Surrealist Art Inspires a Wild $2.5 Million Houston Night — Inside The Menil Collection’s Unforgettable 35th Anniversary Bash
A Milestone Moment Brings Out Houston's Biggest Names
BY Shelby Hodge // 12.10.22
The stilt walker welcomes guests to The Menil Collection's 'Cirque Surréaliste' 35th anniversary gala (Photo by Jenny Antill)
With its premier collection of Surrealist art as inspiration, The Menil Collection celebrated its 35th anniversary with an otherworldly evening for which Fernand Léger, Alexander Calder and their like would have surely applauded. In fact, it was Léger’s “Study for the Grand Parade” and Calder’s “Two Acrobats” that informed the genius of The Events Company, which was tasked with interpretation of the Cirque Surréaliste theme.
The evening began with cocktails under the big top — a decorous tent swathed in stretches of red and gold and centered by a stage where a playful Pagliacci catered to the photo whims of the 500 guests who swanned through the tent in black-tie regalia.
Beyond the flock of waitstaff from Jackson & Company passing through with wines and cocktails and trays of hors d’oeuvres, the thick crowd parted for the towering stilt walker and for the juggler and magicians who plied their talents throughout the circular tent.
As befitting such a milestone anniversary, those who were key to the museum’s success were in attendance including chair emerita Louisa Stude Sarofim, a vital figure in The Menil‘s stewardship, accompanied by her daughter Allison Sarofim and Patrick Seabase, and her brother philanthropist Mike Stude; Susan and Francois de Menil; board chair Janet Hobby with husband Paul Hobby; and Elsian Cozens, Dominique de Menil’s longtime assistant who was integral to the museum following the founder’s death.
“I’m so moved by all of this, by what the Kellys and the Fitches have done,” Louisa Stude Sarofim tells PaperCity. “I’m just overwhelmed with the success and fun and the excitement of it all.”
She was referring to Linda and George Kelly and Cindy and David Fitch, who chaired Cirque Surréaliste and were major underwriters along with acclaimed New York based art dealer Larry Gagosian. In their able hands, the evening raised $2,540,000. Proceeds go directly to support the museum’s green spaces, art buildings and programs, which are free and open to all.
Fall Tabletop
Following cocktails, guests paraded through a brief tunnel accentuated with gilded triangular arches to the grand ballroom for dinner by Jackson & Company and dancing to the big band sounds of Vintage 15. Indeed, the decor was grand and belied the fact that the seated dinner took place in yet another tent. This one draped from ceiling to floor in voluminous swaths of shimmering midnight blue fabrics and hung with Art Deco-style chandeliers. Echoing the theme, ballroom walls were lined in vintage French circus posters. A midnight blue carpet was underfoot.
Dinner entertainment, circus-themed of course, featured jugglers, a unicycle rider and performing dogs.
In her brief remarks to the gathering, museum director Rebecca Rabinow reminded that The Menil has one of the world’s most important Surrealist collections. It boasts one of the largest groups of works by René Magritte outside of his native Belgium, 59 in total, as well as 162 works of Max Ernst.
Rabinow also acknowledged special guests Almine Ruiz-Picasso and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, the grandson of Pablo Picasso and holder of one of the most extensive collections of Picasso works. The couple jetted in from their home base in Monaco.
PC Seen: Project Row Houses director Eureka Gilkey; Row Houses founder/UH professor and Gagosian-represented artist Rick Lowe, as well as fellow artists James Surls and Charmaine Locke in from Colorado, Tara Conley, Nestor Topchy (readying for his Menil solo this summer), Rabea Ballin, and Terrell James with architect husband Cameron Armstrong; collectors Suzanne Deal Booth in from Austin, Penelope and Lester Marks, Leigh Smith, Jereann Chaney, Judy Nyquist, Mary and Marcel Barone, Dorene and Frank Herzog, and Cindy and Larry Burns; power gallerists including Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino’s Allison Armstrong Ayers and husband David Ayers and Carlos Bacino just back from exhibiting at Art Basel Miami Beach, Moody Gallery’s Betty Moody and Lee Steffy, Hiram Butler, Barbara Davis, Janice Bond, and Britt Sager; Katherine Warren; Court of Appeals Justice Meg Poissant; and Rice professor Cary Wolfe.
PC Seen reporting by Catherine D. Anspon.
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