Jun 16, 2008

Artworks saved from Katrina exhibited at Cantor

By Janet Duca Norton / Society Columnist

An eclectic traveling exhibition from the New Orleans Museum of Art opened at Stanford's Cantor Arts Center with a premiere party on June 4. Titled "Saved from the Storm: Masterworks from the New Orleans Museum of Art," the show features 80 paintings, drawings and sculptures by 60 artists from the 17th through mid-20th century.

Organized in partnership with the prestigious New York City gallery Wildenstein & Co., the exhibit is a benefit for the New Orleans Museum of Art's Katrina Recovery Fund. Stories of museum volunteers removing art from the flooded basement, staying in the museum to deter looters long after they were told to evacuate, and those volunteers who were forced to leave when National Guardsmen carrying rifles wouldn't negotiate, illustrate another view of the nightmare that was Katrina.

New Orleans Museum of Art executive director John Bullard said the exhibition was assembled in a record-breaking 10 months by Wildenstein, and praised the handsome exhibit catalog that contained an interesting history of New Orleans. The exhibition, which debuted at the Wildenstein gallery, will be displayed in six venues, ending at the Kalamazoo Institute of Art in Michigan.

Bullard said Cantor is the most impressive of the six venues. Bullard, who has led the New Orleans art museum for more than 30 years, and Bernard Barryte, Cantor's curator of European Collections and manager of publications, discovered they had more than the exhibit in common; they are both Los Angeles natives who attended Southern California colleges before going East for graduate studies. Barryte said his favorite pieces were a John Sargent life-size portrait and a Picasso still life.

More than 650 members and friends viewed the interesting, trend-setting European and American works. The 20th-century pieces included paintings by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Rene Magritte, Georgia O'Keeffe and Jackson Pollock. In recognition of New Orlean's French heritage, the collection emphasized French artists, including a life-size portrait of Marie Antoinette by Louis XVI court painter Elisabeth Vigee-LeBrun, a Claude Monet, and a trio of Edgar Degas paintings and a sculpture.

The outdoor reception, with swamp coolers and black beans and rice, had the feel of the "Porgy and Bess" lyrics "Summertime, and the living is easy." Heading the list of opening-night guests, talking about the show and sampling the Creole cuisine, were Cantor executive director Thomas Seligman and his wife Rita Barela, Jeff Traum, Roger Day and Joan Hong, Betsy Gamburd, Jane Lanza, Terry Kurfess, Michael and Anna Clare Paulker, Pat and Philip Wilkinson, and Carol and Joel Friedman.

The exhibition continues until October 5.


‘BIRDS AND BLOOMS’ GARDEN PARTY
A pair of gorgeous gardens and 100 custom-designed birdhouses shared the spotlight with Bay Area vintners and restaurants at the Palo Alto-based Environmental Volunteers "Birds and Blooms" benefit on June 1. Homeowners Kathy and Michael Ladra, along with Karlene and David Elder, welcomed around 300 guests to their Atherton gardens.

The afternoon garden party featured birdhouses that were sold by auction, pairings of gourmet food and fine wines, garden demonstrations, and jazz by the Millennium Trio and Kenection.

"Birds and Blooms was a wonderful success. The event raised $40,000 that will support our work teaching children to love natural science," said Allan Berkowitz, Environmental Volunteers executive director.

Event chairs Stephen and Susan Hansen, who presented this first-time fundraising event, had the pleasure of introducing honorary chairs Bob and Jan Fenwick before announcing it was the kickoff for an ambitious EcoCenter capital campaign.

Susan is chair of the $4 million campaign for the transformation and renovation of the historic Sea Scout House in the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. The ship-shaped building designed by premier Palo Alto architect Birge Clark will not only be renovated into the new community EcoCenter, which will be the site for Environmental Volunteers' new and expanded science education programs, it will be an environmentally friendly project, employing sustainable green-building materials and practices. The project is a partnership with the city of Palo Alto, which is charging Environmental Volunteers $1 annual rent for 40 years.

Executive director Berkowitz announced, "Fenwick Hall will honor Jan and Bob Fenwick for their decades of support and leadership. The Environmental Volunteers is an infinitely better organization because of their dedication and commitment."

Environmental Volunteers' vision is to teach children about the natural world and inspire them to become responsible stewards of the Earth. In 2007, 10,000 elementary and middle school children were taught nine natural science lessons in small group settings by the organization's well-trained volunteer docents. The hands-on classes are augmented with field trips designed to let children explore local ecosystems.

"For 36 years, Environmental Volunteers has been a series of grass-roots success stories," Berkowitz said. "We teach nature facts and we educate to the heart."

Guests included Leannah Hunt and Sally Falkenhagen, who was pleased to win the live auction prize - a consultation with garden experts from Taproot Design & Fine Gardening and a gift certificate for plants from Wegman's Nursery.