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Dear Patrons of the Prado, Since the publication of our last newsletter we have had two spectacular events chaired by our Special Events co-chairs, Betty Brayshay and Pam Palisoul. We had a holiday party, December 21 at the lovely home of June and Neil Ash, and everyone had a wonderful time singing around the piano. Piano entertainment was provided by Peter the Prince of Piano. The wonderful food was provided by The French Gourmet, and the Ash's underwrote a good part of the bar. Betty Brayshay underwrote some of the expenses also, and we want to thank her and Pam for the wonderful party they put together for us. Betty and Pam also arranged for the Directors and Members Reception at the Timken February 9. The food was catered by the Prado and was fabulous. Betty made all the flower arrangements and went into her private garden to pick greens to make the arrangements lovely. The Timken was very happy to be left with her arrangements after the event. It turned out to be a very rainy, blustery evening, and we had a very good turnout in spite of the weather. Ten museums were represented and spoke of their wonderful programs and events coming up in 2009. The Old Globe had their annual meeting that evening, unbeknownst to us in the planning stages, so they were unable to attend. We Patrons are very proud to be connected to these wonderful institutions and to be able to assist them with our gala proceeds, so they can expand and continue the wonderful work they do for the community. Betty and Pam's next project is a field trip for all members at the Museum of Art in April. Look for more information from them in the near future. We do have fun, don't we? Our spectacular gala is approaching under the leadership of Chair Elisabeth Bergan and Co-Chair Anita Crider. These women have worked and are continuing to work very, very hard to bring you an unforgettable evening in the park, July 18, “Intrigue on the Orient Express.” Doesn't it resonate with a sense of mystery and suspense? There are many exciting components to the planning - look for the article within this newsletter for details. Ideally, we would love everyone to purchase a table. If that is not possible, please make your reservations for individual seats soon. Remember to talk it up with your friends. It is truly one of the premier events in San Diego, and not to be missed. Jeri Rovsek and Betty Kornreich are organizing a fine wine opportunity drawing for the gala. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime prize of wines valued at $100 or more each, and the collection will be valued in the thousands. Miriam Summ is also attempting to secure a beautiful piece of jewelry as a second item of the drawing, just in case you don't like wines (how could you not?). Look for the article in this newsletter about the wine drawing. Just a note from me that membership renewal dates and sponsorship dates have changed. Judy Burer has written about it in this newsletter. If you are thinking of sponsoring a friend or acquaintance, please read the new information. Dottie Stanley |
Preview: “A Fine Wine Opportunity Drawing” will be offered at the 2009 Gala.
The Patron's Annual Gala, July 18th in Balboa Park, will include a very exclusive “Fine Wine Opportunity Drawing” sure to enhance any existing collection. The value of each bottle will be at least $100 or a Parker Rating of 96 - 100. The wine package will be valued at $5,000 or more. This exclusive opportunity is a wine collector or wine lover's dream.
A letter and donation form with more information and participation details will be sent to all Patron members in March. We look forward to member participation in contributing to the collection and also participating in the drawing. If you have any questions, please contact Jeri Rovsek at 858-759-1033 or Betty Kornreich at 619-299-7292.
Betty Brayshay
Jeri Rovsek
Special Events Co-Chairs
The Membership Committee has been hard at work and I would like to inform you of a few changes that have been made.
When you receive your Dues Notification the first part of April, you will find a box asking you what your plans are for the following year 2009-2010. You will have a choice of marking Active, Sustainer, or Patron. Dues are due by April 30th, delinquent by May 30th . If your dues are not in by the delinquent date we are assuming that you have decided to drop your membership with Patrons. You will also find in this mailing, an application for New Membership for those of you who have potential members you would like to recommend to the Committee. The reason we are moving the submission date for New Membership Applications is that we need to find out how many spots there are going to open up, if any and we will not know that until the end of May. These applications will be due May 30th and must have a sponsor and co-sponsor signatures. New members will be decided in June and notified of their acceptance to the group and will be introduced at our annual meeting in September.
In June, we are planning to have a get together for those who have applied for membership. This will give us an opportunity for current members to meet the prospective members and to give those prospective members a history of Patrons and what is required for Active membership in the group, as stated by our By-Laws. We will also have a representative from each of the Museums that our Gala will be giving money to.
Remember: Membership Application Forms are available from the Membership Chair at all times.
Judy and Charlotte
As Patrons move forward on the Orient Express and begin to gather auction items from Businesses we support it is important to remember to say "Thank You" to those Businesses who have helped us in years past.
Please take a moment to review the following names and if you visit them please thank them for their support to Patrons for last year. A mention that you are supporting a retailer and are a member of Patrons will go miles to helping us when we approach them this year.
Neiman Marcus
The Marine Room
Tiffany's
Mister A's
Cal A Vie Spa
Tower 23 & JRDN Restaurant
The Westgate Hotel
Jessop Jewelers
Bowers Jewelers
Great News Cookware
The French Gourmet
The Cygnet Theater
Contimental Catering
Flemings Steakhouse
Molly's Restaurant
Catering Solutions
The Diamond Source
The Gathering Restaurant
Jimmy Choo
Thanks for your help!
The Auction Committee
The Gala is really on! We are excited to tell you that Charlotte Nielsen has agreed to be the Honorary Chair of our 2009 Gala, Intrigue on the Orient Express. We are delighted to pay tribute to this great lady and her family who have done so much, in so many ways, to make Balboa Park the Smithsonian of the West. She joins the ranks of recent Honorary Chairs, Lois Roon and Jeanne Jones and our stellar Grandes Dames through the years to prove that Patrons commitment to the arts on the Prado remains significant and steadfast across the years.
The Gala will be a first-class evening of marvelous entertainment and fabulous food and wine. Grammy Award-winning artist, Steve Tyrell and chef extraordinaire, Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse Grill will hold forth. Tyrell replaced the legendary Bobbie Short at The Café Carlyle in New York and has many fans among us. Jeffrey is a culinary icon known far and wide. The venue is incomparable: on the Cascades, near the Evenson Fountain, adjacent to the Natural History Museum.
We will have silent and live auctions for super once-in-a-lifetime experiences and trips. Additionally, we are having an Opportunity Drawing to win an extraordinary collection of Parker Rated 95+ wines. There will likely be an additional big name, big-ticket item added to the ticket that will make it even more enticing. All of the “commerce” will be done during cocktails so everyone will be able to enjoy dinner, Tyrell, and dancing without interruption. We want to make this evening a huge success for our institutions because in the words of John Muir, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread.”
Our past success has been driven by the outstanding generosity of our membership through the purchase of tables. Patrons purchased 23 of 40 tables last year while beneficiary institutions accounted for ten tables. We thank you most sincerely for your outstanding generosity and hope we can count on your support this year.
Seating will be on table level and first paid basis. Your support of Gala 2009 will keep Patrons of the Prado on track for years to come.
With sincerest thanks and affection,
Elisabeth Bergan and Anita Crider, Co-Chairs
PATRONS OF THE PRADO GALA 2009 |
|
DATE |
Saturday, July 18, 2009 |
TIME |
6:00pm to Midnight |
EVENT |
Steve Tyrell, the Grammy-Award winning artist, who fills the fall slot at the Cafe Carlyle held for years by the great Bobbie Short, will be the highlight of this annual summer gala. Chef Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse Grill will create a marvelous dining experience with his bold, fresh, innovative cuisine to pair with the exceptional wines that he will personally select. Fine Wine Opportunity Drawing of Robert Parker's 95+ selections Live auction of once in a life time experiences and rare items. Dancing until midnight. |
LOCATION |
Granada Courtyard of the historic Casa del Prado, built in 1915 for the Pan American Exposition in Balboa Park. |
DRESS |
Black tie. |
TICKETS |
Tables seat ten and cost: $5000, $10,000, and $15,000. There are limited numbers of tables in each category. Per ticket: $500, $1000, and $1500. |
MISSION |
Patrons of the Prado was founded in 1997 to raise funds and provide significant financial support for the programs and initiatives of the museums and arts organizations on the Prado of Balboa Park. |
WHO |
Leaders in the worlds of art, culture, philanthropy from Southern California and throughout the county. |
WHY 2009 |
Raise critically needed funds to support the educational programs and initiatives of the following arts and culture organizations along the Prado of Balboa Park: SAN DIEGO JUNIOR THEATRE - started in 1946 as a community program by San Diego's Old Globe Theatre. It is the oldest continuing children's theatre program in the country. SAN DIEGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - was founded in 1874 and remains a center for research and environmental education through exhibits, publications, and public programs. TIMKEN MUSEUM OF ART - shares the extraordinary art collection of Amy and Anne Putnam with the world. It's fine education programs open the world of fine art to students and the community. Admission is always free. |
GIVING HISTORY |
$1.5 million has been raised since 1997, from Patron's annual gala and distributed evenly, on a rotating basis, to support the operations and educational initiatives of these other Prado institutions: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center |
TAX INFO |
Patrons of the Prado is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization Federal Tax ID #33-0764923 |
INFORMATION |
ELISABETH BERGAN, Email: ebergan@san.rr.com Email: kapalua288@aol.com SUSAN CLIFTON, Email: hollysouth1@aol.com Website: patronsoftheprado.org Address: |