Event Date: May 12, 2023
Location: The Glassell School of Art
Event: Gala
Beneficiary: The Glassell School of Art
No. in attendance: 200
Money Raised: $285,000
Décor, Florals, Tenting and Audio/Visual: The Events Company
Cuisine: City Kitchen
Photography: Wilson Parish
The Weird and Welcoming 2023 Glassell School of Art Benefit and Auction
The 2023 Glassell School of Art Benefit and Auction brought out the colorful, the eclectic and the absolutely “weird” as they celebrated their annual gala with two-hundred “kooky” revelers. Part of the excitement included the welcoming of the new Glassell Director, Paul Coffey. For more than a decade, Coffey was Vice-Provost and Dean of Community Engagement at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In mid-July, he succeeds retiring Director Joseph Havel.
After an almost four-year hiatus, The Events Company’s grand tent was again constructed on the Brown Foundation Plaza, just outside the Glassell School. Inside the structured pavilion, décor from The Events Company featured a psychedelic array of colorful streamers, linens, Pon Pon Ranunculus and neon centerpieces, mimicking a tie-dye expression.
City Kitchen was the caterer of choice. Their presentation of Braised Beef Short Rib, Grilled Salmon, Sardinian Couscous, Haricots Verts and Key Lime Cheesecake was one of the evening’s highlights.
Playing off of our state capitol’s “Keep Austin Weird” slogan, attendees admired the Glassell School’s unique spirit fostered by communities of artists and creatives of all ages for almost a century by theming the event “Keep Glassell Weird.” Another highlight of this yearly event is the unique silent auction, which features works primarily from Glassell faculty, alumni, and local artists, and includes a variety of mediums, from paintings to photographs, sculptures to jewelry. The gala’s success continues, with more than $285,000 raised!
After the scrumptious cuisine, Houston’s DJ Druw brought party-goers to their feet and onto the dance floor. Glassell School’s PNC Roof Garden was the locale for an even weirder after-party and featured ukulele player Ryan Suzuka and unbeatable views of the Houston skyline.
Socially present (not previously mentioned): Leslie and Brad Bucher, Sue and Rusty Burnett, Olya Zuiak and Glen Bucher, Leslie and Jack Blanton, Jereann Chaney, Sam Gorman, Heidi and David Gerger, Nora and Bob Ackerley, Claire and Doug Ankenman, Mary and Bernie Arocha, Brad Blume, Carla Knobloch, Micheline and German Newall, Judy Nyquist, John and Kathy Orton, Beverly and Howard Robinson, Betty Moody and Kerry Inman
