party people

Under Chandeliers Hung from Towering Oaks, Menil Hosts Al Fresco 'Party in the Park'

Daniel Ortiz
Under Chandeliers Hung from Towering Oaks, Menil Hosts Al Fresco 'Party in the Park'

Cullen and Robert Muse

THE MENIL COLLECTION took advantage of milder weather to welcome some 300 yopro-type guests to its second annual al fresco fundraising dinner — Party in the Park.

The uniquely beautiful event — think crystal chandeliers and strands of twinkle light strung in the old, towering oaks in the park space adjacent to the famous museum — fittingly raises money “to ensure the museum’s green spaces, art buildings, and programs remain free and open to all,” says a rep for the event’s organizers. Django Foxtrot offered a lively, bluegrass-tinged playlist as a soundtrack.

Delicious nibbles by City Kitchen were both passed as hors d’oeuvres and dished out buffet-style at dinner stations. Highlights from the menu included miniature BLT sandwiches, cucumber cups with spicy pineapple salsa, braised beef short ribs served over jalapeño cheese grits pecan-crusted chicken, baby spinach salad and paella with saffron rice, shrimp and mussels. Mini pecan tarts, lemon bars, and Brandy Alexander cocktails turned up for dessert.

Co-chairs for the event, which boasted a till of $250,000, were Kiki and Taylor Landry, Laura and Keefer Lehner, Katy and Sandy Shurin, and Jennifer and David Strauss.

Sol and Jonathan Edwards

L.A. Martz and Om Pandya

Keefer and Laura Lehner and Kiki and Taylor Landry

Raquel Segal, Stephanie Cockrell and Amy Murchison

Katie McNearney, Victoria Salem and Orel Shoham

Django Foxtrot performs

Illa Gaunt and Capera Norinsky

James and Kimberly Bell and Kelly and Nick Silvers

The Scene outside the Menil

Chandler Moody, Jackson Smith, Stephanie Wong and Nick Stinson

James Hardy and Lauren Walstad Hardy

Joseph Doyle, Josephine Hill, Sara Cain and Michael McGinnis

David and Jen Strauss

Katy and Sandy Shurin

Lisa Helfman, Alexandra Butt and Morgan Garvey

Mike and Christina Van Booven

From Your Site Articles
Wellness+Giving Back
promoted

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

Keep Reading Show less
food

The Truffle Masters Returns — with a New Competition — Benefitting Southern Smoke

THE TRUFFLE MASTERS is returning for its 11th year on March 3rd. Now a Houston tradition of sorts, the competition sees top chefs creating a dish using black truffles all benefitting Southern Smoke.

Keep Reading Show less
style

Sneak Peek: Check Out Houston-Based Foreign Fare’s Spring 2025 Collection

Arianna Vetere

A new look from the soft landings collection

FROM THE OWNERS of popular Montrose haunts Traveler’s Table and Traveler’s Cart is another jetset-focused business. Owners Thy and Matthew Mitchell launched Foreign Fare in the fall of 2023 with long-haul travelers in mind. The pieces are wrinkle-free and designed to be functional as well as stylish. The line was recently featured in Travel & Leisure as a “first class look.”

Keep Reading Show less