THE CROWD:Generosity, culture on display at Bowers

A community treasure opened its doors to welcome treasured members of the community last Saturday evening. The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana officially inaugurated the new Dorothy and Donald Kennedy wing at a gala, $1,000-a-plate dinner. The Kennedy wing, named in honor of one of Orange County’s first families, doubles the exhibition space of Bowers. The wing comprises gallery and reception areas named, in addition to the Kennedy family, for other individual and corporate donors including S.L. and Betty Huang, Sharon D. Thompson, M. Lee, as well as the East West Bank and Anderson Hsu-Tu Galleries.

Chaired by D. Diane Anderson, Anne Shih, Sharon Thompson and Mary Tu, the evening was a tremendous financial success. Community leaders rallied around the museum, stepping forward with needed support. Among the generous were committee members including Newport’s Janice Agopian, Kathy Hamilton, Taylor Hungerford, Paul Johnson, Katherine Cone Keck and Mozelle Sukut, to name a select few.

The party was created on an Asian theme, translated by talented Andrew Gromek of Newport’s Couture Flowers. Bowers is featuring an exhibition called “Treasures from Shanghai: 5,000 Years of Chinese Art and Culture,” so it was fitting for Gromek to create tall bamboo platforms on each table with colored paper lantern lights suspended above bowls of roses, hydrangeas and other seasonal, vibrant-colored blooms. Embroidered silk cloths covered the tables set with Asian inspired china and silver.

The crowd arrived to walk the red carpet into a reception area displayed with very desirable auction items, including a magnificent antique embroidery from 19th century Japan donated by Heather James Art & Antiques. The exquisite piece sold later in the live auction for $30,000, benefiting Bowers Museum.

Also on display was a Schlumberger Lynn diamond, platinum and gold bracelet donated by Tiffany & Co., one of the evening’s primary underwriters, represented by South Coast Plaza Tiffany Vice President Jeffrey Bennett and his wife, Barbara. The Patina Restaurant Group, led by Joachim Splichal and executive chef Gregg Wiele began the evening with passed hors d’ oeuvres on silver trays, as guests arrived and examined the auction.

The who’s-who crowd included Elizabeth and Henry Segerstrom, recently back in Newport-Mesa following a jaunt to Switzerland. Lido Isle’s DeeDee and Don Sodaro joined Chapman President Jim Doti and his wife, Lynn. William Lyon and his wife, Willa Dean, were also on hand along with Judith and David Threshie of Bayshores. Edward and Gayle Roski, Sharon and Anthony Thompson, Susan and Stephen Chandler of Pasadena and Newport, U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, Pat and Carl Neisser, Ann and William Wu, Angela and Jim Hsu, Betty Moss, and Irena and Barry Gerstein were all front and center to support Bowers and congratulate Don and Dorothy Kennedy for a literal lifetime of support for the museum.

As guests left the reception and entered the ballroom for dinner, they were greeted by the incredible Wayne Foster Orchestra and singers who did not stop playing all night. The crowd danced, and danced some more — barely pausing to sample dinner and bid on the auction items. The big ticket auction bid went for $80,000 — a trip for two to the summer Olympics in Bejing.

Also supporting Bowers were Katherine and Paul Lam, Sharon Lin Charna, Lydia Yang Chou and Jesse B. Chou, Carol and Don Murray, Marilyn and Thomas Nielsen, Elizabeth and Edgar Pankey, Janice and Ted Smith, Elizabeth and John Stahr, and museum leader Peter Keller on hand to host the evening festivities and pay tribute to the impressive growth of Bowers thanks to the Kennedy family and many other Orange County residents who have made a difference.