Event Date: May 6, 2022
Location: Rienzi
Event: Gala
No. of Attendees: 159
Money Raised: $133,000
Beneficiary: Rienzi
Chairpersons: Catherine and George Masterson, Kathy and Harry Masterson, Libbie Masterson and Mark Sullivan, Tiffany and Charles Masterson and Wylie and Stewart Masterson Jr.
Underwriter: Van Cleef & Arpels
Décor & Florals: Swift & Company
Cuisine: Swift & Company
Photography: Wilson Parish
Rienzi Spring Party 2022
Former House of Masterson Becomes “House of Tiles”
A storm that rescheduled the event to the following night couldn’t stop the festive crowd of 150 from enjoying a night in the gardens of Rienzi. Chairpersons Catherine and George Masterson, Kathy and Harry Masterson, Libbie Masterson and Mark Sullivan, Tiffany and Charles Masterson, Wylie and Stewart Masterson Jr. and corporate underwriter Van Cleef & Arpels were front and center as $133,000 was raised to provide funds for Rienzi’s operating budget.
Rienzi is the former home of philanthropists Carroll Sterling Masterson and Harris Masterson III. This River Oaks estate, located on Kirby Drive, was designed by prominent Houston architect John Staub in 1952. In 1997, the Masterson family donated this prestigious manor to MFAH and it was then opened to the public in 1999. The interior houses a substantial collection of European decorative arts, paintings, furnishings, porcelain, and miniatures. The exterior showcases stunning gardens, a magnificent fountain and swimming pool.
As guests arrived, they were greeted with a harpist and then taken inside to view the galleries. Outside, poolside cocktails were served and models draped in Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry strolled through the crowd.
Renowned caterer Swift & Company took the décor choices from Casa de los Azulejos (“House of Tiles”), an 18th century baroque palace in Mexico City where Carroll Masterson spent many great years. White and blue rococo-patterned linens featuring a cobalt blue tile design, which were topped white and green florals, covered the manicured lawns. Lanterns and strings of bistro lights provided a tropical ambience and were complemented by coffee tables and rattan-style chairs around the pool. The Mexican-themed menu featured chicken street tacos, fresh market corn salad, the caterer’s famous souffle with baguettes, guava-glazed pork tenderloin sandwiches, chocolate-cinnamon milkshakes and coconut-lime cupcakes.
Olé for another successful event!
Socially present (not previously mentioned): Whitney Crane, Isla and Tommy Reckling, Rosslyn and Marshall Crawford, Geer and Libba Blalock, Jacqueline and Thomas Cole, Jane DiPaolo, Scotty Finnegan, Carroll Goodman and John Wessels, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Celina Hellmund, Jim and Kelly Higgason, Carmen and John Knapp, Nancy Littlejohn, Mariquita Masterson, Alan May, Christiana McConn, Cabrina and Steven Owsley and Gillian Sarofim
