© St. Petersburg Times, published September 29, 2002
Previews of coming attractions are great fun, and members of the Stuart Society of the Museum of Fine Arts got a foretaste Thursday morning of an exhibit that will open early next year at the Tampa Museum of Art.
Aaron Paul showed Bruce White photographs of items that will be on view in Magna Graecia: Greek Art from South Italy and Sicily from Feb. 2 through April 20. They will be outside Italy and inside the United States for the first time, first at the Cleveland Museum of Art, then across the bay.
Through sculpture, architectural details, vases and other items, the exhibit will feature works of Greeks who colonized southern Italy and Sicily 13 centuries ago.
Dr. Susan Beaven introduced Paul, who is the Richard E. Perry curator of Greek and Roman art at the Tampa museum.
Eric Lang Peterson brought flowers as a memorial for deceased Stuart Society members; the most exquisite were calla lilies with aubergine blooms.
Among those filling the Marly Room were Lucy Fischer, Carol Dameron, Iris Salzer, Meg Wiltse, Bonita Cobb, Pat Eckert, Betty Breedon, Mary Shuh, Ruth Gray, Alice Eachus, Myrna Davis, Starr Weihe, Carol Upham, Mary Evertz, Carmen Moore, Sheila Mutchler, Demi Rahall, Suzanne MacDougald, Cary Bond Thomas, Glenn Mosby, Nancy J. Thomas, Anne Anderson, Marilyn Armstrong, Louise Weaver, Angi Jennings, Terry Ray, Anne Shamas, Donna Fletcher, Kim Brett, Mary Perry and Marilyn Mars, who also came over from Tampa.
One longstanding tradition the group upholds is that of serving coffee and homemade tiny sweets and savories, so rare these days.
Outdoors in a strong, Isadore-driven breeze, members partook of fresh raspberries, cucumber sandwiches, deviled eggs, minuscule brownies and other bite-sized treats.
Personal Enrichment through Mental Health Services gave its annual PACE Awards Sept. 19, recognizing individuals well-known for their community contributions: Pinellas County commissioner Susan Latvala, St. Petersburg City Council Chairwoman Rene Flowers, Pinellas sheriff's Deputy Jason Brown, England Brothers Construction Co. owner Terry England and Palladium Theatre executive director Paul Stavros.
Dennis and Susan Jones were honorary hosts for the dinner, which was held at the Bayou Club in Largo. Yolanda Fernandez, a news anchor for WFLA-TV, was mistress of ceremonies.
Tuesday
MEMBERSHIP COFFEE: Sword of Hope, American Cancer Society event, Pasadena Yacht & Country Club residence. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. 867-6030.
HOSPICE CLASSIC: Second annual golf tournament benefits Hospice of the Florida Suncoast. 11:30 a.m. Copperhead course, Westin Innisbrook Resort, 36750 U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor. $500. 586-4432.
IT'S FASHIONABLE TO BE AWARE: Midday Business and Professional Women sponsor a benefit for Reach to Recovery program for breast cancer survivors. Wine, hors d'oeuvres, informal modeling. 5:30-8 p.m. Coplon's, 156 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg. $40. 821-8211.
ST. ANTHONY'S CARILLON OUTPATIENT CENTER GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY: 6-8 p.m. 900 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg. Open to the community.
BAY BASH BALL: "Escape to Rio: A Journey Into the Imagination," fundraiser sponsored by Bayfront Center Auxiliary and Foundation. Dinner, dancing, live auction. 7 p.m. Palm Court Ballroom, Renaissance Vinoy Resort, 501 Fifth Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. $150. 893-6148.
LAW REVUE FALL 2002: Benefits Community Law Program, presented in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Bar Association. Lawyers and other area legal notables perform onstage. 5:30 p.m. Palladium, 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Petersburg. $15. 582-7402.
-- Mary Jane Park can be reached at (727) 893-8267; fax (727) 893-8675; e-mail park@sptimes.com; P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.