party watch

Houston society birds of a feather flock together at soaring zoo bash

What: Zoo Ball: Flights of Fancy

Where: Houston Zoo

The scoop: More than 400 Houstonians flocked to Houston Zoo for Zoo Ball: Flights of Fancy, presented by Phillips 66, the annual gala which raises vital funds for the Houston Zoo. The black-tie event celebrated the "wondrous" world of birds and raised nearly $800,000 to support the zoo. This year’s event, hosted by chairs Demi and Ron Rand, was themed to highlight the zoo’sefforts to care for and protect birds around the world.

The party-goers turned up the volume on gowns and glamour, and the zoo transformed its tented event space, Masihara Pavilion, into a colorful ballroom. City Kitchen served a multi-course dinner beginning with a spring medley panzanella, followed by savory prime aged filet of beef in pinot noir wine reduction over saffron orzo pilaf with sweet peppers and broccolini, and macerated peaches with blueberry sorbet, candied orange rind and almond cookie for dessert.

Lee Ehmke, zoo president and CEO, shared the zoo’s plan for a new Avian Conservation Center opening in 2021. The center will enhance the zoo’s efforts to breed endangered birds like the Colombia’s blue-billed curassow. This plan will also revitalize the zoo’s bird garden to better showcase the many birds in beautiful new aviaries.

Guests bid on silent auction items during cocktail hour with the highest bid going for a Tenenbaum Jewelers bangle bracelet for $5,000. After dinner, a spirited live auction called by auctioneer Mark Thomas, highlighted three very competitive items. Week-long stays in private homes in Big Sky, Montana, and Cabo San Lucas went for $10,000 and $12,000, respectively. Beverly and Jim Postl won the chance to name the three alligators that will live in the new Texas Wetlands exhibit for $13,000.

This year, Flock members Sam Cole and Jacki Levett-Prinsep hosted the Zoo Ball After Party. Audio House kept revelers dancing until midnight.

Who: Demi and Ron Rand (Zoo Ball chairs), Kelley Lubanko, Kelli and John Weinzierl, Sam Cole and Jacki Levett-Prinsep, Amber Akers, Lee Ehmke (Houston Zoo president and CEO) and Sue Chin; Beverly and Jim Postl, Bob Edwards, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Peggy Kostial, and Macey Reasoner Stokes and Bob Stokes.

Sue Chin and Kelley Lubanko.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Sue Chin and Kelley Lubanko.

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