Party Pictures 11/8/04 - The New York Public Library Library Lions 2004, Cartier and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston celebrate the opening of Cartier Design by Ettore Sottsass Exhibition, Audubon Greenwich Wonder of Nature Celebration Flower Power Dinner Dance

The New York Public Library Library Lions 2004

Susan Fales-Hill

Gayfryd Steinberg

Nan Kempner and Renée Fleming

Carolyne Roehm

On Monday eveniing, November 1, more than $1.5 million was raised for the book fund of The New York Public Library at its Library Lions 2004 benefit. Library President Paul LeClerc and Chairman Samuel C. Butler presented Library Lions medals to four figures of creative achievement: conductor James Conlon, soprano Renée Fleming, scholar and author Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and New Yorker editor David Remnick. Actress Marian Seldes hosted a tribute to the Lions in which each reflected on how they have used and relied on the Library in the course of their achievements. Annette and Oscar de la Renta, Princess Firyal and Lionel Pincus, Louise and Henry Grunwald, Catie and Donald Marron, and Elizabeth and Felix Rohatyn were the co-chairs for the benefit.

The New York Public Library, Celeste Bartos Forum

The evening got off to a festive start with cocktails in Astor Hall where the decorative theme of a rustic winter setting was hinted at with rough-hewn cocktail tables made especially for the evening. Proceeding to dinner in the Celeste Bartos Forum guests entered a lush forest of delicate white birch trees that seemed to fade off to the distance. The winter setting was punctuated with tasteful garlands of crystals woven into the natural décor like sparkling flakes of falling snow. Dramatic chandeliers of birch and crystal pulled the eye to the grand iron skylight that is a striking feature of the room. Décor was by David E. Monn Events. Glorious Food provided the meal of Smoked Salmon Napoleon, Chicken Scaloppine, Braised Fennel, and Fava Beans, Morels, Asparagus Tips, and Green Peas, with a dessert of Warm Brownie Pudding topped with Vanilla Ice Cream.

L. to r.: Judith Ginsberg, Marian Seldes, David Remnick, and Paul LeClerc; Joel Klein; Felix Rohatyn and Mort Zuckerman.

Paul LeClerc, Catie Marron, and Samuel C. Butler

Louise Grunwald, Charles Gwathmey, and Betty Ann Gwathmey

Tina Brown, Harry Evans, and Joel Conarroe

Leonard Lauder and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Marshall Rose, Candice Bergen, and Renée Fleming

Abe Rosenthal and Shirley Lord

Library Lions Honorees James Conlon, Renée Fleming, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and David Remnick

Princess Firyal of Jordan and Renée Fleming

Lynn de Rothschild

Annette and Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta and Eliza Bolen

Barbara Walters and Lynn Nesbit

Donald Marron with Christine and Stephen Schwarzman

Barbara Walters and Richard Meier

Ann Tenenbaum and Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn

Cartier and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston celebrate the opening of Cartier Design by Ettore Sottsass Exhibition

Bernard Fornas, Andre Leon Talley, and Becca Thrash

Marisa Tomei

John and Becca Thrash

Last Friday a week (October 29), Cartier and the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston held an opening reception and dinner marking the presentation of a special exhibition curated by designer Ettore Sottsass of historic vintage pieces from the Cartier Collection. This exhibition which has traveled to museums in Berlin, Milan and Kyoto, will only be shown in the United States at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

At the Museum of Fine Arts Houston

The gala, with a dinner by New York’s famous David Bouley, brought out a prominent crowd from both New York and Texas including Isabel B. Wilson (Chairman and Board of the Trustees of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston), Bernard Fornas (President of Cartier International), Callum Barton (Chairman of Cartier U.S.A.), Stanislas Quercize (President and CEO of Cartier U.S.A.), Marisa Tomei and Lyle Lovett, Lynn Wyatt, Becca Cason Thrash, Andre Leon Talley and Hal Rubenstein.

Bernard Fornas, Marisa Tomei, and Hal Rubinstein

Andre Leon Talley with Elyse and Bob Lanier

Neil Bush with a friend and Bernard Fornas

April Kimble and Lyle Lovett

L. to r.: Dinner atmosphere; Bernard Fornas, Lynn Wyatt, and Stanislas de Quercize.

Photographs by Bob Levey/WireImage.com

Audubon Greenwich Wonder of Nature Celebration Flower Power Dinner Dance

Joyce Leiz and Aaron Virgin

Christian, Elizabeth, and Chris Obereck

Geri Corrigan and Randy Bloomquist

Love was everywhere at Audubon –flashing on the ceiling in a word of many colors – in air kisses on cheeks, and most of all, in lyrics from the Beatles powering out of hi amps during cocktails. Love was a potent theme for more than 300 guests who came to the Audubon Flower Power Dinner Dance Saturday night. Everyone got into the 1960s groove dressed as they did 40 years ago. Joni (in vintage flower-child outfit) and Kevin Kimberlin (he as Sgt. Pepper) were co-chairs of the festive event with Deborah and Chuck Royce, both wearing flowing white maharishi robes. Sabrina and Carl Forsythe chaired the auction which was highlighted by a safari trip to Africa won by Terry and Nonie Mackin of Greenwich. Guests savored the three-course dinner served by Laurence Craig of Distinctive Celebrations.

Go-go girls framed the dance floor where the Dance Orchestra of New York blared funk music and reminiscing couples gyrated, thumped, and flailed their arms and hips into the night. The fun evening raised $450,000 for educational programs at the Greenwich Audubon Center.

Some of the guests: John and Jane Flicker (President of National Audubon Society), Penny and Josiah Low, Malcolm and Natalie Pray, Sue and John Curtin, Henrik Vanderlip and Louise Adams, Congressman Christopher Shays and Betsi Shays, Holt Thrasher and Juliet Bakker, Tricia Quick and Francois de Visscher, Maria and Matt Popp, State Senator and Mrs. Nickerson.