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Retired SEAL, bestselling author Marcus Luttrell electrifies Medical Center crowd

What: The Partners Spring Luncheon

The scoop: The Partners Chair Trish Greaser, and Co-Chairs Charis Cox, Stacie Fernandez, and Judy Jackson welcomed over 300 Partners members and guests to the River Oaks Country Club to raise more than $180,000 for Jane and Robert Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth student scholarships and faculty endowments.

Luncheon guests were inspired by the stories of heroism and survival from keynote speaker Marcus Luttrell, retired Navy SEAL and New York Times bestselling author of Lone Survivor. Luttrell, a Texas native, shared the harrowing story of four Navy SEALs who journeyed into the mountainous border of Afghanistan and Pakistan on Operation Redwing. The book (and subsequent major motion picture) is a moving tribute to his friends and teammates who did not make it off the mountain.

“Our primary goal is to support Cizik School of Nursing and their efforts in educating tomorrow’s nurses,” says Trish Greaser, Partners chair. “Thanks to the amazing work that our members have done, this year’s luncheon raised an incredible amount of money in support of student scholarships, faculty research grants, and endowments for the school.”

Partners was organized in 1994 to support and encourage the students and faculty of Cizik School of Nursing, and raises funds through the Circle of Support, the Spring Luncheon, and other special events to provide nursing scholarships and faculty research grants. This year’s honoree and long-time Cizik School of Nursing supporter was the John S. Dunn Foundation.

Who: UTHealth School of Nursing Dean Lorraine Frazier; UTHealth Development Board Chair Phil Ferguson; John S. Dunn Foundation President Charles M. Lusk III; Trish Greaser; Charis Cox, Stacie Fernandez and Judy Jackson; Jane and Paula Cizik; Margaret Ann Barnett; Dionne Breen; Jason Fertitta; Nanette Finger; Judith Fred; Clare Attwell Glassell; Susan Hansen; Judy Margolis; Adrian Melissinos; Dorothy T. Nicholson; Maria Pappas; Diane Riley; Ann Gordon Trammell; and Jeanette Woods.

Amber Carter, Kayleigh Lamphere, Dr. Allison Edwards, Bianca Maciel, and Belle MacFarlane.

Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Amber Carter, Kayleigh Lamphere, Dr. Allison Edwards, Bianca Maciel, and Belle MacFarlane.

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Party Watch

Contemporary Western art shines at Galveston museum fundraiser

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

What: Art Untamed, A Night of Contemporary Western Art

Photo by Jacob McCready

Ryan Horton, Meredith Peebles, Taylor Crowder, Kara Przybyl McIver, and David McIver.

Where: The Lancaster Hotel

The Scoop: With cowboy boots traded for cocktail attire, more than 115 artists and art lovers moseyed into downtown for Art Untamed, an evening that lassoed the spirit of the West with a modern twist.

Now in its fourth year, the fundraiser benefiting The Bryan Museum was steered by a dedicated committee including Christine Glover, Linda and Bill Reeves, and Guylene and Jay Lendrum. The event spotlighted 32 Southwestern artists featured in the Visions of the West exhibit.

Guests sipped and mingled during cocktail hour, sizing up 73 pieces ranging from luminous landscapes to storytelling textiles. The live auction, led by crowd-favorite auctioneer Randolph Holford, delivered a flurry of paddles in the air, especially for Bob Stuth-Wade’s radiant Santiago Peak from Chalk Draw, Nathaniel Garza’s moody Three Reasons, and Echo Ukrainetz’s intricate batik honoring cowgirl trailblazer Lucy Mulhall.

The weekend kicked off at The Lancaster Hotel, where partner Jay Shinn hosted artists and VIPs at a reception in the historic property set to celebrate its centennial next year. During the festivities, museum founder JP Bryan captured the mood best.

“A collection is an expression of a soul; it speaks to where our heart is,” he said. “That is why the museum was founded, to share the important story of Texas and the American West through a world-class collection, outstanding exhibitions, and educational programming.”

The evening raised nearly $100,000 to support educational programming and outreach at The Bryan Museum.

Who: Lori Leal Wedemeyer and Barkley Wedemeyer, Sassy Stanton, Bill Pinckard, Mike Glover, Shara Fryer, Barry Silverman, Frank Rynd, Deborah and Monte Stavis, Kelly and Luis Zúñiga, Kara Przybyl McIver and David McIver, Dianne Reynolds, Stephanie and Brent Kindle, Penny and Townes Pressler, Linda and Jerry Dickson, Bob Leibrock, Paulina Padilla, Nocona Burgess, Vickie McMillan-Hayes, Ricardo Robles, and Bob Stuth-Wade.

museums fundraisers bryan museum visual-art