The original story appeared in the Spring issue of Park Magazine. Click here to view.
Jackie Kennedy, White House @ 60, Marylin Monroe, Channel @100, Pope Francis, The God Committee, Sylvester Stallone Vivien Leigh & Gone with the Wind
The White House Historical Association
60th Anniversary @ The Met Museum
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. In 1961, she established the White House Historical Association (WHHA) to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy. Current First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Jackie’s daughter Caroline Kennedy, and Al Roker greeted guests including Genevieve McSweeney Ryan at the WHHA’’s 60th Anniversary Gala which honored its founder at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. During her remarks, Kennedy noted that her mother shared her father, President John F. Kennedy’s belief that the White House should serve as a stage for where America and the world could see the very best of American arts and culture. She also highlighted her mother’s civic accomplishments including her landmark televised tour of the restored White House in 1962. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the WHHA has contributed more than $50 million in fulfillment of its mission. whitehousehistory.com
Chanel No. 5
Celebrates its First Century
When Marylin Monroe was asked what she wore in bed she quipped, “Chanel No. 5.” Coco Chanel debuted the legendary fragrance 100 years ago and to mark the anniversary the company gave a party dubbed “Chanel No. 5 in The Stars” at Rockefeller Center’s iconic ice-skating rink where champion Canadian figure skater Elladj Baldé performed a breathtaking routine to “Uptown Funk,” and Mary J Blige sang a selection of her hits. The perfumed pack included Lily Allen, Dylan Penn, Ella Hunt, Brittany O’Grady, Lauren Ridloff, and artist Jemima Kirke who said “I love a woman who wears the same scent every day. It’s glamorous and classic. It’s old Hollywood.” The French actress Marion Cotillard is among the fragrances’ ambassadors. chanel.com
Sylvester Stallone
Painting in Palm Beach
Sylvester Stallone who lives in Palm Beach with his wife Jennifer Flavin and three daughters Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet has had a long career, both as an actor and an artist. Rocky showed 15 paintings at Isabelle Bscher’s Galerie Gmurzynska at The Palm Beach Show. Among the pieces was a pop-art interpretation of Superman from 1990 called Sublime Hero. Stallone said “Both in art and film, I looked at figures like Spartacus or Hercules who radiated hyper-reality through their hypermasculinity. Painting is where I feel close to a bare-naked truth, so much so that I look at the canvas as some sort of an enemy.” The acting icon also featured a political work titled The Blacklist, referencing the notorious 1938 list that accused actors of being communists, and a series of self-portraits of him as Rocky. Stallone said, “I made a self-portrait with a more defined ‘pug face’ than I had back then, but to capture his sadness, I switched the brush with a screwdriver and carved the eyes.” gmurzynska.com
Vivien Leigh & Gone with the Wind
Also at the Palm Beach Show were a pair of gold earrings that Gone with the Wind star Vivien Leigh wore in the film Cleopatra at M.S. Rau’s booth. Additionally, a painting by the former Prime Minister titled Distant View of Venice was offered at $1.4 million, a bargain considering Angelina Jolie recently sold another work by Churchill from M.S. Rau for $11.6 million. The painting was given to her by ex-husband Brad Pitt. rauantiques.com
Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles & Director Austin Stark
Director Austin Stark’s critically acclaimed film The God Committee starring Kelsey Grammer, Julia Stiles, and Euphoria’s Colman Domingo is now on Netflix. The movie, about the politics of organ transplants and who gets a new heart and who doesn’t, foreshadowed the front-page news about the first person to receive a heart from a genetically modified pig giving people with failing organs hope of a longer life. Grammer, who plays a doctor in the film with a heart condition said, “I have done some parts for a little spending money but not this one. I was moved by the part and convinced my director, Austin Stark, to give me the lead role instead of the supporting one he had originally offered me.” paperstreetfilms.com
Martina Navratilova & Peter Thomas Roth
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova and skin care mogul Peter Thomas Roth celebrated the unveiling of two of Martina’s paintings in Roth’s new penthouse in Miami. The female sports icon created the works by dipping tennis balls into paint and then hitting them onto a blank canvas creating high-energy pieces of art. Martina even has an E-PACE Jaguar wrapped in one of her black and white paintings that never fails to create a stir when she drives around town. peterthomasroth.com
Richard Johnson
He’s Back!
Richard Johnson, whose new gossip column in the New York Daily News is making waves from NYC to Hollywood, was the guest of honor at a lunch Jean Shafiroff hosted at Robert Caravaggio’s Swifty’s in the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. Guests included Sharon Bush, Christine Schott, and George Leeds. In the evening Jean celebrated her birthday at the home of Kim and Greg Dryer. Among those singing along with the Mariachi band were Ava Roosevelt, Alex Donner, Ramona Singer, Harry Dubin, and Sylvester Miniter. nydailynews.com
Kevin O’Leary & Carole Crist
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, Wall Street’s Anthony Scaramucci, and Carole Crist, the former First Lady of Florida, moderated panels on Digital Assets, Trends, and Financial Predictions for 2022 at Battlefin Discovery Day in Miami. Crist’s talk, which focused on women in finance, impact investing, and ESG metrics, was titled “Doing Well by Doing Good.” carolecrist.com
Pope Francis & DR. Roman Tallaj
Somos Community Care Founder Dr. Ramon Tallaj was invited back to the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis to discuss COVID-19 vaccines and the need to address misinformation about vaccinations. Back in the USA Dr. Tallaj and his network of over 1,500 doctors administered over 2M vaccines, while attending to over 1.2M patients who suffer from chronic disease in NY. He was also appointed to lead Mayor Eric Adams’s Health Committee. somoscommunitycare.org
Hetrick-Martin Institute
Emery Awards Ball
NY State Attorney General Letitia James, ‘Pose’ star Dominique Jackson, and Kiki Community Founders Aisha Diori, Luna Luis Ortiz, and Raul R. Rivera were honored for their contributions to the LTBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities by the Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) at Chelsea Piers. The Emery Awards are presented annually to honor outstanding members and organizations within the community who support, inspire, and lift HMI which is celebrating its 40th year. This year’s Ball was held during Trans Awareness Week and included a fashion show hosted by Jack Mizrahi Gucci and drag performer and comedy queen Harmonica Sunbeam. Guests included Marti G. Cummings. emeryawards.com