PARTY WATCH

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston celebrates 75 years with a jewel-themed party

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) rolled out the purple carpet to celebrate their 75th year with the Diamond Anniversary Gala and Art Auction on April 6. Revelers dressed head-to-toe in their best monochrome looks and walked the purple carpet before entering the Brown Foundation Gallery which was bathed in refracting light.

In keeping with the sparkling gemstone theme, over 300 attendees enjoyed clear and reflective decor at the event co-chaired by Anita and Gerald Smith and Leigh and Reggie Smith. Drinks flowed at the silent auction before Kam Franklin of Houston-based band The Suffers invited guests to settle in for dinner.

Contemporary Arts Museum Gala 2024 Kam Franklin and Unique James at the CAMH 75th Anniversary Gala. Photo by Emily Jaschke

CAMH Executive Director Hesse McGraw, the gala's keynote speaker, celebrated the milestone occasion by highlighting some of the most memorable exhibitions and touching on future events at the museum including solo exhibitions by Olivia Erlanger and Theaster Gates. Guests had the opportunity to bid on artwork from notable names including Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Ming Smith, Anni Albers, and Antony Gormley.

Those who weren't ready for the evening to end danced the night away at the "Diamonds in the Sky After Party." DJ Big Reeks of the Waxaholics presided over the after party in the Eleanor and Frank Freed Garden outside the museum. The late night partiers were treated to cocktails by Lalo Tequila and high-end skincare by Buttah.

Contemporary Arts Museum Gala 2024 Attendees at the after party.Photo by Emily Jaschke

Notable attendees include: Mara and Erick Calderon, Johanne Beaulieu Gatto and Joe Gatto, Carrie and Sverre Brandsberg-Dahl, Ruth Dreessen and Tom Van Laan, Siggi and Martellus Bennett, Valerie Cassel Oliver, Katharine Barthelme Frank and Shane Frank, Cece and Mack Fowler, Leslie and Brad Bucher, Mary and Dr. Bernardino Arocha, Marley Lott, Kathy and George Britton, Shawn Roberts, Dillon Kyle and Sam Lasseter, Cindy and David Fitch, Amy and Blair Garrou, and John Roberts.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston(CAMH) rang in its 75th Anniversary with the Diamond Anniversary Gala and Art Auction on Saturday, April 6, 2024.

Cozy Fun

Houston hospital's pumpkin party blends fall fun with pediatric purpose

Children's Memorial Hermann Pumpkins in the Park 2025

Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Holly Blalock Guthneck, Kathy de la Mora, Amalia Stanton, Amanda Boffone, Melissa Sugulas, and Libba Blalock.

Families flocked to McGovern Centennial Gardens for a charming Sunday at Pumpkins in the Park, a cheerful fall fête hosted by Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Memorial Hermann Foundation. With cozy ambiance and a community-forward spirit, the event celebrated the hospital’s nationally ranked specialty care and the families it serves.

Under crisp autumn skies, more than 200 guests arrived to find a scene straight from a storybook: A towering custom-built pumpkin archway, fragrant cinnamon-spiced air, and a sailcloth tent humming with laughter and live country tunes from The Hunter Perrin Band. Little ones wove through pumpkin tic-tac-toe and pin bowling while parents sipped apple slushies and loaded up bushel baskets with treats from cozy food stalls like soft pretzels, kettle corn, and iced sugar cookies.

Fall-themed flair came courtesy of Blooming Gallery, with creative direction and planning by Lauren Gow. Swift & Co. handled the crave-worthy bites, and Double Vision Texas Chainstitch turned keepsake fashion into live art, stitching custom names and designs on the spot.

Speakers, including Amalia Stanton, Anne Neeson, and Dr. Damien LaPar, reminded attendees of the deeper mission. Stanton and Neeson spotlighted the hospital’s trailblazing status as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and the only Houston hospital that can treat entire families under one roof. LaPar, who leads the Children’s Heart Institute, shared inspiring patient stories and underscored the hospital’s nationally recognized outcomes in congenital cardiac surgery.

Embracing autumn were Chita Craft, Tonya Callendar, Jennifer Allison, Kristy Bradshaw, Felicia Stone, Amalia Stanton, Anne Neeson, Amanda Boffone, Kathy de la Mora, Melissa Sugulas, Holly Blalock Guthneck, Libba Blalock, Angie Matula, Nancy Bihlmaier, Katie and Scott Arnoldy, Christine Falgout-Gutknecht and Bill Gutknecht, Valerie and Tracy Dieterich, and Dr. Mary Aitken.

Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Holly Blalock Guthneck, Kathy de la Mora, Amalia Stanton, Amanda Boffone, Melissa Sugulas, and Libba Blalock.

fundraisers hospitals childrens memorial hermann hospital