“Honoring Artful Women” at Newport Art Museum's Summer Gala

Bill & Nancy Wilson

Fine arts supporters, artists, and creative-minded philanthropists arrived at the Newport Art Museum for celebrating and “Honoring Artful Women,” the theme of 2011’s annual summer dinner-dance and patron's soiree. “Remembering the Ladies: Women and the Art Association of Newport” is currently exhibiting at the Museum, and the summer gala shared a similar theme, specifically dedicated to one woman in particular: philanthropist, collector, and champion-for-the-Arts Diane “Dede” Wilsey, sister of Wiley Buchanan and daughter of philanthropist Ruth Buchanan.

The event attracted a bevy of prominent benefactors (over 260, to be exact), including Dodo van Beuren and sister Happy van Beuren, Lou Fazzano and Constance Evrard, John and Peggy Richmond, Bill and Alison Vareika, David Thalmann, Leith Adams, Nancy and Ernst Rothe, David Ford and Pamela Fielder, Tom and Kathleen Cullen, Bill and Nancy Wilson, George and Nanette Herrick, Sandra Ourosoff, Ron Fleming, John and Jae French, and many more. Wilsey’s lovely long green dress, dotted with pink roses, was the perfect Newport color palette, and captured the essence of a lovely summer evening (and it was that!).

Co-chairs Jean & Sidney Gorham

Newport Seen especially enjoyed chatting with Ruth Buchanan (Wiley’s and Dede's mother) and Betsy Copeland (mother of Rusty Powell), who looked radiant in shimmering blues and greens, and who proudly announced that not only are the same age (92), but they are having just as much fun as they ever did – certainly an inspiration to all of us!

Guests first gathered within the interior galleries, enjoying refreshments and hors d’oeuvres and admiring painter Trent Burleson's vast, dreamy, soft-hued “Birds and Other Metaphors” exhibit; Burleson also attended the event.

Co-chairs for the party were Jean and Sidney Gorham; joining them in greeting new arrivals were Board President Rod O’Hanley and museum Executive Director Lisa Goddard and her husband Tom Goddard.
Following the interior reception, guests were ushered outside to a large white tent on the museum lawn, where they enjoyed a lovely seated dinner and a live auction, featuring such items as a William Heydt portrait (which brought in the largest bids), VIP tickets to Celtics and Red Sox games, a dinner for 10 with wine pairings at Sweet Berry Farm, and the chance to “rename” the museum for a day.

Yadira Titus & Larry Brown

Dede Wilsey was officially recognized for all of her charitable efforts and contributions to the arts in Newport and San Francisco, and was presented with an original Matthew Buechner glass vase by Lisa Goddard, and with a Congressional Citation from Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline. Following dessert, the Bob Hardwick Orchestra took the stage and played upbeat tunes, inspiring guests to the floor for the “dance” portion of the dinner-dance. Ultimately, $225,000 was raised to benefit the Museum’s exhibition, education, outreach, and historic preservation programs.

To learn more about the Newport Art Museum, call 849-8201, or visit www.newportartmuseum.org