Like a true arbiter of style, MaryBeth O’Keefe Lorenz, co-chair of the Contemporaries Winter Bash, knows how to throw a party. With a little help from her friends, of course. Channeling Edie Sedgwick in red go-go boots, funky face paint and a beaming smile, she summed up the vibe in three iconic words.

“Wow! Bam! Pop!”

As music by Henry Mancini and Blondie poured out of the sound system, throngs of partygoers dashed about in their most colorful interpretation of the 1970s New York art scene, sipping cocktails, eating sushi and getting playful in the photo booth.

“Pop art is the theme this year, and we’re playing off Andy Warhol and The Factory,” said fellow Winter Bash co-chair Lila Hunt Davies, who attended with her husband, Zack. “We’ve got pop art makeup artists doing peoples’ faces, a photo booth and over 1,000 pieces of sushi downstairs.”

Inspired by rarely seen works on paper from the museum’s permanent collection currently on view, including an iconic Warhol holding court, the Winter Bash, always one of the most anticipated parties of the year, was a sell-out.

Betsy Evans Hunt of Cape Elizabeth joined Alex Fisher and his wife, Brianne, of Portland, while Jane and Nate Stevens of Portland admired the crowd. Shelby MacLeod of Yarmouth chatted with friends Kate Malin, a Bash committee member, and Katherine Hogan of Falmouth.

“You see all of this color and this energy, and it takes on a life of its own,” said Celine Frueh, steering committee member. “I think people need an escape from their everyday lives, to cut loose a little bit and camp it up for the cameras. It’s fun to see people having such a good time!”

Erin Ovalle, owner of Style Me Portland and host of the upcoming show “MaineLife,” celebrated the evening with her producer, Carrie Lonsdale, while Molly Meyer, co-chair of the Contemporaries, partied with friends Portia and Josh Clark of Portland and Edward and Emily Demetriou of Falmouth.

“What’s really fun is people go all out with their outfits,” said Jessica May, chief curator at the museum, observing the fete. “They are being creative and adding to the atmosphere. It really feels like the town is showing off in a positive way.”

Margaret Logan is a freelance writer who lives in Scarborough. She can be contacted at:

margaret08logan@gmail.com