In Washington, the Corcoran Ball is traditionally the first stop on every socialite’s gala fund-raising calendar, and this year the 52nd annual fete was moved up six weeks, to March 2, to allow prep time for the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s much-anticipated “Modernism” exhibition, which opened March 17. “This year was a slight challenge,” said Melissa Keshishian, the 2007 Corcoran Ball chair and a member of the women’s committee, which helps plan the event. “With the ‘Modernism’ exhibition, the time to plan was more compressed. We had to consider what was in the gallery, and that cut down on the space we could use.” The event took place throughout several galleries, each with a distinct theme reflected in the linens, lighting, china, and centerpieces—and even in the napkin rings.

While the women’s committee had less time and space to work with than usual, the mission remained the same. “Every year the goal is to create a fantasy, where you walk from one space to the next and find something completely different,” said Occasions Caterers owner Eric Michael, who provided the food and tabletop decor for the gala’s nine dining galleries. “We try to have a few traditional elegant spaces, a few cutting-edge spaces, and a few fun ones. It’s like nine separate parties.”

The Modernist spirit was in the details: retro mobiles by A Vista Events floating above the tables in the atrium, a reflective zinc wall in one gallery, and translucent tables outfitted with LED lights specially designed by Occasions in another. Jack H. Lucky Floral Design led the charge in overall decor, coming up with themes that included a tiki-inspired dining room with palm fronds and pineapples and an ornate 17th-century French formal dining area with gold embellishments. In many of the rooms, Light-Olutions’ light projections echoed design elements, with flowers and tablecloth patterns silhouetted on the ceilings.