Palm Beach, Miami, and Houston Social Diary

The ballroom at Mar-a-Lago for Palm Beach Zoo's annual black-tie dinner dance.

For the fifth year, the Palm Beach Zoo held its annual black-tie dinner dance at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, January 23rd. The theme this year was “Our Magnificent Animal Kingdom.” The evening began with Cocktails around the beautiful Mar-a-Lago swimming pool amidst exotic animals on display for the viewing pleasure of the guests.

There was a collective ‘gasp’ as the guests entered the Ball Room decorated by Bruce Sutka International, Inc., who surrounded the tables with life size statues of animals and center pieces rising from each table presenting a platform display of “Our Magnificent Animals.”

Guests danced the night away to the beautiful sounds of the Bob Hardwick Orchestra who presented just the right combination of old standards, current rock favorites and everything in between. It was an evening of perfection as a wonderful time was had by all.

Diana Ecclestone and Thomas Quick were the Chairmen with Mary and Mark Freitas as Vice Chairmen. The fabulous event was attended by Michelle and Howard Kessler, Pauline Pitt, The Honorable and Mrs. Newt Gingrich, Frances Scaife, Bill and Kitty McKnight, and Frances Hayward.

The Dinner Dance from beginning to end was under the meticulous and creative direction of event planner, Renee Wood, who worked tirelessly to produce this electrifying Dinner Dance, enjoyed by over four hundred guests. The evening ended with guests receiving a gift from Salvatore Ferragamo and many wonderful memories. The evening benefits The Palm Beach Zoo.

Charlene Nederlander and Christopher Philips

Frances Scaife and Frances Hayward

Mary and Mark Freitas

Mary and Kane Baker

Mary and Kane Baker with Kim Campbell

Tricia Quick and Gregg Connors

Howard and Michele Kessler

Pepe and Lourdes Fanjul

Lesly Smith and Jim Walsh

Callista and Newt Gingrich, Giana Allen, and Stephen Myers

Virginia Burke and Rainer Greeven

Suzette Smith and Bob Seulthorpe

Harry McQuire, Olive Greeff, Gale and Fredrick Alger

Diana Ecclestone and Tom Quick

Kitty and Bill McKnight

Luis and Lillian Fernandez

Moving west to West Palm Beach, FL., more than 40 committee members, sponsors and designers were honored on January 8 at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County for a festive party for the 33rd American Red Cross Designers’ Show House, open through February 14.


	Desmond and Christina Keogh

An event benefiting the Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Designers’ Show House is being held at the Providencia House, a historic home located at 1125 North Flagler Drive in the heart of West Palm Beach’s Providencia Park neighborhood.

With a goal to enrich the City of West Palm Beach with wonderful historic landmarks and homes, the money raised by the Historical Society stays in the community to benefit Palm Beach County. Sharing a similar goal to better the local community, all money raised from the Show House stays local and goes directly to the American Red Cross to help provide essential disaster relief services to more than 1.5 million people in Palm Beach, Hendry, Okeechobee and Glades counties.

“As we celebrate the centennial birthday of Palm Beach County, we are excited to tie in this long-standing community event and partner with the American Red Cross for the Designers’ Show House,” said Kae Jonsons, Director of Development of the Historical Society.

“The American Red Cross means so much to our community and we are proud to be a part of this significant fundraiser.”

Stuart and Patricia Rench

Sylvia and Daniel James

Chad Renfro with Penny and Keith Williams

Guests celebrated their efforts on the project while they enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, sipped champagne and cocktails, and were inspired by a speech on the history of the Providencia Park neighborhood that this year’s Designers’ Show House calls home — given by Harvey E. Oyer III, the Chairman of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. Guests in attendance included Cristina and Desmond Keogh, Stacey and Michael Lampert, Stephen Mooney, Bill Kopp, Jennifer Garrigues, Mike Maniscalco, Mollie and Frank Maguire, Christopher Dunstan, Sylvia James, Penny and Keith Williams, Carl Minardo, and Lawrence Casey.

General admission tickets to the Show House are $30. Special pricing is available for groups of ten or more. The Show House will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter. For more information and to reserve tickets please call 561-833-7711.

William and Patt Sned with Christine and Bill Aylward celebrating the opening of Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities, at the Norton Museum of Art.

Themed after the special exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities, the Premiere Event, hosted by the Norton Museum of Art on January 22, 2009, was an environmentally friendly evening, designed to celebrate the beauty in nature and the deep commitment to the American Landscape that these two iconic artists share. All aspects of the evening emphasized the importance of going “green.” The collateral materials were printed in soy ink on recycled paper, the décor will be recycled and reused, and the food served came from local produce vendors.

The Premiere Event Chairman was Mrs. Annie Falk and the Dinner Chairmen were Mrs. Karen Swanson and Mr. and Mrs. Mark Freitas. Corporate Sponsors include Akerman Senterfitt, Betteridge at Greenleaf & Crosby featuring Buccellati, Douglas Hannant, Frank Crystal & Company, Greenberg Traurig, Maso Canali, Michael Kagdis’ CuriousArts and Palm Beach Proper.

Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: Natural Affinities, on view at the Norton Museum of Art, January 22 through May 3, 2009, explores how both artists intensely focused their attention on beauty in nature and transformed these elements with color and tone. The exhibition includes 40 O’Keeffe paintings and 54 Adams photographs.

Annie Falk, William Sned, and Christina Orr-Cahall

Jeanine and Bill Mayville

Jerry Thorpe and Mario Rallo

Bob and Mia Matthews

Mary and Mark Freitas

Jamie Gordon, Heather Mahoney, and Mark Montgomery

Heidi and John Niblack

Jim and Irene Kary

Christine and Bill Aylward

Todd and Brandi Herbst

Kevin Bennett and Elizabeth Belkin

Sally and Bill Soter with Kay Lyons

Rebecca Vanneck, Frances Fisher, and Nanette Rosi

Grier and Kristy Pressly

Tim and Bridget Moran

Karen Swanson with Jack and Annette Friedland

Down in Miami ... Diane von Furstenberg hosted the grand opening celebration of her brand new boutique located at Bal Harbour Shops in Bal Harbour, FL. This location is on the second in South Florida, the 5th freestanding boutique in the United States, and the 29th to open worldwide.

“Miami is vibrant and fun, and Bal Harbour is one of the most glamorous shopping destinations in the world ... it is the center of taste and I am so happy to have finally a home there,” says von Furstenberg.

Bold-faced names joining Diane von Furstenberg in this celebration included supermodel Elsa Benitez, model-cum-journalist Candela Ferro, Diane’s son Alex von Furstenberg with fiancé Ali Kay, Bal Harbour Shop’s Director of Marketing Cheryl Stephenson and celebrity facialist Tracie Martyn. A DvF Peggy Wrap Bold bag from the Spring 09 collection, retailing at $1,475 was the hot swag of the evening, won by a lucky shopper, Christina Hand, Marketing & PR Manager of Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach.

Marisa Toccin, Diane von Furstenberg, and Jennifer Valopi

Proceeds of the evening benefited Women of Tomorrow, an organization founded by Television Journalist Jennifer Valoppi. The Women of Tomorrow (WOT) Mentor & Scholarship Program inspires, motivates and empowers at-risk young women to live up to their full potential through mentoring by highly accomplished professional women and scholarship opportunities. Over 300 shopping elite joined the soiree, enjoying the beats of celebrity DJ Ruckus (real name: Greg Andrews) while shopping in support of WOT.

The evening’s proceeds to WOT were extended through the weekend for all guest attendees.

Diane von Furstenberg and Candela Ferro

Ali Kay and Alex von Furstenberg

Elsa Benites and Diane von Furstenberg

Lola Jacobson and Marisa Toccin

Diane von Furstenberg

Marysol Patton and Carol Bell

Leticia Grendene and Elsa Benites

Alixe Boyer and Hadley Henritte

Traci Martym and Marius Movariu

And back up in Boston ... On Friday January 9th, friends, family and guests celebrated the first Boston show in five years of artist and Nahant native Norman Laliberté at the Arden Gallery on Newbury Street.

Among the guests who gathered with the artist’s wife, noted architect Laurel Laliberte, and his son Kristian Laliberte to look at “A Private Collection,” were Suzanne and Jeff Bloomberg, Dr. Edward Tarlov, Leslee Schlopak and Meryl Rose, Nanette and Buddy Lewis, Mickey and Steve Hirsch, Nancie b Miceal Chamberlain, Devorah Rose, designer Timo Weiland, and William and Angela Lowell. The works that best represent Laliberte’s aesthetic journey were compiled by gallerist Hope Turner. Art-lovers spilled onto the street before gathering for a private dinner at the Mandarin Oriental.

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts to French Canadian parents, Laliberté spent his formative years in Montreal. He returned to the United States to complete his schooling, collecting his B.S. from the prestigious Institute of Design in Chicago, IL and his M.S. in Art Education at Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago, IL. He first received international recognition as the design consultant for the Vatican Pavilion at the New York World’s Fair of 1964.

Arden Gallery presents Norman Laliberté, “A Private Collection.”

He has since exhibited extensively internationally, and his work remains unmistakable. Filled with vibrant colors and dazzling energy, Laliberté’s varied media and formats exhibit a tireless dedication to creativity. His work celebrates universal themes like life, romance, history, science, philosophy, music, and dreams.

Norman Laliberté is a consummate creator—not only a prolific painter, but an author, art director, filmmaker and teacher. He is passionate about supporting and collaborating with artists and sharing ideas about technique and resources. The results of his labors are housed in significant public and private collections including: the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; the Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection, New York, NY; the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Canada; the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, New York, NY.

He is also the author of over 30 books, including the award winning Art in Boxes and Peace Box. Laliberté has received honorary doctorates from several institutions, including Notre Dame and McGill. He received a lifetime achievement award from Hadassah in 2008. He has also appeared on the covers of Time, Life, and Q Magazine, and his art has been featured in such publications as Art in America, Art News, and The New York Times. His public installations can be found at Logan International Airport, the National Ballet of Canada, the New York State Bar, and the American Institute of Architects.

Hope Turner and Norman Laliberté

Peter and Anne Aitken

Leslee Shlopak

Norman Laliberté

Timo Weiland

Kristian Laliberte and Hilary Schwarzenbach

Colin and Jeanne Maclaurin

Kristian, Laurel, and Norman Laliberte

Meryl Rose

Beth and Kate Lowell

Nancie and Miceal Chamberlain

Deboarh Powell

Tim, Sheridan Jr., and Sheridan Maguire

Nanette and Buddy Lewis

Colman Chamberlain and Judith Phillips

Laurel Laliberte and Dr. Christoph Wald

Kristian Laliberte and Devorah Rose

Dr. Edward Tarlov and Christopher Knight

Angela Lowell and Dr. Marie Pasinksi

Earlier this month in Dallas ... Gilt Groupe founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson along with Dallas socialites Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Lori Jones, Gigi Howard, Abi Ferrin and Kari Schlegel hosted a screening of 20th Century Fox’ “Bride Wars,” starring Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway and Candice Bergen, at the Magnolia Theatre with a private cocktail reception following at PM Lounge.