Palm Beach Social Diary Wildlife: Art admirers + Ferrari fanatics + Jet nuts + Social Lions

January 26, 2012

*Spider Woods*, 2010. 180 x 244 cm. Diasec-mounted inkjet print. $45,000. Clay Ketter, artist. Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm. What more cultivated inspiring aesthetic for South Florida's art set to appreciate than an aerial image of a residential subdivision surrounding a golf course.

Palm Beach• BY: Augustus Mayhew

At first glance you wouldn’t imagine a convention center, an airplane hangar, and a hotel ballroom could make for profound occasions. Nonetheless, during this past week several of the area’s spacious venues were the scenes for significant events — ArtPalmBeach’s happening at the PBC Convention Center, Jet Aviation’s La Bella Machina extravaganza at their PBIA headquarters, and the Palm Beach Zoo’s Born to be Wild dinner dance at The Breakers. At ArtPalmBeach’s Thursday night preview opening, more than 6,000 art lovers perused the works of more than 900 artists represented by galleries and dealers from Carmel to Cairo. On the same night, several thousand classic car and private jet enthusiasts converged for Jet Aviation’s spectacular private jet-Ferrari cavalcade at a Vegas-Milan-Palm Beach mélange that benefiting The Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County.

The following night, the Palm Beach Zoo staged its major fundraiser, welcoming 450 of its zealous supporters to The Breakers’ spacious historic Mediterranean Courtyard before migrating to the Venetian Ballroom, transformed for the night into what might be described as an upscale Kenyan supper club somewhere amid the Serengeti Plains.

Here is a quick spin around the social jungle.

ArtPalmBeach
Art + Photography + Design
19-23 January 2012

Already considered one of Florida’s most influential contemporary art fairs, ArtPalmBeach enhanced its 2012 showcase by including special exhibitions, lectures, local museum tours, site-specific installations, art performances, and exclusive VIP programs. Among the attractions, the fair honored the lifetime work of sculptor Jun Kaneko with a one-man exhibition of major works sponsored by the Elaine Baker Gallery. Additional highlights include an appearance by artist and author Ultra Violet and a lecture by NYT columnist Michael Kimmelman.

With less than an hour before opening, Brazilian artist Kobra, right on ladder with cap, and his assistants are still at work along the east side of the Convention Center on a commissioned outdoor mural described as images from the local past.

On entering the PBC Convention Center’s lobby, Hanna Eisenberg ponders a work by Jun Kaneko.

The scene a few minutes before Thursday’s opening preview. At left, a work by Japanese sculptor Jun Kaneko.

Brad. Photograph, 2009. Chuck Close, artist. $120,000. Photographed for W magazine. Right, Steven C. Hartman, principal at Contessa Gallery, Cleveland.

Elegant weapons. $10,500. Ben Freeman, artist. Evan Lurie Gallery, Carmel. “Elegance was her weapon of choice.”

Elizabeth Taylor. Alex Guofeng Cao, artist. Global Art Group, New York.

Ultra Violet, artist. Global Art Group, New York.

Heller Gallery, New York. The gallery features the works of Steffen Dam, Jeannet Iskandar, Beth Lipman, Tobias Mohl, Sibylle Peretti, and Ivana Šrámková.

*L. to r.*: Lino Tagliapietra, artist. Schantz Galleries, Stockbridge.; Lino Tagliapietra, artist. Schantz Galleries, Stockbridge.

Foreground: Dystopian, Duchamp-Villon. Michael Taylor, artist. Ruth Lawrence Fine Art, Rochester.

In the foreground, a work by Jun Kaneko, artist. Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton.

*Cuerpos Pintados.* Roberto Edwards, artist. Holden Luntz Gallery, Palm Beach.

*L. to r.*: Wesselmann L. 2011. $20,000. Nicholas Saint Gregoire, artist. Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London.; *Three Sisters.* Bronze. $13,000. Elizabeth Gavrotti, artist. Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery, Cordoba, Argentina.

*L. to r.*: Vicki Kellogg.; Joan Brundage and Cynthia Liebman.

Livia Canastraro, artist. Syra Arts, Cairo-Washington, DC.

*Household Myth.* $8,950. Ingrid Lucas, artist. Christopher Walker Gallery, London-Antibes-Palm Beach. Right, Christopher Walker.

Mark Helliar 20th Century Designs, Los Angeles and Kent, UK. Above right, *Turistas en la arte. Hombre Maquina.* Lluis Barba, artist.

*Parking,* 2011. $27,500. Hyperphoto. Jean-Francois Rauzier. Waterhouse and Dodd, London. Mr. Rauzier ” … found his way by juxtaposing, duplicating, twisting images with Photoshop, making it possible for him to reproduce human vision more accurately.”

Royal Wedding on 42nd Street. Triptych collage. Homa, artist.

Andrew Burgess, artist. “In the end, painting can do so much more than a photograph.”

*Waiting on Tables. Sculpture. $150,000. Allen Jones, artist. Playhouse. $125,000. Allen Jones, artist. Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm.*

*Two Gods and Two Cats.* $26,000. Khaled Hafez, artist. Syra Arts, Cairo-Washington, DC.

Ilana Vardy, Judy Day and John Day. Judith Hughes Day Vietnamese Contemporary Art, New York.

As I was leaving for the event at Jet Aviation, Kobra and his assistant were still at work on an outside mural, described as “a time portal.” When the show closes, the mural will be segmented with its panels sold at auction to benefit the local Armory Arts Center.

La Bella Machina
Jet Aviation, PBIA 19 January 2012

As worldwide Ferrari enthusiasts converged at The Breakers for their annual Cavallino Classic convention, Jet Aviation staged La Bella Machina. a classic Ferrari competition complemented by an exhibition of 21st-century private jets as a benefit for the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Beach County. Since I thought the by-invitation-only private cocktail reception staged in JA’s hangar was going to be mobbed, I drove out in the late afternoon and took some snaps as the Ferraris began arriving and the planes were being stationed. During the evening, guests voted for their favorite vintage Ferrari. The winner received the coveted 2012 Jet Aviation Cup.

Ferrari headquarters was the Gold Room at The Breakers.

“Another Montana plate; we’ve got a lot full of Montana plates.” What is it, the state car?” asked a valet parking attendant to the owner pictured above as he was pulling in to the Jet Aviation event.

To the right, Bombardier’s Global 500; directly in front the Falcon 900 LX.

When I arrived on Perimeter Road around7 pm, the traffic was backed-up a half-mile. “It’s a mess, you wouldn’t believe,” said a sheriff, who directed me over to an off-lot where a shuttle bus was operating. As the last one on, I was directed to the back of the bus.

I found myself sitting in the back of the bus with Denise D’Agostino and Wyatt Koch who were enjoying the irony of arriving at a Ferrari event in a shuttle bus. The ride was brief as the bus came to a stop, locked in the same long valet parking standstill we thought we avoided. After more than a few minutes, the driver opened the door and told everyone to walk.

Once there, I discovered the incoming valet service had apparently crashed, overwhelmed by the several thousand invitees already lined up to board the planes and peruse the Ferraris.

A look under the hood of a classic XKE and checking-out the ultra long-range Bombardier Global 500, priced around $45 million, were two of the event’s stellar displays.

Bombardier Aerospace’s Global 500 described as “VIP high speed.”

Embraer’s Phenom 300 offers “new style in the stratosphere.”

A few of the guests.

Deliberating over the selections at a buffet table can be as arduous as choosing the right jet.

Margaret and Conrad Yelvington are joined by two models from Saks.

And the winner of the 2012 Jet Aviation Cup …

A 1953 166 Mille Miglia owned by the Cottingham family of DK Engineering, one of the world’s premier Ferrari specialists located in London. A spectacular car with a remarkable racing history.

The proud winners: James and Jeremy Cottingham. I ran into the brothers at The Breakers the next night during the Palm Beach Zoo event. Their family firm restored the two-tone silver-and-red speedster.

The much-admired 2012 Jet Aviation Cup winner.

The 166MM, as seen in the afternoon. I photographed its exceptional style because I thought it was simply the best car there.

Gulfstream G280. Gulfstream’s super midsized business jet, a recent rebrand update on the G250. I found several G550-650s in the $30-$40 million range but could not find a current G280 sale price.

The crowd at *La Bella Machina.* The gentleman on the right has a Santa Barbara Polo Club crest on his blazer pocket.

Palm Beach Zoo’s Born to be Wild dinner dance
The Breakers 20 January 2012

Last Friday night, Palm Beach Zoo supporters congregated at The Breakers for the organization’s annual major fundraiser, hoping to surpass $1 million last year’s event raised to support the 23-acre facility providing habitats for more than 1,400 animals. The crowd mixed-and-mingled in the breathtaking, if a bit crisp, Mediterranean Courtyard. Some engaged in one-on-one time with the evening’s special guests, a few of the zoo’s feathered-and-four-legged creatures. Then, it was only a few steps for dinner in the Venetian Ballroom. Because of family matters, I was unable to stay for that part of the event. While hotel ball rooms often have that could-be-anywhere ambience, The Breakers and the event’s designers transformed the space into a visually appealing tableau.

The Breakers, courtyard view looking east towards the lobby. 6:55 pm: The hotel’s staff took their positions with the first guests expected to arrive in five minutes. The tawny tiger-colored lights shaded the courtyard.

The Palm Beach Zoo acknowledged the exceptional generosity of Melvin and Clare Levine, Howard and Michelle Kessler, and Worth Avenue jeweler David Morris. The event’s chairwomen were Lillian Fernandez, Karin Luter, and Carol Mack with Kristy Clark, Darlene Jordan, and Bridget Koch as honorary chairwomen. The committee chairmen were Whitney Wood Bylin and Thomas C. Quick. Samantha Storkerson was auction chairwoman. The members of the host and event committee were: Mr. and Mrs. Kane Baker, Lavinia Baker, Donald Burns and Gregory Connors, Kim K. Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. J. Pepe Fanjul, Jr., Tina Fanjul, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Fifield, Mark and Mary Freitas, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Gannon, Mr. and Mrs. Rick Goldsmith, Mr. and Mrs. Roberto de Guardiola, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Busch Hager, Mr. and Mrs. William Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Kessler, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Lamb, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Malloy, Talbott Maxey, Mr. and Mrs. Dale McNulty, Mr. and Mrs. James Meany, Stephen E. Myers, Pauline Pitt, Patricia Quick, Tiffany Raborn, Mr. and Mrs. John Raese, Michael and Ashley Ramos, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Rooney, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Ross, Frances G. Scaife, and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Van der Grift.

The Breakers. *Born to be Wild,* cocktail reception. A view of the courtyard from the terrace of the Mediterranean Room looking west towards the lobby.

*L. to r.:* David Morris and Gia Pirolo.; Karen and Roger Marrero.

Luis J. Fernandez, JoAnna Ballarini, and Stephen Myers. CFO of Florida Crystals, Mr. Fernandez is the PB Zoo’s chairman of the board.

*L. to r.:* Heath and Karly Randolph.; Kathie and Dan Comerford.

Charlene and Jeff Sabin with one of the zoo’s attendants holding a blue-and-gold macaw.

*L. to r.:* Linda Soper.; Robert and Mary Lee Hermann.

As guests arrived, they made their way around the courtyard.

Born To be Wild, the evening’s theme for the 2012 , reflects the zoo’s new stellar attractions, three newly-born Malayan tiger cubs. In partnership with Panthera and the Wildlife Conservation Society through their Tigers Forever project, the Palm Beach Zoo is part of a global effort to help protect tigers and their habitat. Tigers are nearly extinct; three subspecies of tigers have already vanished. Proceeds from Born To be Wild will help the zoo advance its mission to protect wildlife and their habitat, and to inspire others to value and conserve the natural world. The day before the event, I stopped by the Palm Beach Zoo and snapped some photos of the yet-named tiger cubs.