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By LENNIE BENNETT
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 5, 2001
On Wednesday, the day I wrote this column, my horoscope in the St. Petersburg Times, Section D, Page 9, read: "Your enthusiasm is contagious today, Leo. Getting others to do what you want shouldn't be a problem if you use the right method of persuasion."
Do you pay attention to this stuff?
The question came up Tuesday evening during the Art After Five gathering of Zodiac Group members and friends at Grand Finale restaurant. The Zodiacs, who are affiliated with the Salvador Dali Museum, take their name from the original Zodiac Group, 12 friends of Dali's who got together in Paris in the 1930s to give him financial support during a fallow period, each buying one of his paintings. Dali himself was always interested in the signs of the zodiac and he used their imagery in many of his works.
Appropriately, art by Kevin Kuenzel on display at Grand Finale included a series of new work based on astrological signs, and was debuted in conjunction with the Zodiac Group's Art After Five, a mixer held every couple of months.
Kuenzel is a Libra, which means he is "companionable, pleasant and diplomatic," according to the World Book Encyclopedia.
On brief acquaintance, anyway, he seemed to be.
"I don't want to say I don't believe in astrology," Kuenzel said, "but so much of it is how you're predisposed to these things."
That is a very Libra-ish thing to say and too true. The only times I am predisposed are when I like what the horoscope says, although I stopped reading them after the prediction that I would have one of the best days of my life came on the same day I received two parking tickets. As a Leo I am supposed to be, according to World Book, "cheerful and powerful" but I can tell you I was neither when I got nailed twice by the meter people.
Chris Allen, one of the organizers of the party, said he is a Gemini, "and I think I have two different personalities."
He also has two dogs, whom we got sidetracked discussing before I could ask him about his two personalities, but his World Book description ("lively and talkative") is on target.
Then there was the distraction of Ana Crespo's outfit, mostly a large Chanel silk scarf she wrapped around herself, and I forgot to ask her sign, but the outfit, like its wearer, fit the Aries description -- "bold and energetic."
Ms. Crespo recently signed an agreement with Grand Finale owner Brian Wellman to keep his restaurant walls covered with the work of local artists she represents -- the first being Kuenzel's -- that she will rotate every 10 weeks. She is also in the early stages of design and planning for a project, with artist Sterling Powell, in the Grand Central District in St. Petersburg. The pair are trying to develop a piece of land into a commercial-residential project with an industrial loft look.
Other Zodiac supporters included Pamela Jenkins, Brad and Melody Stang, Debbie Harris, Meredith Brand, Frank Baptie, Toni Tassoni, Karen Arena, who said she is looking forward "to having a life again" now that she has received her MBA, and Patty Rondolino, who will be looking for new digs for her successful Designer Consigner business since the current Beach Drive building is scheduled to be razed, making way for a large apartment complex being planned. (If you have any ideas, let her know; her preference is to stay downtown.)
Kuenzel's proud mom, Marlyss Kuenzel, was on hand, chatting with David Del Vecchio, a law school friend of Kevin's. Kuenzel graduated from Stetson law school, where his late father, Cal, was a professor, "but he'd rather be creative than practice law," Del Vecchio said, so in addition to his art, Kuenzel makes his living as an architect.
Jon LaBudde is about to embark on what he calls "a new phase in life." The businessman, who operated the Big Catch on Beach Drive before it fell to the wrecking ball, and continues to own Reno Beach, recently opened a second beach shop, Echo Beach. But his big news is that he will leave in September for two months of training for missionary work, after which he will depart for Honduras.
"I'm not leaving here," he said. "I'll still have my home and my businesses, and do missionary work for one or two months at a time. But this has answered something for me."
Wellman set out some lovely trays of appetizers to keep us fueled, including smoked salmon roulade, lemongrass smoked beef tenderloin and fat sea scallops topped with a saffron-ginger aioli. It all went quickly.
Grand Finale is one of my favorite restaurants, so I was glad to hear from Brian that "June and July were better than January and February for us, which is unheard of here."
He attributed the anomaly to the opening of BayWalk, "which sucked the life out of us," but said things have stabilized and business is once again good.
And now back to my horoscope: The astrologer got it all wrong. I did not persuade anyone to do the laundry, clean the house, cook dinner or write my column. And I sure tried.
WORDS TO MUSIC: Deborah Siladie and Steven John Hibbs collaborate for a performance to raise money for their appearance at the International Poet of the Year competition in Washington, D.C., in late August. Pianist Siladie will perform her compositions written for Hibbs poetry. Accompanying them will be percussionist Jose Rios and flutist Joseph Z. 6 p.m. reception with hors d'oeuvres and cash bar; 7 p.m. performance. Perch restaurant, Beach Drive and Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. A prix fixe dinner will be served at 8 p.m., by reservation, for $25. The group will perform again at 10 p.m. downstairs in Ten Beach Drive. 527-5832.