Shelby's Social Diary
CAMH gala rocked even before the after-party crowd poured in
The Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston "Fresh Tread" gala was already rocking when a crowd of younger professionals poured in for the post-dinner "Burning Rubber" adjunct to the main gala.
For a lower ticket price, the thirtysomething crowd was invited in to dance and imbibe with the big-ticket grown-ups, who had been schmoozing for several hours at the black-tie gala held in the museum. After-party chairs Sara Strohmeyer, Philip Beck and Susan and Philip Berry led the throng that took to the dance floor with enthusiasm when the Austin band Skyrocket cranked up.
Among the fresh faces in the crowd were Nicole Laurent and Joey Roman, Mercedes Smith and James Glassman, Courtney Ormand and Austin Brooks and Dahyna and Francis Giampietro, the performance artist who was hauling around the 500-pound tractor tire at the start of the evening.
One small glitch, when the band was ready to start, the tire was still in the middle of the dance floor and Giampietro had already changed from his he-man costume into party clothes. In the end, the tire was moved to one side.