Houston’s Art Ladies and a Remarkable New Collection Make This Another Great Night

It was indeed “Another Great Night” for femmes supporting the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston when Sabria and Kevin Lewis opened their art-filled home in Broadacres to the clutch of contemporary art world sophisticates.

The Lewis’ home, designed by Birdsall Briscoe in 1926, houses more than two dozen pieces from internationally renowned artists, including Marc Chagall, Yves Klein and Robert Rauschenberg. Also on view was artist Jamal Cyrus‘ Sonic Heritage (2018), which the artist has donated for the April 30 CAMH gala and art auction.

The impressive museum-quality collection, curated by Lea Weingarten, elevated the annual art hunt as the ladies considered works from Alice Tippet, Gaozhong Wu, Joseph Havel and more, which they would be quizzed on over dinner with a prize going to the smartest woman in the room.

For example, which artists in the Lewis collection had had solo exhibitions at CAMH? That would be Jennie C. Jones and Mark Flood. And who owned this house when Another Great Night was held in 2004? Marion Barthleme.

CAMH director Hesse McGraw was the only gent allowed in the party scene and he only stayed briefly to thank museum supporters and event chairs Nancy Abendshein, Frances Lummis, Isabel Lummis and Elisa Pye.

Following their art survey, the 150 ladies adjourned to a party tent decorated by Rebekah Johnson with pops of color provided by florals and painted panels reflective of the colorful Léo Chesneau piece in the home. Silver Stone Events provided the light meal, selected by the chairs to appeal to a female appetite. Think lemon artichoke soup and cheese soufflé.

Tootsies returned as luxury retail underwriter of the event and donated four dreamy raffle items that contributed to the fundraising which reached $200,000.

PC: Seen: Chesney Petkovsek, Blakely Hamblen, Madison Deal, Maggie Lummis, Carma Abboushi, Elizabeth Smith, Jenna Lindley, Margaret Strode, Janie Zilkha, Ashley Klaasmeyer, Phoebe Tudor, Paula Daly, Gillian Sarofim, Carla Diaz-Lewis, Meagan O’Shaughnessy, Anne-Marie Soza, and Gage Negley.