AOL (né America Online) is turning 25 this year. While many of us have long since made the transition to new Internet providers and email clients, AOL has managed to survive the dot-com boom of the late ’90s, the Gmail surge of the ’00s and the quizzical looks one now gets when presenting someone with an AOL email handle. Teens (and who are we kidding, office workers) still chat all day long on AIM, and the company’s new business model, which focuses on building out content sites such as Asylum, Lemondrop, Engaget and JSYK, keeps the page views coming in. This focus on content creation may be why “creativity” was the theme of AOL’s 25th anniversary celebration on Wednesday night.
The event took place at New York City’s New Museum, and over 600 guests from the art, digital, media and entertainment worlds came together to celebrate the Internet pioneer’s landmark birthday. At the party, AOL kicked off its “Project on Creativity” with artist Chuck Close. Guests including Kate and Andy Spade, model Doutzen Kroes and artist Will Cotton were able to view a series of portraits Close photographed for the new initiative he and AOL are launching this year.
According to a release, the portraits feature some of the world’s “leading innovators and creative visionaries,” such as the Dalai Lama, director Gus Van Sant, a self-portrait of Close, actress Claire Danes and artist Kara Walker. The portraits are representative of the work Close will be doing as part of the “Project on Creativity,” for which the artist will create more exclusive online content for AOL as well as a portrait series featuring “world-class creatives and innovators” the artist will shoot for a new media campaign.
The project also includes the “25 for 25″ scholarship program, which will grant twenty-five $25,000 scholarships to tomorrow’s creative professionals, and a conference in New York City scheduled for later in the year. At the conference, AOL hopes to foster discussion about the intersection between creativity and technology. Close believes it is this kind of thinking that will help AOL remain relevant and strong for another 25 (plus!) years: “I believe this kind of thinking will help them reemerge as the pioneering American brand known throughout the world.”
In addition to Close’s portraits for the “Project on Creativity,” AOL also unveiled its “2nd Collection” at Wednesday’s party. Through this initiative, the company hand-picks emerging artists from around the world and features their original work on AOL’s homepage and AOLArtists.com. AOL featured three-dimensional work from four emerging artists — Phillip Low, James Taylor, Rachael Thomas and Dave White — at the New Museum fete.
After the main event at the New Museum, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong (above, right with his wife and Close) invited guests to the Bowery Hotel for an intimate after party where John Legend performed.
Photos by Patrick McMullan Company.
