Gilded Grandeur at the Four Arts

This year, the Four Arts Contemporaries Gala transported guests back to Palm Beach’s Gilded Age, the glittering chapter that began in the 1890s with Henry Flagler. The railroad magnate extended the Florida East Coast Railway to the island and opened the monumental Royal Poinciana Hotel in 1894, turning a quiet stretch of barrier island into America’s first great tropical resort. With the arrival of winter visitors from New York, Boston, and beyond, Palm Beach enduring mythology was born: grand hotels filled with society people arriving by private railcar, shaded verandas overlooking the ocean, elaborate balls, and a social season that drew the country’s wealthiest families south each year in search of sunshine and respite from the big cities. 

For one evening in February, that glamorous chapter of the island’s history returned in full theatrical form. The highly anticipated and sold-out Four Arts Contemporaries Gala took place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in the Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden at The Society of the Four Arts. This year’s theme, Pioneers of Palm Beach: Gilded Grandeur and Wild Wonders, was chaired by Kristin Urrutia, Jeffrey Tousey, and Mary Willis, inviting guests to step directly into Palm Beach’s earliest days.

And the guests understood the assignment. Attendees arrived dressed to the nines in full Gilded Age accouterments. Ladies swept through the grounds in plumed hats, velvet and sateen gowns, bustles, and parasols, while gentlemen leaned into linen suits, waistcoats, and boater hats. 

Guests received train boarding passes at a recreated Florida East Coast Railway ticket counter before stepping into a garden transformed into a lush vision of the island’s frontier glamour by Van Wyck & Van Wyck. Authentic period garments on loan from the Flagler Museum added historical flair, dancers channeled preening peacocks, and a theatrical nod to early tourist attraction Alligator Joe’s wrestling shows added a touch of Old Florida spectacle.

Proceeds from the gala benefit The Society of the Four Arts, one of Palm Beach’s most important cultural institutions. For one night, however, stepping onto its campus felt like a time machine had transported guests back to Palm Beach circa 1895, when the trains arrived and the island’s grand experiment as a winter paradise was just beginning.