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    Wearable Art

    TSU University Museum gala showcases wearable art and honors iconic Texas artist

    Clifford Pugh
    Jun 15, 2016 | 9:00 am

    Art intersected with fashion in a big way at the For The Sake of Art gala and runway show at the Omni Hotel Friday night. The biennial fundraiser for The University Museum at Texas Southern University honored iconic Texas artist Kermit Oliver, a TSU grad whose work is a campus highlight,and avid Dallas art collector Shelby Marcus, who has championed Oliver's career.

    It also provided an opportunity for creative designers to whip up wearable art based on Oliver paintings. The 10 finalists, selected by a panel of judges, thrilled the crowd with a runway presentation that showcased unique and innovative looks of wearable art.

    First place went to Deanna Santiago, who created a pink paper dress of Bible verses topped with a see-through coat of pressed flowers. Nevelyn Williams, who by day is a security guard at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, took second place for a colorful skirt and blouse made with a pressed technique that was so beautiful it moved celebrity judge, designer Kevan Hall, to tears. (Other judges were designer Cesar Galindo, artist Michelle Barnes, fashion blogger Beth Muecke, and yours truly.)

    Third place went to Andrea Giralt Brun, with a striking blue-and-yellow yarn-threaded skirt, sleeveless blouse, cape and matching purse. Most Creative Design went to Shirlette Thompson, who created a mini-dress of orange peels, while crowd favorite Carol Watson won the People's Choice award, based on audience texts, for a colorful reversible kimono ensemble.

    Gala chair Merele Yarborough and University Museum director Alvia Wardlaw were thrilled that the evening raked in more than $200,000, a record for the event. The well-dressed crowd, who were asked to dress in "artful black tie," lingered around the silent auction items, including two packages of tickets to Beyoncé's September concert at NRG Stadium, donated by her mother Tina Knowles-Lawson, one of the evening's honorary chairs.

    "All I can say is we've come a long way baby," Knowles-Lawson told the crowd, referring to the wearable art event, where she previously served as judge. "The creativity is unbelievable. Being a designer, I can appreciate how you can take hardly anything and turn it into something magnificent. That's what these people have done."

    Oliver, who is known to be extremely shy, was a no-show as his award was accepted by his daughter, Kristi Oliver Pullings, and brother Karl Oliver. But Marcus was quick to sing his praises. She noted how her now-deceased husband, Lawrence Marcus, had recommended Oliver to officials at Hermès, where he remains the only American artist to create scarf designs for the French fashion house. (Oliver and Marcus attended an intimate dinner at the Hermès River Oaks store Thursday night as part of the celebration.)

    "Lawrence saw in Kermit the things I had always seen," Marcus said. "I love Kermit Oliver's work."

    In tribute to Oliver and Marcus, the Sacred Ensemble, featuring soprano Shana Mashego, performed a moving musical tribute, "What Wondrous Love Is This," based on the Oliver work, The Resurrection.

    Also seen in the crowd were Dr. John and Lora Clemmons, Percy and Cheryl Creuzot, new Texas Southern University president Austin Lane and wife Loren, Hallie Vanderhider, Gayla Gardner, Yolanda Adams, in a beautiful blue gown designed by Hall, emcees Ernie Manouse and Joy Sewing, Winell and Doug Herron, Shelby Hodge and Shafik Rifaat, Roz and Alan Pactor, and Houston businessman Reginald Van Lee, an honorary chair whose foundation was a presenting sponsor of the evening, along with H-E-B. Van Lee, who spoke briefly to the crowd, had the best quip of the night as he promised a short speech.

    "As Kim Kardashian told her first husband, this will not take long," he said.

    Yvonne Cormier, Rufus Cormier.

    For the Sake of Art, Yvonne Cormier, Rufus Cormier
      
    © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
    Yvonne Cormier, Rufus Cormier.
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    Children At Risk

    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston

    Joel Luks
    Apr 11, 2025 | 9:15 am
    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston
    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston
    Fred Armisen brings the funny to benefit child advocacy in Houston

    In a ballroom brimming with heart and humor, more than 430 changemakers gathered at The Post Oak Hotel for Stand Up for Children, Children At Risk’s annual soirée in support of Texas’s most vulnerable. Suzan and Jeremy Samuels and Beth Wolff helmed the evening as event chairs, celebrating a night that raised $360,000 to fuel the nonprofit’s advocacy efforts tackling child poverty and inequality.

    The always-charismatic Khambrel Marshall returned to the stage as emcee and auctioneer. The crowd lit up for Emmy-nominated comedian and musician Fred Armisen, whose smart and quirky set — punctuated with guitar riffs and rhythm shifts — drew roaring laughter from the well-heeled audience.

    President and CEO Dr. Bob Sanborn reminded guests of the organization’s mission as a nonpartisan force for strategic research and public policy. Rep. Ann Johnson brought the message home with personal reflections on the devastating realities of human trafficking and the urgent need for community awareness and legislative change.

    A highlight of the evening: the recognition of Dr. Sippi Khurana as Community Honoree. Her passionate remarks, grounded in data and compassion, underscored why Children At Risk’s work matters more than ever. Her third-grade daughter, Seva, charmed the room with a beautiful invocation.

    Table centerpieces from H-E-B set the stage for a spirited evening of mingling, raffling, and bidding. Silent auction items kept smartphones buzzing, while live auction paddles flew high — especially for a “his and hers” package featuring dazzling Niara Jewelry earrings.

    Seen in the crowd were Ellen Sanborn, Doe and Henry Florsheim, Jenny and John Seo, Katy and Ed Wolff, Cynthia Wolff, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Ann and Jonathan Ayre, Ajay Khurana, Kristen Cannon, Nina and Clint Rand, Sneha and Nick Merchant, Alice and Matthew Brams, Shaina Perry and Jeremy Ross, Shawn and Donald Bowers, Amy and Rob Pierce, George Connelly and Evelyn Leightman, Katie and Seth Tsuru, Jayne Johnston, Dr. Julie Dickson, and David Charles.

    Children at Risk 2025 gala
      

    Photo by Daniel Ortiz

    Sippi Khurana, Fred Armisen, and Ajay Khurana.

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