NEW YORK—On November 14, Hugo Boss and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation awarded the 2008 Hugo Boss Prize to Palestinian-American artist Emily Jacir, whose multimedia artwork focuses on Palestinian culture and political issues. Jacir received the $100,000 biennial award at a lavish ceremony at the Guggenheim Museum, where she was in good company with the likes of Julianne Moore and her husband, film director Bart Freundlich, and actors Stanley Tucci and John Slattery. Artists Joachim Koester and Patty Chang rounded out the crowd.

And on November 6, Hilary and Wilbur Ross, co-chairs of the Collectors and Connoisseurs Committee for the American International Fine Art Fair, hosted a cocktail reception at their New York apartment to celebrate the fair and the return of its founders, David and Lee Ann Lester. The Lesters, who also run Seafair, recently re-purchased AIFAF, after selling it to dmg world media a few years ago. This year's edition, the 12th, will run February 4–8 in Palm Beach. On hand to celebrate were gallerist Michael Goedhuis, designer Mario Buatta, New York magazine writer Christopher Mason, and fashion writer Amy Fine Collins.

Click on the photo gallery at left to see photos from the events.