Charleston magazine Society blog

The city was in full festival mode last week with the arrival of the Southeastern Wildlife Expo, a multi-day celebration of the sporting set. Last Thursday, I attended the black-tie gala at Charleston Place alongside hundreds of expo patrons. In years past, gala apparel has ranged from eye-popping feathered gowns to camouflage tuxedos. By comparison, this year was relatively tame although I did spot one woman with a bird tethered to her ponytail. Considering how realistic some of the expo decoys can be, we’re hoping it was a stuffed hair accessory and not the real thing. Living, breathing animals did abound as renowned animal handler Jack Hanna wandered through the crowd with sundry beasts, including an enormous yellow boa constrictor that cleared a wide path everywhere its handler went.

On Saturday, I made my way to the North Charleston Performing Arts Complex ballroom for the Leukemia Ball, where the Mardi Gras-theme inspired some guests to don brightly colored masks. Dueling ice-block martini shooters attracted a fair share of attention from guests who caught custom-blended libations from the bottom of the frozen luges. Both a silent and live auction helped raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization that has always been dear to me since I lost my best childhood friend, Alison, to leukemia in 1994. Several of the guests in attendance at Saturday’s gala were also friends with Alison, and it was heartwarming to see people continue to support this meaningful cause in her honor these many years later.

All the best,
Ida

Bookmark to:

I found myself amidst a band of masked and costumed characters a week ago Tuesday at a Carnivale-style celebration benefitting Charleston Stage. Hosted by the Margo Kaufman Gallery, which donated a portion of artwork sales from that night, and held at Muse, where the all the furniture had been removed save for a white grand piano on the second floor, revelers made merry on the eve of Lent. Between the aged plaster walls, the long shadows cast by a few well-placed candles, the mysterious guests, and the bourbon-tinged Southern patois, it was hard to believe I was on Society Street and not in the middle of New Orlean’s Garden District.

Guests took advantage of the mild temperature and spilled out onto Muse’s street level portico where a trio of musicians entertained the crowd for the early portion of the night. Bartenders slung Hurricanes, and servers frequently restocked trays of cheese and proscuitto.

The height of drama occurred around 10 p.m. when a gentleman dressed as a voodoo witch doctor emerged from a back room and began weaving through the crowd while muttering incoherently. A handful of women in wench costumes swooned at sight of the motley man, and I dashed out of the room during the commotion. He was too scary for me!

On Thursday night, I attended Another Night at Fleet Landing, a wildly successful dinner fundraiser held in honor of the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center. Two years ago, this event set the record (as far as I know) for the highest amount raised by a live auction puppy in Charleston—more than $40,000!

This year saw another exciting puppy bidding war when a docile golden retriever fetched more than $20,000. In a lovely twist, the winning bidders gave the puppy to the woman who was bidding against them (after they paid for it); the couple knew they wished to make a substantial charitable donation DNLCC, and they wanted to spark a lively bidding war to entertain the other guests.

Another highlight of the night was a 15-minute solicitation of donations for much-needed construction project at the Dee Norton Center. Auctioneer Doug Warner asked guests to raise their paddles and signify either a $500 or $1,000 gift. After several rounds around the room and news of a matching gift from a donor who was unable to attend the event, $60,000—the cost of the project—was raised.

Last year, I got in trouble for eating Mr. Warner’s slice of key lime pie while he was busy conducting the auction, so this year I vowed to stay away from the dessert. Alas, the vanilla cake adorned with frosted images of smiling children, which was donated by Sweet Smith Bakery, was too cute not to eat. Wow! It was definitely the best bite of cake I’ve had in years.

Saturday was a continuation of all things sweet with the annual Chocolate Affair benefitting Communities in Schools, a program that helps keep kids in school while equipping them with life skills. Held at the Citadel Alumni House, the overpowering aroma of chocolate met me at the door, so I knew I was in the right place. Inside, I discovered one giant buffet table laden with the most decadent-looking array of chocolate confections. Cookies, truffles, and cakes galore!

Vacations, art, and jewelry dominated the live auction, which no doubt benefitted from the collective sugar buzz coursing through the room. Servers continued to replenish the trays of treats throughout the auction, and I can only imagine the post-party toothaches suffered by a few of the most ardent chocoholics!

Best wishes,Ida 

Bookmark to:

The largest collection of contemporary artwork in the state—more than 800 works by 54 artists— made its public debut on Friday night when the doors of the Medical University of South Carolina’s new Ashley River Tower opened to the public. An ambitious undertaking that was spearheaded and curated by Mark Sloan, director of the College of Charleston’s Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, the collection is a veritable treasure trove of native art that includes quilts, baskets, sculptures, paintings, photographs, and pottery. The work is on permanent display throughout the state-of-the-art facility for the enjoyment of patients and hospital staff alike.

MUSC president Dr. Ray Greenberg welcomed the large crowd of donors, hospital staff, and artists assembled in the tower’s glass atrium and invited everyone to explore the artwork at their leisure. As guests began to disperse with maps in hand, Debbie Maguire (head of O.R. nursing) whisked me up to the fourth floor for a behind-the-scenes tour of the highly specialized operating rooms. Debbie beamed with pride as she explained the intricacies of each machine, and I did my best to act as though I understood the difference between the various thoracic surgery instruments. The gleaming rooms were filled with an impressive array of equipment, and while I hope to never need the resources available at MUSC, it’s good to know they exist. As we wound down our tour, I caught sight of Bev Seinshimer on the other side of the surgery corridor doors. A former open heart surgery nurse herself, Bev reminisced how different the O.R. looked during her nursing days, and she lauded MUSC for their commitment to world-class healthcare.

I made my way back to the ground floor after winding through the third and second floors with Madeleine McGee, Susan and Van Campbell, Barbara Williams, Jeff Kopish, Kit Bennett, Mary Silsby, and a host of other familiar faces. Back in the atrium, I discovered a contingent of S.C. Arts Commission folks including Ken May and Harriet Green and many of the artists themselves: Eva Carter, Lese Corrigan, Jack Alterman, Susan Romaine, and Anthony Green were all on hand to talk with guests about the pieces selected for the hospital’s collection. Local arts patrons Laura and Hewitt, Julie and Bill Medich, Harriet and Dick Smartt, Jane and Bob Lurie, and Ray’s wife Leah Greenberg (who has the most enviable collection of party shoes) rounded out the scene. The affair was a Who’s Who of the Charleston arts community!

All the best,

Ida

Bookmark to: