What: Denali Foundation "A Night in the Sky" gala.
Where: The Corinthian.
The scoop: A black-tie crowd of 250 were wowed when internationally renowned slackliner Faith Dickey walked a taunt tightrope high above them inside the columned event space. The entertainment signified the triumph over fear that is a mission of the Denali Foundation, which celebrates the intersection between adventure and art. Proceeds from the third annual gala will be used for art supplies to be distributed to Houston-area schools that lack the funding for art programs in a partnership with the Assistance League of Houston.
Honorary chair Joanne King Herring shared her insights into overcoming fear and pursuing adventure in her own fabled life while KPRC Channel 2 anchor/reporter Andy Cerota, who served as the evening's emcee, recounted the mission of the foundation, which Sequoia Di Angelo started to honor her father, Marty, and brother, Denali, who were killed in an avalanche while climbing mountain K2 in 2013. The foundation is also developing an art and educational facility in Nepal, started with the help of funds raised from Houstonians at this and previous Denali galas.
New York-based artist Sabin Howard, who is developing the design for the World War I Memorial in Washington D.C., was honored as the Artist of the Year.
Guests also enjoyed dinner catered by Jackson and Company, grooved to tunes from LA DJ Luny C, and bid on auction items, including a trek to a Mount Everest base camp, custom earrings by jewelry designer Peter Martino, a signed photo of Willie Nelson, and a modern art masterpiece created during the gala by Taft McWhorter.
Who: Spotted in the crowd were gala co-chairs Beth Wolff and Gregg Harrison, Assistance League board member George Connelly, Jr., Maria and Neil Bush, Dorothee and Benjamin DeChaudenay, Leslie and Dan Hassen, Caroline and Gary Kenney, Wanda Adams, Steve Payne, Tracy and Harry Faulkner, Dana Kervin, Graydon Parrish, Karen and Peter Martino, Jentry Kelley, Mahzad Mohajer, Parissa Mohajer, Naseem Athari, Maryam Afshari Khreibani, Sahar Athari, and Shadi Abedin.
Shaun Lynch, Jentry Kelly.
