Party Pictures 9/30/03 - Grand Classics, John Turturro, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis

Grand Classics kicked off its Fall 2003 Film Series, with John Turturro

Barbara Bancroft and Robert Tartarini

Elisabeth Kieselstein-Cord

Samantha Boardman and Fernanda Niven

Andrew Saffir, Bettina Zilkha, and Daniel Benedict

Last Thursday, Grand Classics kicked off its Fall 2003 season with two screenings and a glam party at New York’s super swank Soho House.

Daniel Benedict, Bettina Zilkha, and John Turturro

The Grand Classics film series features the world’s top actors and directors presenting films that have inspired them. Past presenters have included Tim Robbins, Claire Danes, Nora Ephron, Spike Lee, Chloë Sevigny, Kevin Costner, and the Grand Classics committee of past and future presenters reads like a who’s who of Hollywood (Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Kevin Spacey, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, and on and on).

This past Thursday at Soho House, The Week Magazine and Stoli sponsored a stellar evening, as actor John Turturro presented his favorite film, Vittorio de Sica’s Miracle in Milan, to a crowd of social and film bigwigs that included Grand Classics and Indyssey Entertainment heads (and hosts) Katrina Pavlos, Vanessa Wingate, and Andrew Saffir, along with Bettina Zilkha, Daniel Benedict, Dayssi Olarte de Kanovas, Barbara Bancroft with daughter Annie Churchill and Robert Tartarini, Barbara de Portago, David Anton, Samantha Boardman, Fernanda Niven, and Elizabeth Kieselstein-Cord.

Annie Churchill

Andrew Saffir and Barbara de Portago

Vanessa Wingate, John Turturro, and Katrina Pavlos

Celia Rogge and Cecilia Hirshorn

Stoli's Patti Poole, Suzanne Puchalsky, John Turturro, Justin Smith, and Bea Leung

Justin Smith and Simon Davies

L. to r.: Anne Vincent, Annie Rinella, and Ali McQuade; Celia Rogge, Stephanie Mole, and Cecilia Hirshorn; Tami Topol, Dayssi Olarte de Kanovas, Claire Bernard, and BJ Topol Blum.

Photographs by Patrick McMullan/Perrie Wardell, PMc

Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis launched the opening of its new building

The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis launched the grand opening of its new, architecturally distinct building with an Inaugural Gala Benefit Friday, a week.

There were trumpeters from Tiffany & Co. announcing the ribbon cutting ceremony, with Missouri Governor Bob Holden and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay along with hosts for the evening, Al Roker of NBC’s “Today Show" and his wife Deborah Roberts of ABC News’ “20/20.”

Under the tent for dinner, dancing, and entertainment

The Gala began with cocktails during a preview of the new museum and its inaugural exhibition, A Fiction of Authenticity: Contemporary Africa Abroad.

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Bush

Following cocktails and the performance, guests were ushered into an elegant tent adjacent to the museum, for dinner, dancing and entertainment. The evening included a variety of St. Louis’ finest performers, between Farshid Etkniko’s world-beat music, the jazz vocals of St. Louis’ Denise Thimes, and the sounds of Arvell & Co., with guests dancing and celebrating much of the night.

The Inaugural Gala was co-chaired by Meredith Holbrook and Jimmy Jamieson, with the Cocktail Reception hosted by Isabelle Montupet and Neva Moskowitz.

The Honorary Host Committee included Barbara and Donald Bryant, Hazel and Arnold Donald, Barbara and the Honorable Thomas Eagleton, Roxie Frank, Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn and Nicolas Rohatyn, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Kim and Mayor Francis G. Slay, and Cindy Sherman.

Guests included collectors Pam and Barney Ebsworth, MOMA’s Chief Curator of Architecture and Design Terry Riley, The Warhol Foundation’s Pamela Clapp, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis architect Brad Cloepfil, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis Director Paul Ha, and Independent Curator and 2002 Director of Documentaries Okwui Enwezor.