Rich and Nancy Kinder; Phoebe and Bobby Tudor
The gala offered an opportunity for 300 supporters to raise a glass (in person!) to the stunning new building, which for that evening was decked out by The Events Company in swaths of shimmering grays and beautiful pink blooms. Chaired by Phoebe and Bobby Tudor — she wore a one-shouldered magenta number that perfectly matched the cascading floral arrangements of the centerpieces and on the staircase banister — the Grand Gala Ball featured a three-course dinner by City Kitchen and accompanied by the sounds of Divisi Amp'd. Flowers even adorned the appetizer of Spanish artichokes, and Sweet Nation crafted an amaretto cake in the shape of the building for dessert.
The evening included remarks by the museum's director, Gary Tinterow, along with Mayor Sylvester Turner and building namesake Rich Kinder, who is also the chairman of the MFAH's Board of Trustees. And DJ SoulCirque, an "interactive DJ band" incorporating live instruments and visuals into funky DJ sets, got the crowd grooving after dinner.
In all, the Grand Gala Ball raised more than $1.7 million. Grand, indeed!
Brian and Laura Carlton, Kristin Kulpinksi, Will Pritchard
Frank and Stephanie Tsuru
Christopher Gardner, Gary Tinterow
Ileana and Michael Trevino
Jeff Martin, Allison Weaver
Kari Gonzales
Katherine and John Plumb
Linda McReynolds
Minnette Boesel; Necole Irvin
Murry and Polly Bowden
Sue and Rusty Burnett
Tom and Liz Glanville
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- Sprawling New MFAH Show Illustrates the History of Transatlantic Slave Trade - Houston CityBook ›
- From Paris with Love: Inside MFAH's $1.2 Mil Grand Gala Ball - Houston CityBook ›
- BBBS Gala Goes Green — and the Wild After-Party Was Electric - Houston CityBook ›
- Ballet Building Officially Named to Honor Margaret Alkek Williams at Downtown Fete - Houston CityBook ›
- Al Fresco Dinner at Buffalo Bayou Park Fetes $100 Million Gift from Kinders — and Astros Win! - Houston CityBook ›
- Life and Legacy of Big-Time Benefactor Celebrated at MFAH’s Grand Gala Ball - Houston CityBook ›
- With Custom Tapestries and Jeweled Archways, MFAH Transforms Into Indian Palace for Glam Gala - Houston CityBook ›
- Hip-Hop, Trill Burgers, Lynn Wyatt and Warhol! Go Inside MFAH’s $2 Million Gala Night! - Houston CityBook ›
Carter and Meredith Crow
In lieu of purchasing traditional tables and tickets, patrons in each city could opt to host smaller-scale in-home celebrations — but still with the flourish and flair of the organization's annual black-tie event. Indoor and outdoor affairs across Texas featured beautiful tablescapes and full waitstaffs with artisanal cheeses, boneless beef short ribs and wine galore, courtesy of Houston-based A Fare Extraordinaire.
The evening included inspirational testimonies from homegrown heroes who have Type 1 Diabetes, such as April Blackwell, who flies the International Space Station. Kenny Loggins closed out the program, performing hits spanning his decades-long career.
But the most notable part of the evening was the exciting live auction, featuring prizes like covetable getaways to Cabo or Telluride, and the Fund a Cure portion of the gala, during which guests could make direct donations to T1D research. The Robshaw family from Austin donated a whopping $600,000 to the cause!
In all, the evening raised $3.4 million (and counting!), and while Texans undoubtedly can't wait for next year's in-person gala, there's no denying that the OneParty event was an unparalleled success.
Behind the scenes of a virtual gala: Emcee, Drew Dougherty and Seth Hale of the Cowboy Auctioneer Group
Clay Bretches hosted friends at his Memorial home
Grace and Clay Carrell
Jeannette and Brian Meucki
Judith and Lance Perdue
Laurel and Mark Midani
Marshall, Suzette and Ethan Lang
Seth Hale of The Cowboy Auctioneer Group
Travis and Freyja Lauritsen
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