Long before there was President Obama, there was Icon Obama. There has never been a president or presidential candidate who has inspired art in the way that Obama has since his candidacy began.

Saturday morning, at the beginning of the four-day inaugural whirlwind that swept Washington, a well-heeled gaggle of art lovers poured into the atrium of the American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery to celebrate the image that came to epitomize Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. “Four days of history beginning to unfold, and we’re part of it,” explained Martin Sullivan, the Portrait Gallery director.

Shephard Fairey, the Los Angeles-based street artist who earlier made it big with his “Obey” Andre the Giant posters and then crafted the now-iconic Obama “Hope” and “Progress” posters, was on hand to witness a rare personal triumph: his image becoming part of the museum’s permanent collection. Washington power couple Heather and Tony Podesta bought the original and donated it to the museum to honor Mary K. Podesta, Tony’s mother.

What: The Mid-Atlantic Ball, one of the ten official inaugural balls the Obamas and Bidens attended.

Where: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Hall A.

When: January 20, 8 to midnight.

Ticket price: $150, but it crept up to $1,000 on Stubhub.

Who: Well, Barack and Michelle Obama and Joe and Jill Biden for starters. There were six balls packed into the Convention Center and the four made their way through each one. Whispers about what time each couple would show rippled through the hall all night. The word for the Obamas was 12:20, although the pair showed up an hour before that (by 11:24, they’d moved on to the next shindig). The 7,000-strong bash lacked the star wattage of the Neighborhood Ball—there was no Stevie Wonder or J.Lo wandering around. Instead, the boldface names in the crowd were more Hill than Hollywood: New York governor David Paterson, New York senator Chuck Schumer, Virginia governer Tim Kaine, and hoping-to-be Virginia governer and longtime Clintonite Terry McAuliffe.

What: Bytes & Books Inaugural Ball.

Where: Folger Shakespeare Library.

When: Tuesday, January 20, 6:30 PM.

Who: Bytes & Books brought out 450 teachers and tech geeks, spruced up for the occasion in dapper tuxedos and glitzy floor-length gowns. The most noteworthy person in the over-40 crowd was movie director George Lucas, there to accept an award for his work on education technology. Senator Edward Kennedy was slated to be there for the same reason, but after having a seizure at Obama’s Capitol luncheon earlier in the day, he was unable to attend. A staffer accepted the award on his behalf.

Food and drink: The event featured five well-stocked open bars with no waiting time. (We love events with responsible adults not out to get hammered!) The drinks du jour seemed to be white wine, Champagne, and big glasses of water—the temperature in some of the rooms was close to unbearable, leaving nearly everyone parched. Food included passed hors d’oeuvres such as gooey balls of fried goat cheese and skewered shrimp wrapped in smoky prosciutto as well as a buffet with roast beef, ramekins of orzo mac and cheese, and warm, cinnamon-doused pears.

What: Pennsylvania Inaugural Gala, hosted by the Pennsylvania Society of Washington, DC.

Where: Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.

When: Tuesday, January 20.

Ticket price: $150.

Who: Seventeen hundred Pennsylvanians—plus Obama supporters from Atlanta, London, Washington, and other places—came out to toast the new President and the Keystone State’s role in the historic election. Notable guests included longtime Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell and wife Marjorie, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, and actress Sharon Stone. Fox 5 weatherman Tony Perkins was master of ceremonies.

What: 2009 Youth Ball.

Where: Hilton Washington.

When: January 20, 2009.

Who: Kid Rock, Kanye West, and Fall Out Boy each played sets at the ball, but the real stars were the newly inaugurated President and First Lady, Barack and Michelle Obama. They sent the crowd of almost 2,000 twentysomethings into an immediate and sustained hysteria during their 15-minute visit. On the other side of the ballroom, Sway of MTV News interviewed celebrity guests Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Tobey Maguire, and Usher.

Scene: At times, it seemed as though the lines would never end, and for some they didn’t. Doors opened at 7 PM, but by 6:30 a line already stretched from the hotel’s entrance on Connecticut Avenue down to Florida Avenue. At 9, the fire marshal was forced to start turning away ticket holders, many of whom were election staffers.

For those who made it through the freezing cold, the maze of never-ending security tents, and the equally terrible lines for coat check, drink tickets, and food, the night proved to be well worth the wait. The ballroom, which opened at 9, housed a huge stage, a projection screen with an Obama-themed slide show, and a slew of scream-inducing MTV cameras.

At last night’s Inaugural Purple Ball, we snapped photos of celebrities and gussied-up attendees during an hour-long cocktail reception. Held in the ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel, the event focused on diversity and bipartisanship (think blue and red make purple), and a portion of its proceeds went to the United Negro College Fund. Post cocktail hour, guests were treated to a seated dinner, speeches by Dr. Michael Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF, Senator Leticia Van de Putte, host Asal Masomi, and Deidre Hall. Boy band Il Divo performed before the Radio King Orchestra provided music for guests to dance the night away. Attendees spent between $300 and $5,000 to participate.

Here’s some highlights from the cocktail reception:

Most dramatic gown: Host Asal Masomi and her personal assistant. They both wore princess-style dresses with a fitted, sequined corset on top and layers upon layers of tuile poofing out on the bottom.

Best male formal attire: Partygoer Alexander Duncan sported the top of a tuxedo with a Scottish kilt and his ancestor’s tartan on bottom. He says he wears it to every black-tie event he attends.

Were you a part of Barack Obama’s history-making inauguration? We want to hear your stories and see your pictures. Send your inauguration photos to eleaman@washingtonian.com, and we compile them into a slide show in this space. Then, tell us what you did, who you saw, and how you celebrated the change of power. Leave your stories in the comments section, and we’ll highlight our favorites below. Check back often to see what your fellow readers have been up to.

Also, be sure to check out our comprehensive inauguration coverage here and our recaps of inaugural balls here.