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 A beautiful, perfect summer day in early May
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| Hippo Playground in Riverside Park. 7:15 PM. Photo: JH. |
May 7, 2010. A beautiful, perfect summer day in early May, was yesterday in New York. Sunny and warm; followed by a perfect evening with a lot events going on and New Yorkers out for a stroll or a bite to eat at the sidewalk restaurants.
At noontime, down at Cipriani 42nd Street, United Cerebral Palsy of New York held its “Women Who Care” Luncheon honoring: Ann Curry, Francine LeFrak, Linda Kaplan thaler, JoanAnn Natola, Dr. Pamela F. Gallin, and Anita and Gary Geresi. Presenters were: Cynthia Nixon, Jimmy Smits, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Alan Rickman, Meredith Vierira, Tinsley Mortimer, Robin Givens, Paula Zahn, Matethew Settle, Tamara Tunie, Bryan Batt, Donna Hanover, Timothy Mandala, Rita Cosby, Loreeen Arbus, Cathleen Black, Brenda Saget Darling, SaCha Stewart-Coleman and Eden Duncan-Smith.
The luncheon was sold out; jammed, to the vaulted rafters. Among those attending: Kathie Lee Gifford, Hoda Kotb, Natalies Morales, Jim McGreevy, Alexandra Reeve, Sky Sheridan, Tommy Tune, Judy and Rod Gilbert, Ramona Singer, Somers Farkas, Jimmy and Margo Nederlander, Veronica Kelly, Patricia Duff, Faye Wattleton, Susan Fales-Hill, Lillian Vernon. |
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| The luncheon tables yesterday at the United Cerebral Palsy New York City's Women Who Care luncheon, with Meredith Vieira at the podium. |
| Meredith Vieira telling the audience about Ann Curry and why she admires her so much. |
Women Who Care is the creation of Loreen Arbus, to honor female roles representing various segments of the community, celebrating women who have blazed new paths, broken glass ceilings and inspired others.
United Cerebral Palsy of New York City is one of this country’s most established charities helping children and adults with disabilities. UCP/NYC serves more than 14,000 people and families through 75 programs, including health care, education, employment, housing and technology resources. They are keeping it together for thousands of individuals who need that extra bit of a hand to make a better community for everyone. |
| Rita Crosby. |
Mike Woods. |
Linda Kaplan Thaler and Cynthia Nixon. |
| Francine LeFrak, Timothy Mandala, and Loreen Arbus. |
JoanAnn Natola and Brenda Saget Darling. |
| Robin Givens. |
Jimmy Smits. |
Kathie Lee Gifford. |
| Ann Curry and Meredith Vieira. |
Bryan Batt and Loreen Arbus. |
Down at MoMA, they held a book launch for Citizen You (Crown Publishers) by Jonathan Tisch, Loew’s Co-Chairman of the Board and a member of the Office of the President of Loew’s Corporation. Mr. Tisch is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of its subsidiary, Loews Hotels, and the author of two books.
In Citizen You, he reveals how “active citizens” use their professional skills to alleviate social problems.
The guest list was brimming with distinction and boldfacers although without question, the major bearer of the light was The Prez, William Jefferson Clinton. Mr. Clinton is by virtue of his charisma, usually the center of attention, and it’s amusing just to observe because he clearly revels in the energy, and he returns it like the perfect volley. |
| President Bill Clinton, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jonathan Tisch, and Marie-Josee Kravis. |
He was in good company: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michael Douglas, Charlie Rose, Graydon Carter, Gayle King, Amy Fine Collins, Mickey Drexler, Chuck Scarborough, Arthur and Linda Carter, former NYPD Commissioner and LAPD Chief William Bratton, Agnes Gund, Marie Rafferty, Doug Band, Tory Burch, Frederic Fekkai, Marie-Josée Kravis, Lisa and Phil Falcone, Harold Ford, Nicholas Berggruen, Alexandra Lebenthal, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Rosanna Scotto, Jerry Speyer, Bettina Zilkha, Alice, Tom, Billie and Laurie Tisch.
The Tisch Family is a major philanthropic and business force in New York. Two brothers, Larry and Preston Robert (Bob) Tisch started out as very young men in the 1950s in the hospitality business, when it was known as the hotel business with a hotel on the Jersey shore.
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| President Bill Clinton and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. |
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| Jonathan Tisch and President Bill Clinton. |
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In the 1960s, these two men created, first through a series of mergers and acquisitions, a conglomerate of profitable companies from financial, to consumer goods, to hotels to what is now Loew’s Corporation. As their businesses grew, so did the families of both men. Today, many of their heirs are active as a unit and as individuals in many New York projects and institutions.
What is remarkable now is that the children of Larry and Bob Tisch have carried on their fathers’ legacy. Jonathan Tisch is a good example of what the Tisch name means in the city today, and last night’s guest list, as well as venue, was witness to it.
Party attendees featured in the book as exemplary citizens:
Jim Anderson, former Communications Dir. for Mayor Bloomberg who helped develop NYC Service
Charles Best, founder of Donors Choose, a site providing kids and teachers with school supplies
Diahann Billings Burford, New York City's first Chief Service Officer
Stephanie (Stephie) Coplan, creator of Broadway2Broadway
Rob Hollister, Dean of Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University
David Nelson, former COO of NFTE (National Foundation of Teaching Entrepreneurships).
Chris Swan, Professor of Engineering at Tufts and "citizen engineer" who applies engineering to causes
David Saltzman, Executive Director of the Robin Hood Foundation, which fights poverty in New York
(A donation will be made to NYC Service in the name of the party attendees. More at www.citizenyou.org) |
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| President Bill Clinton, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Jonathan Tisch. |
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Rewind. This past Tuesday night’s Tate dinner at the Hearst Tower:
The American Patrons of the Tate’s Artists Dinner is always more amusing than most benefits of that ilk in that there are always more artists present. The Whitney happens to be especially good at that too. Tuesday night’s Harper’s Bazaar -hosted soiree was no exception. From the moment I arrived I chatted with John Baldesarri, and the GREAT Patti Smith, Ann Goldstein and her artist beau Christopher Williams. Ann just started as the Director of the Stedlelijk Museum in Amsterdam after more that 25 years at LA’s Museum of Contemporary Art.
The ever enthusiastic Glenda Bailey (who co-hosted the dinner with patroness Lynn, Lady de Rothschild), David Meitus and Angela Westwater, Beth DeWoody being pursued by the Times’ photographer Bill Cunningham, artists John Currin and Rachel Feinstein, Richard Tuttle, Matthew Barney and Bjork, Tate czar Sir Nicholas Serota, were some of Tate loving crowd I spotted.
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| Iman. |
Rachel Feinstein anbd John Currin. |
Artists Luis Camnitzer, Ellen Gallagher, Liam Gillick, Robert Gober, Roni Horn, Joan Jonas, Louise Lawler, Terrence Koh, Sarah Morris, David Salle, Sarah Sze, Richard Smith, Rudolf Stingel were also, I am told, among the 250 “party” attired throng.
After we left the cocktails on the mezzanine atrium of Hearst Tower we removed ourselves to the 44th floor where David Stark decorated the room with 16,000 brightly colored pencils that will be donated to Materials for the Arts for use by artists and schools. He also provided Post-it pads in case any of the artist at the dinner felt the urge to doodle.
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| Nick Rhodes and Bazaar's Laura Brown. |
Doug Cramer gifted David Salle’s Calm Down in a Diary (Triptych) 1982, and Haim Steinbach Untitled (Locks, Friar, Sister) 1987. Millie and Arne Glimcher’s gift of Agnes Martin’s Untitled 1991 was given in honor of Anthony d’Offay and ARTISTS’ ROOMS. Patti Smith performed four songs including “Because the Night,” and “People Have the Power,” which got the crowd of 250 on their feet and clapping.
I sat at a table thanks hosted by the Tate’s Head of Development Virginia Cowles Schroth, who put me in between hers newlywed handbag-designing niece Katherine Fleming and her husband Andrew Bradbury, along with our tablemates art advisor Alan Schwartzman, photographer Jason Schmidt, Norman Foster's Michael Wurzel with Kristin Hjellegjerde, art dealer Carolyn Alexander and Alexander Gray. |
| Lyor Cohen, Tory Burch, and Gil Maurer. |
I also spotted Becca Cason Thrash, Claes Oldenburg, Claudia Cisneros, David Salle, David Stark, Derek Lam, Ella Cisneros, Erdem, Gabourey Sidibe, Gela Nash-Taylor and John Taylor, Giorgio Guidotti, Iman, Jason Wu, Jessica Craig-Martin, Matthew Barney, Kate Mulleavy, Laura Mulleavy, Lyor Cohen, Mario Sorrenti, Mary Sorrenti, Matthew Barney, Natalie de Gunzburg, Nick Rhodes, Pier Paolo Piccioli, Richard Hamilton, Stefano Pilati, Stephen Gan, Tommy Tune, Tory Burch, Wolfgang Tillmans.
Melissa Feldman of MF Productions had a hand in making it a sparkling success. Most importantly though, this year’s Artists Dinner raised $800,000 for the Tate. Since 1999, the American Patrons have given $100 million in cash and art donations.
— Charlie Scheips for NYSD |
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Now for some bad news that became good news. Georgina Schaeffer, a colleague and animal lover sent me this Facebook link. Frankly when she told me about it before sending, I didn’t want to look at it. Animal and child abuse provokes great anger in me instantly. The kind of anger I loathe in others.
Perhaps it’s that exact kind of anger that provokes the savagery and inhumanity that this story is a small but pertinent witness to. It’s about a dog named Walter who rescued after an ordeal that makes you long to do the same to the man or men who did that they did to this dog. That somehow wouldn’t even be enough. See for yourself: HELP SAVE WALTER. |
| When there is love, it's for all ... |
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