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On the town

Arts events share lot of weekend attention

By MARY JANE PARK
Published March 9, 2005

It was a wonderful weekend for focusing on the arts.

Just ask Tom and Mary James, who made some purchases at Tampa's Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. (Raymond James Financial, where Tom James is the chief executive, was the sponsor.)

Early that evening, they came home to Pinellas County in time to dress for Saturday night's black-tie gala at the Salvador Dali Museum.

Bill and Hazel Hough, the Jameses, museum co-founder Eleanor Morse and her son Brad received guests along with executive director Hank Hine and his daughter Grace.

Raymond James Financial, Tom and Mary James, Frank and Carol Morsani of Tampa and the Hough Family Foundation were major donors toward the museum's new acquisition, Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea Which at Twenty Meters Becomes a Portrait of Abraham Lincoln.

Numerous other contributors made financial gifts to purchase the work, which Dali painted in 1976. It is a memorial to the late Jack Painter, a museum trustee who died last year.

Tom James, who has been the museum's president for 11 years, received the Morse award, a crystal obelisk from Tiffany.

Dinner patrons were seated in the museum's galleries at tables decorated by several Tampa Bay area florists in the deep bronzes and blues of the painting.

Guests included Florida first lady Columba Bush, who is honorary chair of the Dali Centennial; Jim and Kathy Martin; Dick and Helen Minck; Gus and Frances Stavros; Jim Hascall; Bill Emerson; Bill Habermeyer; Rabbi David Susskind and Aila Erman; Karen White; Tim and Anje Bogott; Bob Ulrich; Bob and Tina Douglass; Jerry Kendall; Marshall Rousseau; Andy Corty; Irwin Miller; Royce Haiman; Dr. Allen Root; Bill an d Kathy Stover; state Rep. Frank Farkas; Dr. Lawrence Merritt; Jonathan Bruckner; Jodi Forca; Al Hughes; Catherine McGarry; Mary Margaret Winning; Dick and Shawn Ulrich; Ted and Jean Wittner; Yann and Susana Weymouth; Chris Fraser; Burton Bullard and Deanna Barcelona; Adrian and Yvonne Marrullier; Ron and Jane Anne Lees; Ed and Betty Shamas; Dr. Bob and Elaine Hearn; Matt and Joanne Bisset; Mike Pierro and Grace Lager.

Karol Bullard and Jeannine Hascall chaired the event committee, which included Betty Corty, Christine Eastman, Sally Habermeyer, Charlotte Kendall, Suzanne MacDougald, Carole Merritt, Sonya Miller, Janet Root and Barbara Ulrich.

Another big draw Saturday evening was the Arts Center's Progressive Adventure IV, which offered tours of collectors' homes in St. Petersburg's Old Southeast neighborhood.

Hosts were Jim Howell and Bob Devin Jones, Astrid and David Ellis, Bev and Scott White and Babs Reingold and James Wightman.

Most guests parked near the Arts Center and went inside for drinks, hors d'oeuvres and a tour of the "London Now: Are You in Love Yet?" exhibition, saw a raku demonstration by Don Williams, then boarded buses to visit and dine in the show homes. Then it was on to dessert and after-dinner drinks at the home of Phil and Michele Harley, who are restoring the Rutland estate.

Rhythm and blues group Act III had people dancing on the expansive porch and on the lawn.

The crowd included Arts Center executive director Evelyn Craft, Bud Risser, Beth Morean, Terry Collins, Jimmy Aviram, Bob Stackhouse and Carol Mickett, Mark and Marty Petty, Jana Jones, Kenny and Karen Irby, Edward Rucks, Steve an d Rita Obrochta, Dar Webb and Clint Page, Janet Raymond, Fred McCoy, Evan Whittle, and Clark and Monica Mason.

The event committee consisted of Barbara DeMaire, Kathryn Boeckman Howd, Suzanne MacDougald, Barbara McCoy, Sonya Miller, Lenn Neff, Barbara Sansone, Angel Schumaker, Fran Risser, Diana Whittle and Arts Center colleagues Lara Shelton, Donna Fletcher and Karin Edmiston.

It was a tough call for supporters of the Dali and the Arts Center. Neither event seemed to suffer as far as attendance was concerned, but many loyalists have deep interests in both, and some volunteers labored long on both parties.

I didn't make it to Fire and Ice, the annual gala that raises money for Shorecrest Preparatory School.

Diana Whittle, Shorecrest's marketing and communications director, reports that nearly 400 attended the event, where retiring head of school Mary Harden Booker welcomed guests and acknowledged event chairs Andrea Wilson and Vicky Tylman.

Bidding can become vigorous at these school fundraisers, especially among proud parents competing for their children's class projects. Word has it that a long-haired miniature dachshund puppy drew lots of emotional interest and a winning live-auction bid from John and Nikki McQueen.

Attendees included Fred and Gail Razook, David and Michelle Rau, Bob and Sally Willis, Pat and Toni Walsh, Laura Jenkins, Skip Tylman, Ken Wilson, Ward and Marianne Boston, Bill and Kathy Stover, Dr. Ludner and Michaella Confident, Evan Whittle, Lee and Caryn Rightmyer, Dr. Andy and Janet Peterson, Mark and Marty Petty, Roy and Judy Applebaum, Troy and Judy Holland, Mark and Celeste Stroud, Beth Morean, John and Patty Farese, Bruce and Diana Haskell, Joe and Kathy Saunders, Mark and Kathy Mandula, Tony Pemble, Mark and Tiffany Lettelleir, Pete and Ashley Gairing, Marshall and Diana Craig and Gary and Jean Carnes.

Dr. Koco Eaton was the featured speaker at last month's benefit for the Science Center of Pinellas County, which featured a film presentation about his late uncle Vivien Thomas.

The evening's discussion focused on Thomas' medical achievements, including his influential role in developing a treatment for "blue baby syndrome." It also celebrated the center's exhibition featuring African-American inventors and scientists.

Thursday

SPRING INTO LIFE: Annual gala for ALPHA, A Beginning. 6 p.m. All Family Community Center, 7655 38th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. $50. 394-9791.

Friday

SAFARI KNIGHT: Benefit s Canterbury School of Florida. Safari theme dinner, silent and live auctions. 6 p.m. TradeWinds Island Grand Beach Resort, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. $90. 521-6201, ext. 24.

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.

[Last modified March 9, 2005, 00:54:20]