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<\/strong><\/p>\n THE SETTING:<\/strong> Nearly 300 guests recently walked the pink carpet for the Grand Gala Ball at the Caroline Wiess Law Building of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Reflecting the theme Abstraction: Moving into Modern<\/em>, the event featured a curated selection of abstract pieces anchored by Trenton Doyle Hancock\u2019s Good Vegan Procession #5<\/em> mounted on the wall of Cullinan Hall. Measuring a massive 54 feet wide by 18 feet high, the mural-scaled backdrop depicts a brightly colored forest glade with silhouettes of over a hundred dancing trees across a field of many colors. The Events Company mirrored the vibrant color palette with fresh floral arrangements in various hues, as well as Lucite tables and chairs to enhance the modern aesthetic. At the base of Cullinan Hall\u2019s staircase, guests posed for pictures in front of a fresh flower wall spanning shades of white, pink, red, lavender, and deep purple roses, while admiring the Harry Winston jewels posed on models atop mirrored platforms in front of the flower wall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THE STYLE:<\/strong> Remarks were made by Chairman of the Board of Trustees\u2019 Rich Kinder, Director of the MFAH Gary Tinterow, Houston Salon Director of Harry Winston Petra Martinez, and VP North America of Harry Winston Michael Moser. City Kitchen prepared a magnificent three-course dinner, starting with cauliflower soup with preserved lemon and parsley. Guests were also served pan-roasted main lobster with shallots, thyme, and cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche; prime-aged beef tenderloin medallions with Bordelaise sauce; twice-baked Yukon gold potatoes with cheddar and scallions; and asparagus. For dessert, guests enjoyed a lemon meringue tart with raspberry sorbet and raspberry coulis. The event featured live entertainment by Jessie\u2019s Girls, as well as a special performance by Grammy\u00ae-Award-winning singer Bruce Hornsby, who was hand-selected by Susanne and Bill Pritchard. Hornsby performed his chart-topping songs for guests, including The Way It Is<\/em>, The End of Innocence<\/em>, and Mandolin Rain<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n THE PURPOSE<\/strong>: This year\u2019s event, chaired by Susanne and Bill Pritchard, raised a total of $1.9 million to support the Museum\u2019s general operating budget. Supporting local communities and giving hope to those in need has been a hallmark of the House of Harry Winston, the evening\u2019s presenting sponsor, since its founding in 1932.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_flex_gallery gallery_ids=”35943,35944,35945,35946,35947,35948,35949,35950,35951,35952,35953,35954,35955,35956,35957,35958,35959,35960,35961,35962,35963,35964,35965,35966,35967,35968″ show_title_and_caption=”off” disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.0.9″ caption_font=”||||||||”][\/et_pb_flex_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MFAH Grand Gala Makes Artful Impact By Jennifer Roosth – Photography by Jenny Antill, Daniel Ortiz & Wilson Parish THE SETTING: Nearly 300 guests recently walked the pink carpet for the Grand Gala Ball at the Caroline Wiess Law Building of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Reflecting the theme Abstraction: Moving into Modern, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35941,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" THE SCENE:<\/b> Recently, the Center for Child Protection hosted its 12<\/span>th<\/sup><\/span> annual <\/span>Dancing with the Stars<\/i> <\/span>event presented by Lexus of Austin and Lakeway. This annual winter social mainstay, held at the JW Marriott, featured 850 notable and stylish Austinites for an evening of fun those on hand will not soon forget.<\/span><\/p> THE VIBE:<\/b> This black-tie extravaganza began in the ballroom foyer of the JW Marriott for cocktails where Austin\u2019s hip and chic mingled with other partygoers as well as the celebrity dancers. The festivities then moved to the ballroom where guests took to their seats and as they dined on a multi-course meal listened to personal video testimonials of how the Center for Child Protection has positively impacted the Austin community. Next was a spirited live auction where guests bid on a host of luxury items. <\/span><\/p> After the live auction, came the main event, the performances by the 12 celebrity dancers. Cheering on their favorites, the revelers were often brought to their feet by the show-stopping performances. Guests then voted for their favorite dancers before Kendall Beard McMinn was crowned the winner. Then, the action continued well into the night as guests danced the night away to the tunes of DJ Gatsby.<\/span><\/p> THE CAUSE:<\/b> The event, chaired by Francie Little and Jenny Mason, raised $1.4 million for the Center for Child Protection. Over the past 25 years the Center for Child Protection has served as a first stop for children in Travis County who have witnessed violent crimes or have experienced physical or sexual abuse.<\/span><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[969,7,41],"tags":[59,871,60,872,61,873,65,66,69,135,328,693,694,58,870],"yoast_head":"\nThe Center for Child Protection\u2019s Annual <\/b><\/span>Dancing with the Stars<\/i> <\/b><\/span>Features 12 Austin Celebrity Dancers<\/b><\/span><\/h2>
By Rob Giardinelli \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Photography by Estrella Chacon, Jeff Loftin Photography, Christina Murphy and Haley Plotkin Photography<\/b><\/span><\/h4>