the December 8, 2016, board meeting.

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