Over two hundred members and guests of the Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York gathered on Friday, November 17th, at the Society’s 267th Anniversary Banquet. Phyllis Logan, internationally acclaimed Scottish actor, was presented with the Mark Twain Award. She was accompanied by her husband, distinguished British actor Kevin McNally.
Also known as the “Sammy,” Twain’s nickname, the award honors leaders in their fields who have had a significant and positive impact on the Scots community around the world.
Best known for playing Mrs. Hughes in the award-winning television series Downton Abbey, Ms. Logan earned three Screen Actors Guild awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. She was awarded a BAFTA award for the recent BBC Scotland mystery series Guilt. Among her many television credits are Doctor Who, Girlfriends and Silent Witness.
Ms. Logan is widely recognized in Britain for her support of charitable causes. She has served as an Ambassador for Dementia UK and has appeared in support of the Scottish SPCA.
The Mount Kisco Scottish Pipes and Drums welcomed guests to dinner, which was followed by presentation of the Haggis, toasts and a live auction.
Founded in 1756, Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York is the oldest charitable organization in New York State. It embraces its original mission of helping Scots in need through its Almoner Program. The Society also supports graduate students in the USA and in Scotland and provides support to children’s hospitals in both countries.
On Tuesday, November 28th, a little over 70 architects, designers, filmmakers, philanthropists, and members of the press gathered for a private screening of the forthcoming documentary film from the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), Unlocking the Mysteries of Place with Gil Schafer. The film profiles award-winning architect Gil Schafer, who describes the ways in which he draws upon the power of memory to create extraordinary homes.
In Unlocking the Mysteries of Place, Gil leads viewers through three projects that exemplify his work: his firm’s renovated design studio in Manhattan, a Hudson Valley home inspired by English estates, and a summer house on the shores of Lake Champlain. The documentary is currently airing on American Public Television in markets across the United States, and has been picked up by over 90 percent of PBS-affiliated television stations.
After the screening Gil Schafer joined in a conversation about his practice with designer and ICAA Board Member Bunny Williams, which was followed by a question-and-answer session. In attendance were Aimee and Kevin Buccellato, who, along with Gil are partners at Schafer Buccellato Architects, and ICAA Board Members Barbara Eberlein, Jared Goss, Alexa Hampton, and Suzanne Tucker. Other distinguished guests included Janet Ross, Sarah Horton, Tham Kannalikham, Margaret Russell, John Roselli, Deborah Nevins, Thomas Jayne, Edmund Hollander, Andrew Cogar, Helen Crowther, Valentin Goux, BeBe Howorth, and Patti Smith.
Previous entries in the ICAA’s Design in Mind documentary series include Bunny Williams – Not a House but a Home, On Location with James Ivory, and Robert A.M. Stern: Always a Student.
The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) is a nonprofit membership organization with a mission to advance the appreciation and practice of the principles of traditional architecture and its allied arts by engaging educators, professionals, students, and enthusiasts. The ICAA is headquartered in New York City with regional Chapters across the United States. It offers a wide array of programs that are designed to promote the appreciation and practice of classical and traditional design, including lectures, courses, travel programs, awards, and conferences. It publishes an academic journal called the Classicist, an acclaimed book series called the Classical America Series in Art and Architecture, and an original documentary film series, Design in Mind. The ICAA’s weekly content series, World of Classicism, offers articles, short films, online courses and lectures, an original podcast series, and much more.
