|
 |
|
| SAN FRANCISCO'S SOCIAL SEASON 2014 by Jeanne Lawrence San Francisco seems to be the center of the world right now, and here are just a few more of the events happening around the booming city. UCSF BENIOFF CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BENEFIT This spring, San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall played host to an evening of star-studded entertainment to raise money for both The Painted Turtle camp for chronically ill children and UCSF Medical Center, whose Benioff Children’s Hospital is ranked one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. World News & World Report. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Titled “A Starry Evening of Music, Comedy, and Surprises,” the ambitious event was attended by such celebrities as Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Kathy Griffin, Josh Groban, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Amber Riley, and Renée Zellweger. Anyone who has chaired this kind of event knows how difficult it can be to get the stars to travel the distance and show up. Those who attended the benefit showed a true commitment to the cause. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| THE PAINTED TURTLE & BENIOFF CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL The evening was to support The Painted Turtle, in Lake Hills, CA, one of Paul Newman’s renowned SeriousFun Camps. Founded by the Hollywood legend in 1988, SeriousFun is a network of free year-round camps that provide a joyful haven for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The Painted Turtle works in partnership with UCSF’s Benioff Children’s Hospital, named after Salesforce.com founder and CEO Marc Benioff, who in 2010 donated $100 million to help build the facility. Subsequently, Barron’s named him one of the Top 25 Most Effective Philanthropists. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| AN ENTERTAINMENT-FILLED EVENING What a clever idea for a charity event! Instead of same old salmon/chicken sit-down dinner, participants could enjoy a musical show and meet friends for a private dinner before or after. My friends and I dined at Jardinière, across the street from the symphony hall, and it was packed with a lively and glamorous crowd headed to the performance afterward. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The entertainment was sentimental and emotional at Davies Symphony Hall. Tears were shed as speakers talked about the UCSF Medical Center and Benioff Children’s Hospital and the stories of its young patients. In the end, the event raised more than $1 million. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| One especially touching moment was the story of Monica and Rachel, two Benoiff patients who became close friends in the hospital: Monica sang a song she had written for Rachel, who responded with heartfelt thanks to her “sister.” “What would I do without you?” she asked. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| FISHER WEISMAN’S NEW CASA ACANTO STORE One evening, friends and I stopped by Casa Acanto, the recently launched showroom of San Francisco-based interior design partners Jeffry Weisman and Andrew Fisher. The showroom is at 1760 Stockton in the colorful North Beach neighborhood known as Little Italy, across from Washington Square Park. Once the primary hangout for beatniks, today it’s one of the city’s nightlife districts and a fun place to visit. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ARTFUL DECORATION BOOK A stack of the design duo’s book, Artful Decoration: Interiors by Fisher Weisman (Monacelli Press, 2013), was on display at the store’s entrance. The lavish tome showcases 13 design projects, including a Nob Hill apartment, a Napa Valley stone winery transformed into a contemporary living space, a Sonoma County tree house, and a Moroccan-inspired retreat in Palm Springs. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| GUESTS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| CASA ACANTO – IN SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE Casa Acanto—Spanish for “House of Acanthus”—is the name of the design duo’s second home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, a 16th-century Spanish colonial town. Located in the city center, the sprawling home is an 18th-century tannery they transformed into a stunning residence. Inspired by their home, the Casa Acanto collection featuresunique, handcrafted furnishing and accessories, from burl-wood desks and outdoor dining tables to objets d’art and artwork. Naturally, the acanthus (acanto) leaf motif is used often. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| INSPIRED BY TONY DUQUETTE The influence of the late legendary designer Tony Duquette can be found in Fisher’s whimsical, baroque designs and the use of various metals and exotic wood. Fisher’s whimsy is complemented by Weisman’s more classical approach, which he developed during stints at architectural firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Gensler before founding his own firm. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Weisman explained that the collection reflects a “unique, artistic, and decorative sensibility informed by world travel, a keen appreciation of nature, and a love for both whimsy and structure.” Casa Acanto products are available online at casaacanto.com; by appointment at 1706 Stockton Street, San Francisco; and at Sollano 16 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, sollano16.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ARTIST AND ICON IRA YEAGER On a balmy day in the city, some friends and I attended a talk by Bay Area artist and icon Ira Yeager as he discussed his involvement as part of theBay Area Figurative (BAF) Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. BAF marked a return to figurative imagery after the Abstract Expressionist movement. Practitioners included famed Bay Area painters such as Elmer Bischoff, Nathan Oliveira, and Richard Diebenkorn, who were not only Yeager’s teachers but counted among his personal friends as well. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| IRA YEAGER-THE ARTIST Yeager is one of the special characters for which San Francisco is renowned. Born in Washington State, he began painting in his teens. In 1957, he moved to the Bay Area to attend the famed California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, and later did a stint at what is now the San Francisco Art Institute. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The peripatetic artist has set up studios in England, Greece, France, Italy, New Mexico, Morocco, New York, and San Francisco, Since the 1990s, he has had one in the hills of Calistoga, in Napa Valley wine country, where he says he feels the most creative. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| IRA YEAGER LECTURE Yeager’s good friend Gail Glasser organized the outing. “I’m an only child,” she told us, “but Ira, a good friend of 35 years, is like a brother.” We attended two lectures by Yeager: “A Decade in Corfu: The Art & Life of Ira Yeager” in the morning, and “Life of a Bay Area Figurative Painter: Studies with Bischoff, Diebenkorn, and Oliveira” in the afternoon. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| THE ART The prolific Yeager has produced works ranging from landscapes and abstractions to portraits of Native Americans and 18th-century subjects. His “Wine Vendor Series” remains a permanent exhibit at Swanson Vineyards and Winery in Oakville, California, open for public viewing. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| INDIAN CHIEF SERIES During Yeager’s childhood, his sportsman father led hunting trips, sometimes accompanied by Native Americans. The artist produced his “Indian Chief” series of paintings after a sojourn in New Mexico in the 1960s. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SWANSON VINEYARDS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| NAPA VALLEY MUSEUM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Said AAE owner Howard Settle,“Ira was born with an innate ability to create. Some of his drawings are done while half-asleep/dreaming! He considers himself lucky to have not become as famous as Bischoff or Diebenkorn because he was always able to do what he wanted.” This summer I hope to visit Yeager in his Napa Valley studio, to get his unique perspective on living in wine country. This man has led a most fascinating life and continues to do so! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Photos by Jeanne Lawrence, Steve Jennings/WireImage for The Painted Turtle, SeriousFun Network, Casa Acanto, Emily Lubahn, Brian Fuller, and Ira Schrank. *Urbanite Jeanne Lawrence reports on lifestyle and travel from her homes in San Francisco, Shanghai, and New York, and wherever else she finds a good story. |
|
|
|