On the occasion of his 1977 retrospective at MoMA, organized by Walter Hopps and Kynaston McShine, Rauschenberg convinced the museum to hold the after-party on the Staten Island Ferry. At 10:30 that night, the ferry departed. A banner emblazoned with "SS Rauschenberg" greeted guests at the entryway to the ship. Over the years Staten Island was one of his favorite landmarks in the city; during the summer, the beaches of Staten Island were gathering places for many gay artists. When his Fulton Street studio was too hot during the day, he often woke up early to take the ferry to the beach. Pieces of scrap metal, cast-off clothing, and wood Rauschenberg found on the shores there would often make their way into his art.