The Cultivist, a members-only art club and creative agency renowned for fostering connections to art and culture worldwide, hosted its Annual Artist Lunch at The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, in collaboration with fine jewelry company Savannah Friedkin. The event celebrated the acclaimed artist Shirin Neshat on the occasion of her solo exhibition Born of Fire, on view at the museum until September 1, 2025.

The Cultivist welcomed over 90 guests for a family-style meal on artist-inspired tablescapes that echoed the striking black and white contrasts central to Neshat’s visual language. The minimalist palette was offset by delicate floral accents and a poetic menu printed on seed paper—inviting guests to take a piece of the afternoon home with them, quite literally, by planting it. The thoughtful design paid homage to the themes of resilience and renewal found throughout Neshat’s work. Attendees were also treated to private tours of Neshat’s exhibition Born of Fire, led by Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, Executive Director of the Parrish Art Museum.

Joining The Cultivist’s Co-Founder and CEO Marlies Verhoeven and Executive Director Joey Lico, Notable attendees included Harold Mendez, Hermine Heller, Polina Proshkina, Kaleta Johnson, Arden Wohl, Casey Fremont, Vera Lutter, Michelle Hellman, Adam Cohen, Matthew Marchak, Sharon Jacob, Susan Hayden, Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, Savannah Friedkin, Christina Di Donna, Dayna Novenstein, Jessica Chestman, Jonah Freeman, Karen Seymour, and Clelia Montali.

Shirin Neshat (b. Qazvin, 1957), an Iranian-born artist and filmmaker living in exile in America, has spent her career examining what it means to exist between two cultures, focusing on human resilience in the face of upheaval and oppression. Drawing on the emotional impact of poetry and music, her highly stylized photographs and narrative time-based works explore the turbulent social conditions of life in Iran and, more recently, America.

Image credit: Madison Fender/BFA