B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

*THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.

The Newport Beach Arts Foundation -- led by Joy Curtain and aboard of

directors including Donna Bradley, Marcia Brashier, Karen Butera-King,

Valerie Carson and Deborah Cowles -- pulled off a fabulous summer event

with barely 90 days of planning. The fund-raiser wowed the local crowd

that turned out last week at the lavish Newport Coast estate of developer

David Close.

A little sunset cocktail conversation mixed with local community art

talk and stirred with an eye-popping tour of the Close project called

“Serenissima” made for a perfect Friday evening. Some 500 guests donated

$100 each to the foundation for a chance to see the celebrity art exhibit

and tour the Pelican Crest home.

Over the weekend, another 300-plus folks strolled the estate and

viewed the art, helping the nonprofit foundation reach its goal of

raising $25,000 to support the arts and art education in the Newport

community.

To add to the cocktail reception excitement, Close gathered guests in

his two-story, Tuscan-inspired great room overlooking the Pacific Ocean

and presented a check for $10,000 from the Close Family Foundation to

Curtain to further underwrite the arts programs for children.

The applause was heard all the way to Dana Point.

The Newport Beach Arts Foundation has been a part of this region for a

number of years. In the last six months under the new leadership of

Curtain -- the former Joy Tathwell, daughter of much-loved Newport

citizens Helen and the late James Tathwell, who was a high-ranking

international Fluor Corp. executive and board member -- the arts

foundation has flourished.

Its first fund-raiser at the Close estate proved that the foundation

has the panache and power to bring out the crowd to support its goals.

Curtain, who in her free time is a real estate agent with Coldwell

Banker, is married to entertainment impresario David Curtain, owner of

the former Los Angeles/Beverly Hills power club known as Pa Na Na Souk.

The family has a flair for throwing parties. It’s, as they say, in the

genes.

David Curtain, on the mend from some serious surgery, held court on

the terrace of the Close home. He welcomed the myriad visitors who came

to support his wife, the foundation and Close, who is president of

Pacific Design Estates.

As guests arrived at the estate, coming through the formidable gates

of Pelican Crest, they were greeted by chamber musicians spinning magic

in the music room of the residence, to one side of the grand foyer.

Fountains splashed in the courtyard pool as waiters in black tie from

Bristol Farms served spiced shrimp on silver trays. Bountiful displays of

fruit and cheese beckoned as patrons sipped fine chardonnay on ocean-view

terraces.

A lower level gallery displayed the art of Tony Bennett, Henry Fonda,

Kerry Hallem, Katherine Hepburn, Martin Mull, Leroy Neiman, Jonathan

Winters and sculptor Richard MacDonald, who was represented at the party

by his son Richard MacDonald Jr.

Singer Ed Ames and his bride, Jeanie, were in the swank crowd creating

a buzz for music lovers. The couple came down from their Beverly Hills

home for the party.

Jackie Carrasco of the Irvine Co. joined associates Rodney Brooks,

Marion and June Buie, Jane Duffy, Heather Evens, Jennifer Henry, Gary and

Sarah Hinman, John and Trisha Sherwood and Maureen White for the

gathering. Newport Beach City Councilman Dennis O’Neil was there, as was

Coldwell Banker top executive Jon Cook, art aficionado Hedda Morosi,

local artist Essie Pinsker and architect Robert Sinclair.

Also on hand for the celebration were Diane Aust, Sharon Grimes, Nora

and Jim Johnson, Lido Isle’s Alison and Kimo McCormick, Joyce Reaume,

Nina Robinson from Fashion Island, Laurie Veitch and Debbie Sclafani, who

will handle the sale of the $8-million Pelican Crest residence.

Lots of positive praise was heard over the estate’s decor, created by

local designer Butera-King, who also serves on the foundation board.

“The decorating is exceptional. She captured the intent of the

architect perfectly,” said Grimes, touring the home with her friend Aust.

Perfect decorating, a perfect evening and a perfectly wonderful cause.

That’s as good as it gets on the Orange Coast.