At Frilly and Floral Rienzi Spring Party, Guests Raise a Glass to 25 Years

Wilson Parish
At Frilly and Floral Rienzi Spring Party, Guests Raise a Glass to 25 Years

Julia Davis, Sophia Cantu, Christiana Reckling, Julia Hotze, Randa McConn

AN INTIMATE GATHERING of around 125 guests toasted the 25th anniversary of Rienzi, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's house of European decorative arts. Beautiful blooms in shades of pink, white and blue, complemented by blue-toile linens, were found all around the verdant grounds, illuminated by simply chic string lights hanging from above.


The annual al fresco fete included a dinner catered by City Kitchen, and an oh-so-sweet dessert spread that included sorbet, gelato, chocolate mousse shooters, fruit tarts, and gooseberries dipped in chocolate. Nick Serena provided a live poolside soundtrack for the evening, which took inspiration from the Portrait of Eleanor, Countess of Lauderdale painting in the Drawing Room at Rienzi.

Chaired by Meg and Nelson Murray, the Spring Party raised nearly $95,000 for Rienzi's operating budget.

Ann Weston, Mitchell Cox

Mary and John Craddock

Anna and Alan Chambers

Maddy and Harrison Schuhmacher

Bagpiper at the 2024 Rienzi Spring Party

Linda Burdine, Jane DiPaolo, Jenny Elkins

Carroll and John Wessels

Natassia Horowitz, Monica Hoz de Vila

Celina Hellmund, Courtnay Elias

Gillian Sarofim, Selim Baysal, Lauren Gray

Chairs Nelson and Meg Murray

Eddie Allen, Eric Bing, Jeff Firestone

Parties

A next-gen artificial heart from BiVACOR has successfully been implanted in a patient at Texas Heart Institute. The patient survived more than a week, until a donor heart was found for a transplant.

THE PIONEERING CARDIOVASCULAR inventors and surgeons at The Texas Heart Institute (THI) in the Texas Medical Center have made another huge leap forward in the treatment of heart disease, officially announcing yesterday what they’re calling a “monumental advancement."

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People + Places

Rachel Gardner with her flower necklaces and, at left, Calla Lilly necklace

ON SATURDAY JULY 27, Foltz Gallery presents Endless Summer, a lively, playful exhibit of works by a multi-generational group of 28 emerging and established Texas-based artists. Taking its name from the 1974 Beach Boys double-album, which compiled the group’s early 1960s hit singles, the show is a visual “mixtape” of colorful paintings, prints, photographs, wall-based installations, ceramics and sculptures, installed lovingly throughout Foltz’s spacious and sunlit galleries. Among the works in Endless Summer are several examples of handmade “sculptural jewelry” by artist Rachel Gardner — a series of wearable wildflowers and fruits, including olives and strawberries.

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Art + Entertainment