Mingling with Dali, Miro and lamb chop 'lollipops'

The Salvador Dali Museum opened its newest exhibit, Dali and Miro circa 1928, Friday evening, with the museum's Joan Kropf and co-curators William Jeffett and Laura Coyle present to discuss the work.

Coyle, it turns out, is a longtime friend of Jennifer Hardin, chief curator at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg; they were classmates at Princeton. Hardin's husband, restaurateur Emanuel Roux, greeted Coyle and her daughter, Mariana Robertson, at the reception.

Janice Embrey, who has been a docent at the museum for six years now, wore her "Miro chapeau," a hat she found on eBay, decorated with Miro's art.

I also saw museum founder Eleanor Morse, director Hank Hine, Mary and Tom James, Helen and Dick Minck, Tina Douglass, Amy Lowry, Peter Tush, Ed Caldwell, Andy Corty, Ardith Rutland and Dr. Norval Marr, Georgia Parsons, Jane Roberts, Doug Strutz, Chris Fraser, Nancy Rutland and Allen Loyd.

The hors d'oeuvres, prepared by Mattison's, featured a cheese course and other buffet items, but the most popular appeared to be the little lamb chop "lollipops" that were passed on trays and devoured.

Supporters of the Pinellas Association for Retarded Children got entertainment along with dinner Feb. 19 at "A Wedding to Die For," a mystery theater benefit held at the TradeWinds Sandpiper Resort in St. Pete Beach.

Between courses, actors from MurderS She Wrote Inc. performed a melodrama that centered on the wedding of Lorna Dune and Umberto Marinara and the activities connected to it.

To no one's surprise, a "killing" took place. Guests who paid close enough attention throughout the evening to fill in the clues provided in the program were challenged to solve the crime.

The committee that organized the event comprises Cecile Berko, Phyllis Eig, Pati Gross, Susan Pilon, Elaine Wides and JoAnne Zappala.

PARC president Curt Thomas was present for the fun, along with his wife, Nancy, Ken Wides, Candy Scherer, Pierre LaMonde, Corinne Freeman, Helen Hameroff, Arlene Rothman, David Gross, Noel Sams, Abe Katz, Karen Keaton, Carole Zappala, Andrea Zappala, Linda and Ken Bittner, Mel Gross, Bruce Evensen, Barbara Doyle, Monica DiGiovanni, Diedre Cavener, Linda Burhans, Kelli Rose, Roberta Yancey, Carolanne Zelenak, Laurie Oates, Patricia Walters, Richel Shay, Sheryl Gibson, Theresa Esposito, Elizabeth Cooke Barron and Stan and Estelle Marsh.

Mary Mahoney, PARC's public relations director, invited me to join past and present board of directors at lunch Feb. 18 at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.

Alas, I had to miss that event and was disappointed to have done so, for it set the stage for the organization's yearlong celebration of its 50th anniversary.

Marty Medley, PARC's current board chairman, president emeritus Bert Muller and former chairman Jim Newman led the event.

Guests, well-known for their contributions in the community, included Bill Heller, Stephanie Goforth, Mary Wyatt Allen, Chris Finch, Sally Anderson, Brian Heeren, Tom Fisher, Dudley DeGroot, Skip Carr, George Bell, Bill Davenport, Greg Cunningham, Jerry Curley, Dr. Mack and Susan Hicks, Dave Pilkington, Dr. Michael Reynolds, Stan Salzer, Mark LaPrade, Marshall Rousseau, Paul O'Connell, Donna Nagelsen, Nick and Carol Monti, Malcolm King, Marsha Irvin, Dr. Ray Wunderlich, John Stross and Dr. Thomas White.

LOOKING AHEAD

March 7

AS TIME GOES BY: Fundraiser for Florida Blood Services Foundation features 1940s Casablanca theme. Cocktails, buffet, entertainment. 5:30-8 p.m. Private home. $65. Reservations received until Friday. 568-2231.

TASTING WITH A TWIST: Record stories about living in St. Petersburg. Appetizers, beverages, music. 6 p.m. St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 Second Ave. NE. $20 members; $25 nonmembers; 894-1052, ext. 205.

SOIREE ON THE BAY: Florida Orchestra Guild Designers' ShowHouse Gala. Cocktail buffet, dancing. Black tie optional. 6 p.m. $50. Reservations received until Friday. 344-5404.

March 8

A PROGRESSIVE ADVENTURE: Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, dinner tour of private homes with art collections. Benefit for the Arts Center. $150. Reservations received through Saturday. 822-7872

-- 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.

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