Fun and Fundraising at Katonah Museum Gala

The delightful balmy weather made the the fantasy woodland created at the Katonah Museum of Art all the more authentic Saturday night as more than 350 guests gathered there for its annual spring benefit gala, "Fete in the Forest."

And it was a party. The domed ceiling of the rental tent was specially lit to seem like a canopy of trees. Green tableware accented the glowing room, and cocktails were served in the sculpture garden, a natural extension of the man-made indoor forest.

The gala honored outgoing KMA President Vickie Morris and her husband Steve, both longtime supporters and volunteers at the museum.

"Vickie is an amazing person," said KMA Executive Director Neil Watson. "She has done so much for the museum over the years. She's one of the smartest people I know and has a great sense of humor. That has made working with her these past years a true joy," he added.

The event, co-chaired by Amanda Byrne, Laura Schroeder, and incoming KMA President Rochelle Rosenberg, raised a significant amount for the museum's education programs (donations have not yet been finalized). During the cocktail hour, guests bid on silent auction items and "purchased leaves" for a giving tree to fund educational activities.

But the real fundraising action was still to come. Actor Wesley Mann, well known from television roles and a regular at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, led a spirited live auction during a break in the "tastings menu" dinner. Instead of bidding on vacations, tickets or prizes for themselves, gala guests raised their paddles for direct contributions to the museum's education programs.

Bidding lots of $250, $500 and $1,000 were auctioned off, and with generous out-sized "bids" from two angel donors, the auction quickly raised $50,000. Gala guests were thrilled to learn that an anonymous donor had earlier pledged to match funds raised through the auction, bringing the auction total to $100,000.

With the business part of the evening completed, guests vigorously applied themselves to the other focus of the evening: fun. The DJ spun tunes and the dancing rarely stopped.  Throughout the night, waiters continuously plied the crowd with course after course of delectable gourmet plates.

In her brief remarks, Vickie Morris summed up her feelings about KMA and the people who care about it.

"You can find great art all over the world," she said. "But at the Katonah Museum of Art, we have something that's truly rare: great art AND a dedicated community of people who care about art, art education and each other. It has been my privilege and pleasure to be part of that community," she said.