With a Monumental Donation from Lyda Hill, The Perot Museum Kicks Off Its Tenth Anniversary Year

The Setup: The 2021 Night at the Museum, which kicked off the 10th anniversary of the Perot in Dallas.

The Setting: On museum grounds beside the Victory Park nature and science museum, designed by 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Thom Mayne.

The Scene: Not many Dallas galas begin the night with a fireworks display, but then again, the Perot’s Night at the Museum has never been a typical fundraising event. Hosted in open-air tents beneath the stars and beside the striking Victory Park building, the 2021 fall gala (designed and produced by  Valdivia Ventures) featured a fantastic live band, well-stocked open bars, and two Motus Red photo moments, but it was the unexpected details — arcade games, science demonstrations, and a VIP opportunity to party with dinosaurs  — that made the night a purely Perot affair. Even the Wolgang Puck-catered dinner, which included chicken pot pies and cacio e pepe mac and cheese, was delightfully distinct.

The night reached a fever pitch with dancing and limbo (thanks to a game trombone player). The celebratory mood was fitting for the evening, which marked the beginning of the Perot Museum’s tenth anniversary year. We should note that accompanying those aforementioned fireworks, philanthropist Lyda Hill, a longtime supporter of the museum, announced a $2 million donation, bringing the total funds raised during the evening to $4 million for educational programming, scholarships, and research.

PC Seen: Co-chairs Karen and Alan Katz, Lindsay and George Billingsley, and Talene and Hagop Kozanian. Notable attendees include, Lyda Hill, Baxter and Amber Venz Box, Kameron Westcott, Marjon Henderson, Paula Crevoshay, and Catalina Gonzalez Jorba