New Lamborghini Unveiled

New Lamborghini is center of attention at high-octane black-tie dinner

We dare say that Rienzi, the stately museum home in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston stable of riches, has never before witnessed a more high-powered gathering than the other night when Lamborghini roared in with four of its hottest numbers.

The occasion was a black-tie evening celebrating the U.S. dealership premiere of the new Huracán, a 10-cylinder, four-wheel drive, 600 horsepower, 5.2 liter sports car. This baby starts at $240,000. Fully-loaded, it's yours for around $275,000.

"Tonight, Rienzi is celebrating Italian in every sense of the word," said Lamborghini Houston owner Todd Blue. "It's celebrating the luxury lifestyle that Lamborghini represents and celebrating everything that's great about Houston. We put all that together and said, 'What a great place to have a party on a beautiful evening like tonight.'"

Blue pulled out the stops for Lamborghini aficionados, transforming the Rienzi courtyard into an open-air showroom and dinner setting with Swift + Co. providing all the touches from floral arrangements to lavish furnishings to the impressive buffet. Indoors, the ballroom had been cleared of its antiques so that songbird Yvonne Washington and Positive State of Mind could entertain. Yes, there was dancing on the parquet floors (the antique rug removed for cleaning).

In addition to the Huracán, which was ceremoniously unveiled later in the evening, guests could inspect the $500,000 Aventador (12-cylinders, 700-plus horsepower), a vintage SUV cum desert mobile that was designed for Saudi Arabian princes and the Super Trefeo race car.

Lamborghini today is owned by the Volkswagen Group and run by Audi, Blue explained, adding, "With Lamborghini, you have the Italian design and everything great about Italy — foremost in design and excitement and sexiness and luxury. And you have German engineering behind it all. So it's the best of both worlds in sophisticated cars."

Lucky ones on this invitation list included Kelly Wolf, Elias Alyassir and Gabrielle Green, Lisa and Phil Natland, Kelly and Albert Chlouber, Angie and Paul DeWeese, Haden and Dr. Michael Yafi and Justin Hopkins.

Justin Hopkins, left, with IndiGo Girl and Chris Mastrangelo.

13 Justin Hopkins, left, and Chris Mastrangelo at the Lamborghini party September 2014

Photo by Leah Wilson

Justin Hopkins, left, with IndiGo Girl and Chris Mastrangelo.

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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