A special event was dedicated to Moscow-born photographer, illustrator, composer, founder and a frontman of New York’s band MAD MEG Ilya Popenko. In his first major exhibition this "multi-talented multi-media artist" —as described by Maya Pritsker in Arts&Culture at the Russian Television Network of America— presented not only his artwork, but MAD MEG’s debut album, Puberty Tales! In this occasion the gallery organized an opening reception for Popenko featuring a live concert by MAD MEG. As Delarue wrote in the New York Music Daily, “The band played a tantalizing preview for this show with an expansive, theatrical set at Alexandre Gertsman Contemporary Art, THE go-to gallery for A-list Russian artists these days. Despite the fact that the band was playing practically all acoustic, they held a packed house rapt for practically an hour on an impromptu stage. Frontman Ilya Popenko swooped and circled out into the crowd: tall and wiry, decked out in a black suit, the Cave resemblance is unmistakable. But he’s the rare, distinctive artist who’s as adept at music as he is with visuals. His twisted Photoshopped tableaux – substituting his face for a series of twisted characters coiled up in corners, schmoozing sardonically around a holiday table or engaging in all sorts of sordid behavior – are as funny as his series based on the cult favorite Soviet cartoon Gena the Crocodile.” Popenko’s photos have been published by The New York Times, Village Voice, Time OUT New York , and Rolling Stone Russia.

At the event, Yulia Mamontova, who is a co-founder and CEO of AnestasiA Vodka, introduced this super premium brand—an exquisite small-batch hand-crafted vodka with a breathtakingly smooth finish. Ms. Mamontova, a New York city artist —who comes from a family of Ukrainian-born vodka producers—has created a spirit that has earned her a remarkable eight gold medals. The design of the bottle was commissioned to acclaimed New York award-winning designer Karim Rashid, who has also created products for Veuve Clicqout, Christofle, Alessi, Artemide and Vondom. The bottle of AnestasiA Vodka represents the visual embodiment of innovative American luxury: the stunningly sculpted crystalline decanter combines an appreciation for the natural processes used in creating this vodka with a sense of timeless class and beauty.