Mad Hatter’s Tea Celebrates 32 years Of Fundraising For The Dallas Arboretum
By Cynthia Smoot Photography by Dana Drienski
THE SETTING: Before COVID-19, MIcah Gilbert, owner of Empressive Earth Gallery, along with his mother, Empress Gilbert, opened the gallery’s stunning showroom to host the Mad Hatter’s Tea’s The Art of Chic Judges and Hat Categories Reveal Party. The Women’s Council President, Venise Stuart, and Patti Flowers, the Mad Hatter’s Tea chair, welcomed guests as everyone wandered through the lavish gallery, which showcased fabulous minerals, fossils and corals.
THE STYLE: Celebrating its 32nd year, the organization’s main event was canceled due to the COVID- 19 virus shelter-in-place order. It has been an ongoing fundraising affair sponsored by the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The Mad Hatter categories are: The Art of the Garden: Botanical Beauty; The Art of Music: Sounds of the Season; The Art of Dance: Magical Movement; The Art of Fashion: Fabulously Fashionable; The Art of Chivalry: The Most Elegant of Gentlemen; The Chic Chapeau: Simply Chic: The Marilyn Hailey Award. It’s always a fan favorite and this occasion evoked the spirit of the annual garden party.
THE PURPOSE: The event was chaired by Regina Bruce and Joni Krieg, and Robin Carreker served as the honorary chair. As in the past, Tootsies continued their sponsorship of the Mad Hatter’s Tea fashion show that is produced by the Jan Strimple. The funds that were raised grow and maintain A Woman’s Garden, a nationally acclaimed garden at the Dallas Arboretum. In the spirit of the Mad Hatter’s Tea and to support A Woman’s Garden, a flashback was created, including photos and a video.
Goss Michael Foundation Opening Party Of Exhibition By Marquis Duriel Lewis
By
Rob Giardinelli Photography by Daniel Driensky
Elizabeth O’Mahony, Geoff Green, Sara Hignite, Elsbeth Weempe and Kevin Ruben Jacobs
The Goss Michael Foundation Gallery in Dallas was the recent setting for an evening of art, culture and conversation. The opening of the Goss Michael Foundation’s, known as GMF, latest exhibit, featuring the works of acclaimed artist Marquis Duriel Lewis, known by his many fans as RETNA, drew over 200 of the most notable art patrons in the Dallas area including GMF Co-Founder Kenny Goss, GMF Executive Director Joyce Goss, Real Housewives of Dallas stars D’Andra Simmons, Kameron Westcott and Fida Lewis, mother of Marquis Duriel Lewis.
During the course of the evening, the contemporary-chic crowd sipped on rose wines courtesy of Chateau D’Esclans while enjoying the works of the artists located in three separate galleries inside the GMF space. The exhibit features a host of contemporary, abstract pieces many of which featuring bright colors as vibrant as the patrons on hand to experience the art on view. This allowed for conversation to flow as freely as the Rose with each having their own unique takes and inspirations of the art that was on view.
Kenny Goss, Fida Lewis and Maxine Trowbridge
Patrons who attended event supported the Goss Michael Foundation gallery in Dallas, which supports and showcases contemporary artists based in the United States and the United Kingdom. The show, presented by The Goss-Michael Foundation in partnership with Artrinity, has been curated by Max Trowbridge, co-founder and director, Artrinity. To book a private tour of the Marquis Duriel Lewis (aka RETNA) exhibit, on display through Saturday, November 9th visit g-mf.org.
31st Annual Mad Hatter’s Tea Celebrates The Golden Age of Hollywood
By Cynthia Smoot Photography by Danny Campbell, Dana Driensky, and Rob Wythe/Gittings Photography
THE SETTING: Mad Hatter’s Tea is one of Dallas’ most elaborate and whimsical affairs celebrating the wonder of millenary magic while supporting the Dallas Arboretum. The morning began with a champagne reception, where guests mingled about admiring the fashion prowess and imagination of others, as everyone felt like a star under the frenzy of cell phone flashes happening all about. The crowd was led into Rosine Hall for a fashion presentation produced by the inimitable Jan Strimple featuring fashions sponsored by Tootsies. The afternoon was capped off with a seated luncheon under elegantly draped tents with divine tablescapes created by Prashe Décor.
THE STYLE: The theme for this year’s celebration, The Golden Age of Hollywood, spotlighted hats celebrating all decades of fashion. One of the highlights of the event was the announcement of the winners in a variety of style categories. This year’s hat judges included Jonathan Simkhai, Vodi Cook, Jenna Jenovich, Vivian Lombardi, and Joani White. The day’s big winners were Kunthear Mam-Douglas, Norah Maroulis, Elizabeth Smith Theis, Jenny Foster, Leslie Vaughan, Carmen Hancock, and Prashi Shah.
The PURPOSE: This year’s event was co-chaired by Sharla Bush and Terry Irby with Kristina Bush Whitcomb serving as the honorary chair. Monies raised grow and maintain A Woman’s Garden, a major garden at the Dallas Arboretum, and the only public garden in the nation conceived by women, funded by the efforts of women, and dedicated to the universal spirit of women.
American Heart Association Dallas Raises Record-Breaking $1.8 Million Luncheon
By Cynthia Smoot Photography by Dana Driensky, James Edwards and Scogin Mayo
THE SETTING: More than 1,200 attendees gathered at the Omni Dallas gathered to unite in the fight against heart disease and stroke at the 2019 Dallas Go Red for Women luncheon. Guests took part in health screenings, makeup touch-ups from Blushington artists, hands-only CPR training, women’s health education opportunities and a silent auction during the event.
THE STYLE: The ballroom was filled with a sea of red outfits that paid homage to the organization. This year’s luncheon featured ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton as the keynote speaker and was nationally sponsored by CVS Health and locally sponsored by Texas Health Resources and Aimbridge Hospitality.
Fifteen years ago, Go Red For Women was born as a campaign to raise awareness among women about their great health threat–heart disease. Slowly, the campaign grew into a movement–one that not only brought together thousands of women annually but became the trusted, passionate, relevant force for change to eradicate heart disease and stroke all over the world. Go Red For Women provides a platform for women and their families to lead healthier lives, and drive collective action for community transformation.
THE PURPOSE: Judy Hendrick, Katherine and Key Coker were the co-chairs for the annual event benefiting the American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives. It raised a record-breaking $1.8 million dollars and counting. Launched in 2004 as an awareness campaign, the Go Red for Women movement has saved the lives of 670,000 women.
