Badie Khaleghian plays at Rice University's Moody Center for the Arts' seventh anniversary annual fundraising dinner. (Photo by Hung Truong)
Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts celebrated its seventh anniversary with a spectacular fundraising dinner that had everyone raising a toast. Chaired by the dynamic duo Nancy and Clint Carlson, the event drew a crowd of 140 distinguished guests.
This year, acclaimed artist Hayv Kahraman took the spotlight. Her powerful spring exhibition titled The Foreign in Us captivated audiences at the Moody Center.
Inside the Moody Center Magic
The evening kicked off with a lively cocktail hour, where attendees enjoyed a hands-on crafting experience in the Moody Makerspace. There, they created beautiful marbled tissue paper flowers. Dinner took place in Moody’s central gallery, where everyone dined amidst Kahraman’s stunning artwork.
The feast was catered by City Kitchen. It featured grilled snapper with saffron beurre blanc, Yukon gold potato hash and indulgent white cheddar biscuits.
Inspired by the exhibition, The Petaler Floral and Events Co. crafted custom table arrangements that beautifully reflected the vibrant pops of pink in Kahraman’s artwork. In addition, the florals, along with recreated Middle Eastern pickled vegetables known as torshi, added a unique and colorful touch to the tablescapes.
Remarks from Moody Center executive director Alison Weaver, Rice University president Reggie DesRoches and Elle Moody set the tone. Following these remarks, the evening continued with a captivating performance from musician Badie Khaleghian. Notably, Khaleghian delivered an exceptional live show on the Kamancheh, a Persian string instrument, in honor of Kahraman’s Iraqi-Kurdish heritage.
SHOP
PC Seen: Elle and Clarke Anderson, Linda Anderson, Mary and Marcel Barone, Suzanne Deal Booth, Deborah Brochstein and Steven Hecht, Susan Brochstein, Leslie and Brad Bucher, Kathleen and Bob Clarke, Liz and Steve Crowell, Paula DesRoches, Nancy Dunlap, Cece and Mack Fowler, Barbara and David Gibbs, Elizabeth and Albert Kidd, Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell and Derrick Mitchell, Jimmy Gray, Judy and Scott Nyquist, Mary and Ben Patton, Ellen Susman, Gary Tinterow and Christopher Gardner, Lea Weingarten, Cyvia Wolff, Jeff Martin, Lacey Dorn and Trevor Paglan.
The Moody Center’s highly anticipated fall exhibition, featuring internationally renowned artist Do Ho Suh’s In Process, will open on Friday, September 6. The exhibit will be on display until Saturday, December 24 and tickets are free. Register for Soh’s opening reception here.
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