What a class act—Giuseppe Verdi’s famed Italian opera Rigoletto was the theme of this year’s La Bella Notte, Nashville Opera’s most popular fundraiser. The black-tie event was held at Loew’s Vanderbilt Hotel, which set the mood for a beautiful evening with lovely patrons, including the chairs Laura Bearden and Laura Niewold.
The highlight of the evening featured the Nashville Opera performing short acts from Rigoletto between courses as patrons enjoyed a wonderful four-course dinner. Using the signature colors of La Bella Notte, the ballroom had a soft red glow featuring black tables and chairs. Jane Sloan of Branches created centerpieces of wrought iron and crystal candelabras featuring Venetian glass containers filled with red roses. Venetian harlequin masks were placed within the candelabras, giving a dramatic opera feel.
Jane Bogle was the recipient of the Francis Robinson Award for her years of support and love of the Nashville Opera Guild.
The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville hosted its Bowtie Awards recognizing outstanding business support of the arts. Laurie Eskind, Vicki Horne, and Ellen Leifeld chaired this inaugural luncheon event at the Wildhorse Saloon. Steve Turner, dressed in his Manuel sequined tux coat, was master of ceremonies. Steve joined Martha Ingram and Mayor Karl Dean in sharing the theme “Art is Good Business! Art is Big Business!” Nashville is proud to be Music City, but music is just the silver lining of our city’s broad array of world-class art—performing, visual, literary, fashion and culinary—that drives the spirit of our city. Awards were given in honor of corporate support of the arts. Earl Swensson was the 2010 recipient of the Martha Rivers Ingram Arts Visionary Award.
The Swans are out of hibernation and were nesting at Phyllis and David Vandewater’s home to unveil plans for the upcoming white-tie Swan Ball 2010. Vibrant, movement, grandeur, modern, and memorable were the hints that Swan Ball Chairs Sissy Wilson and Collie Daily shared with the group. This is the fiftieth anniversary of Cheekwood, and to coincide with this date and the grand opening of Cheekwood’s much-anticipated Chihuly exhibit, the date of the ball has been moved to May 25.
Highlights will be jewelry by Verdura, the presentation of the Swan Award to Lynn S. Wyatt of Houston, and entertainment by Al Green, Burning Las Vegas, and Nashville’s own Craig Duncan Orchestra. Chef Danielle Kates will be preparing and presenting the evening meal as her father has for the past thirty years. Color, energy and elegance describe this year’s ball design by New York-based design team Van Wyck & Van Wyck. This ball was built on volunteers, which hopefully will continue—a Nashville tradition. (Oh the great days of Roberta!) It sounds to be a most glamorous ball! Missy Eason and Shannon Barton, Swan Ball Chairs for 2011, will be sure to take notes this year. Congratulations, Cheekwood!
Tennessee Repertory Theatre is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary season this year. The season-opening show, Proof by David Auburn, proved to be a perfect example of the first-class talent that Tennessee Rep was founded on and has continued through the years. Proof is based on math—a mathematician’s dream! (Lost me when the lights went out; I still remember those paper flash cards.) Prior to the show at the Andrew Johnson Theater in TPAC, the First Night Supper Club was held at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis in the Nashville City Center. Hosting this event were Megan Barry, Chris Chamberlain and the lovely Sally Levine.
Hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, silent auction, seated dinner…it was a delightful start to a most enjoyable theater evening. Congrats Tennessee Rep for your successful twenty-five years. (I still do not understand a2 + b2 = c2.)
Back in 1991 (the dark ages) two amazing ladies, Connie Cigarran and Sigourney Cheek, had the idea of combining the ageless beauty of antiques with the natural beauty of horticulture in one show, and the Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville was born. The show would benefit Cheekwood and the Exchange Club of Nashville, two causes close to these women’s hearts. Twenty years later the show is bigger and stronger than ever, thanks to these two incredible ladies who will always be Nashville treasures.
Show chairs for 2010, Donna Dalton and Carolyn Hannon, have successfully continued the tradition with this year’s theme “The Shape of Things to Come” presenting shapes and patterns from the past alongside contemporary designs of the future. This show would not be possible without the participation of 150 antique and garden dealers bringing their expertise to Nashville from across the nation and Europe.
As always there are parties: the first on the agenda was the Benefactor’s Reception chaired by Ann and Alex Buchanan and Mary and John Stone, hosted by Honorary Chairman Emeritus Albert Hadley with his sister Betty. (Of course we all know that Albert is a former Nashvillian.) An hour later the same evening was the Preview Party chaired by Susan Burns, Martha Hayworth and Devereux Pollock. Both of these events offered the patrons the opportunity to view and shop before the doors opened to the public the next day. (We just love a good pre-public party!)
The antiques and horticultural booths displayed period antique furniture, rugs, porcelain, silver, jewelry, paintings and other works of art from around the world. The gardens were rich in colors and textures, all following the show’s theme of shapes. My favorite garden was designed by Stephen Wells and Chris Crenshaw. These guys designed their creative garden around stripes, noticed in the paving patterns, fence boards, awning fabric, and rows of columnar flowers and trees. I guess I was so drawn to this garden because it had a beach-y feel to it that was a welcome sight in this frigid weather. My buddy Jim Fowler, a Nashvillian exhibiting for the first time at this show, had an amazing array of antiques, collectibles, and jewelry. He had a green diamond that was to die for. Jim is no stranger to fine antiques; he was born into the business.
As I was walking through the gardens (not tiptoeing through the many tulips) I spotted this life-size rocking horse—turns out this was a replica of a rocking horse that had been made for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret by the Steven Brothers Rocking Horse Manufactory in England, the world’s oldest. These are not your basic carousel horses; they are made of mahogany, with leather saddles and real horsehair. Toby Rhodes and Ed Nash were kind enough to let me experience a ride (no, I was not deprived of a rocker in childhood). Now that was a showstopper! This rocker may be yours for a mere $12,000— a steal: some range up to $35,000. Happy trails.
This year’s Antiques and Garden Show was in memory of Jesse Colton. Jessie was instrumental in developing the Lawn and Garden Fair, which was later reinvented as the Antiques and Garden Show. Thanks to Jessie, Connie, Sigourney, Donna, and Carolyn and the many past chairs and endless volunteers, this show has become the leading show of its kind in this country. Congratulations. You have given us so much to be proud of!
by Ted Clayton
