The Glass House Summer Party, Music + Dance Performance Curated by SAINT HERON, Featuring Kyle Abraham, Artina McCain, and Malcolm J. Merriweather + Voices of Harlem

NEW CANAAN, Conn (May 15, 2026) – The Glass House is pleased to announce the return of its most celebrated annual event, the Glass House Summer Party on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Originally imagined as a weekend retreat for shared discovery, The Glass House has always been a place where architecture, art, and social exchange intersect. The Summer Party carries this founding spirit forward, opening its iconic campus for a chic Saturday afternoon picnic inspired by Philip Johnson and Dominique and John de Menil’s legendary 1967 Country Happening.

Bringing together leaders and enthusiasts across art, architecture, design, fashion, philanthropy, and beyond, the Summer Party invites guests to explore the landmark grounds while enjoying food and drink, live performances, and a silent auction featuring contemporary art and one-of-a-kind experiences. The afternoon offers moments of connection, creativity, in a setting that continues to inspire.

“The Summer Party is a unique opportunity to experience The Glass House as a living environment, where both architecture, landscape, art, and design come together in profound dialogue,” says Executive Director, Kirsten Reoch, “The performance crafted by Saint Heron, alongside Knoll’s design activation and our season exhibition Tomashi Jackson and Robert Rauschenberg: The Catch One, invites guests to engage with the site in new ways, while also supporting the preservation and programs that sustain The Glass House for future generations.”

Every ticket purchased, auction bid placed, and experience shared directly supports The Glass House’s mission to preserve and interpret modern architecture, landscape, and art, while fostering community.

The 2026 Summer Party is presented by Knoll, with generous support from Max Mara, and with additional support from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, Design Within Reach, and Land Rover Darien.

An Immersive Day of Art, Dance, and Music

The Summer Party is an afternoon-long celebration of artistic expression. This year, SAINT HERON will curate two performances for the event. Malcolm J. Merriweather + Voices of Harlem and Artina McCain will perform an excerpt from Saint Heron’s ‘Glory to Glory’ showcasing the works of Mary Lou Williams and Kyle Abraham will choreograph an accompanying dance performance. Gio Escobar from Standing On The Corner will provide melodic grooves and nostalgic sounds throughout the afternoon.
“Saint Heron is excited to be at The Glass House to share an excerpt from our Eldorado Ballroom series, which has been produced in Los Angeles, New York, and Houston. The event’s arc of sound, space, and meditative reflection will feature somatic invocation of the late Mary Lou Williams’ spiritual works. This performance will center the body as a vessel of faith and belief, where movement functions as prayer, testimony, and release in dialogue with the surrounding architecture and landscape.”

Design Activation by Knoll: Sensory Experience, Materiality and Form

Presented by Knoll, this year’s Summer Party will feature a series of special activations across the grounds and buildings, tying together modernist furnishings and contemporary works of art and design. In the Glass House, the historic furniture and lighting will be removed and replaced for a special one-day activation by Knoll.

Rooted in The Glass House’s legacy as a site of cultural exchange, the Knoll installation will reimagine the space to introduce artist and designer Dozie Kanu, the latest talent to join the Knoll portfolio, as both a new angle and a natural evolution of the interior dialogue. Dozie’s work enters as the most unexpected element against the architectural strictness of glass and brick, bringing with it the only truly soft edge in the room beyond the curved brick wall, and establishing a new emotional register.

Drawing from Knoll’s DNA—which is about the commitment to responsive materials and designing in context—the installation retains recognizable modernist classics, re-envisioned in bold new colors and materials that invite guests to sit and touch.

Honoring the original sequence of spaces and the historic floor plan, the design subtly opens and flows, allowing reinterpreted icons by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lilly Reich and Philip Johnson to sit comfortably alongside the work of an emerging contemporary artist. In doing so, the activation continues the founding intention of the Glass House, a space that hosts convergences of artists, makers, and ideas now redefined through touch and a richly human experience of modernism. The surrounding grounds will feature elegant outdoor seating environments anchored by Knoll’s Richard Schultz 1966 Collection.

Max Mara, exclusive fashion sponsor, will present an Italian Summer Café set within a grassy enclave on the grounds. The immersive moment of understated luxury will feature a custom Piaggio cart serving a full menu of classic Italian espresso drinks and a curated selection of artisanal gelato.

Guests can personalize their experience with simple Italian touches by turning gelato into affogatos with freshly pulled espresso, or by elevating the moment with Baileys or prosecco for a spirited twist. The branded café extends into a shaded seating area with tables, chairs, and signature umbrellas. Designed for relaxing and savoring the moment, the Max Mara Italian Summer Café brings together style, setting, and the essence of la dolce vita.

Guests will arrive in complimentary Land Rover Darien vehicles, featuring the sleek Range Rover Sport. Thoughtfully crafted picnic baskets by New Canaan’s Elm, inspired by the flavors of early summer, will be provided, paired with crisp Elm Côte de Provence Rosé, refreshing craft spirits by Litchfield Distillery, and hydration by Loonen, creating the perfect setting to relax, indulge, and savor the moment.

In the Auction Tent, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund will present a Bar + Lounge experience inspired by its ongoing work to preserve sites of African American activism, achievement, and resilience. Guests may unwind in plush lounge seating provided by Design Within Reach and sip on a signature cocktail created in honor of the Action Fund’s preservation initiatives, enjoying an inviting setting to gather, relax, and savor the moment.

Silent Auction and Limited Art Edition by Dozie Kanu.

The Glass House’s silent benefit auction will open May 22, 2026, at 12 PM ET and close Monday, June 8, 2026, at 12 PM ET, hosted online by Artsy. Featuring contemporary artworks, design objects, and exclusive experiences, the auction offers collectors and supporters the opportunity to acquire art while advancing The Glass House’s mission. Auction highlights include Diango Hernández, Tomashi Jackson, Sam Moyer, Hayal Pozanti, Herb Ritts, and Martha Stewart, among many others.

The Glass House is honored to produce a limited-edition artwork by Dozie Kanu, whose practice spans sculpture, photography, and object-based work. Kanu’s photographic contribution contemplates memory, repetition, and recognition, exploring how images function as objects and how meaning is shaped over time. The limited-edition photograph will debut at the event. All proceeds directly support site preservation, exhibitions, and educational initiatives.

Exhibition On View: Tomashi Jackson and Robert Rauschenberg: The Catch One in brings together newly commissioned paintings by Jackson in dialogue with works by Rauschenberg from the historic site’s permanent collection and the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. The exhibition contributes to a global slate of 2025–26 initiatives that reexamine Rauschenberg’s legacy, honoring his expansive creativity, spirit of curiosity, and commitment to change.

A Living Canvas for Art and Architecture

A site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Glass House serves as a catalyst for the preservation and interpretation of modern architecture, landscape, and art. The Summer Party is its most significant annual fundraiser, sustaining vital conservation and innovative programming. Proceeds from the Summer Party support vital preservation work, site-wide programming, and seasonal exhibitions that spark conversation and deepen understanding of the built and natural environments.
Ticket Levels
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$400 Young Artist + Collector (ages 35 and under) One ticket; one gift bag.
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$750 Individual One ticket; one gift bag.
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$1,000 Individual VIP – SOLD OUT One VIP ticket; reserved premium seating; one VIP gift bag.
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$10,000 Gold Table – SOLD OUT Ten VIP tickets; priority seating; ten VIP gift bags.
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$20,000 Platinum Table – SOLD OUT Ten VIP tickets; private champagne reception in the Glass House for up to 10 guests; priority seating; ten VIP gift bags.

Proceeds from the Summer Party support vital preservation work, site-wide programming, and seasonal exhibitions that spark conversation and deepen understanding of the built and natural environments.

Tickets are transferable but not refundable. $100 of each Individual and VIP ticket is not tax-deductible. $4,500 of the Platinum Table is not tax-deductible.

Special Thanks to: Byredo, Cadogan Tate, Elm Côte de Provence Rosé, Fine Art Frameworks, Govino, Litchfield Distillery, Loonen, Modern Houseplant, New Canaan, Darien + Rowayton Magazine.

SAINT HERON is a multidisciplinary platform and creative studio founded by Solange Knowles, dedicated to preserving celebrating, and advancing the work of Black and Brown artists across disciplines. Through its curatorial projects, collaborations, and cultural initiatives, Saint Heron has emerged as a visionary force reimagining how art, sound, and design are experienced, archived, and shared.

With a deep commitment to experimentation, education, and collective practice, Saint Heron builds spaces that honor the vastness of create lineage while cultivating new modes of storytelling for the future. Its work blurs the boundaries between curation, performance, and research – positioning culture itself as a living, breathing archive of memory, identity, and imagination. It features a digital library of rare Black literature, artist residencies, and curated design objects.

KNOLL brings order and beauty to workplace, hospitality, and residential environments. Founded in New York City in 1938, the furniture and interiors brand collaborates with architects, artists, and designers leading the cultural zeitgeist. It is also the licensed manufacturer of classic works by many design pioneers, including Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Florence Knoll, and Marcel Breuer. The Knoll portfolio allows architects and designers to remain true to the philosophy of “total design,” where material, color, and form work in harmony to deliver a complete experience of space.

MAX MARA, founded in 1951 by the late visionary Achille Maramotti, epitomizes Italian luxury and style. A modern collection of ready-to-wear and accessories for the confident woman, Max Mara is the premier offering within the Max Mara Fashion group consisting of sophisticated silhouettes and couture details achieved through masterful design. Recognized for its timeless sensibility and constructed from the most luxurious fabrics, Max Mara is revered for the classification of the coat, sharp suiting, and elegant accessories. Max Mara is available in 2,500 locations in more than 100 countries worldwide. The Max Mara Fashion group has nine assorted brands under its ownership. The company remains privately held and managed by the Maramotti family.

African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF) is a division of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since its founding in 2017, the Action Fund has raised $200 million and supported over 400 preservation projects, making it the largest national resource dedicated to the preservation of sites tied to Black history in the United States. With support from the Ford Foundation, Getty Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Freedom Together Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc. and others, the Action Fund is safeguarding historic places tied to Black resilience, activism, and achievement.

Design Within Reach (DWR) Where modern design’s greatest stories become part of yours. At DWR, we curate the leading modern design brands in home furnishings, from around the world. We offer the most robust collection of design classics alongside the next generation of iconic design. We curate and create thoughtfully designed, exceptionally crafted, built-to-last pieces that move with you, from home to home, generation to generation. DWR provides customers with endless opportunities to shape spaces that are deeply personal, boldly individual, and uniquely their own. Our unparalleled selection of exclusive designs spans all categories of the home and is available to residential customers and trade clients across North America. DWR is part of MillerKnoll.

The Glass House, created between 1949 and 1995 by architect Philip Johnson and curator David Whitney, is a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, located in New Canaan, CT. This pastoral 49-acre landscape comprises fourteen structures, including the Glass House (1949), and features a permanent collection of 20th-century paintings and sculptures, along with annual contemporary exhibitions. The campus serves as a catalyst for the preservation and interpretation of modern architecture, landscape, and art, and as a canvas for inspiration and experimentation.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities maintain and enhance the power of historic places. Chartered by Congress in 1949 and supported by partners, friends, and champions nationwide, we help preserve the places and stories that make communities unique. Through the stewardship and revitalization of historic sites, we help communities foster economic growth, create healthier environments, and build a stronger, shared sense of civic duty and belonging.