The Board of Directors, staff and volunteers of the Greene County Council on the Arts would like to take this opportunity to express our abundant thanks to everyone who helped make our 30th Annual Beaux Arts Ball a magnificent evening in celebration of our impact on the arts and a very special night to remember. This year’s Ball was devoted in loving memory of Jean Slutzky. Special thanks to Nina Matis and Alan Gosule, our wonderful Diamond Benefactors, and to The Bank of Greene County, our Platinum sponsor and underwriter of the Distinguished Service Award. As we celebrate 42 years of service to our community, your loyalty and support is heartwarming and more valuable than ever.
This year’s Masked Ball and Creative Black Tie event was held on April 7 at the Copper Tree Restaurant at Hunter Mountain. The Beaux Arts Ball is GCCA’s major fundraising event, generating indispensable proceeds that support the vital programs and services we provide to the arts in communities in Greene, Columbia and Schoharie counties throughout the year. Thanks to our attendees, donors and honorees, this was another wonderful event, surpassing previous years in meeting our fundraising goals! Our thanks go to everyone who took part in the festivities as well as to those who contributed to making the evening an overwhelming success. Visit fotopic.com to view images taken during the evening by Rob Shannon.
The success of this year’s event is due to the hard work and dedication of many, and to the underwriting support of our Benefactors. Headed up by Nina Matis & Alan Gosule, our DaVinci’s Diamond Dynasty Benefactors, and our Picasso’s Platinum table benefactor, The Bank of Greene County, GCCA thanks the following table benefactors: Cole’s Silver Society – Columbia Memorial Health, Dancers Responding to AIDS in honor of Todd Whitely, Bill and Helen Deane, Jeff Prince and Daniel Yun, Nancey Rosesnweig and Dan Arshack, David Slutzky and a multitude of his guests, to our contributing benefactor the Peckham Family Foundation; and to our numerous individual benefactors and program book advertisers. Thanks to Rob Shannon and Jan Riccobono of fotopic.com for their photographic services throughout the evening, creating wonderful memories for attendees. Visit www.fotopic.com for a glimpse of the event.
Thanks to our wonderful and gracious event host, David Slutzky, with a special thanks to David for transforming the ballroom with a color scheme devoted to Jean complete with fruit filled vases caressing long stemmed yellow roses and a brilliant fireworks display culminating in Nite-Time’s Ave Maria in Jean’s memory. Thanks to the Peak Resorts at Hunter Mountain for their generous hospitality; to David Kukle and the superb staff at The Copper Tree Restaurant for their skillful and patient help; to Chef Tim Lang for his delectable artistry; to The Bank of Greene County for underwriting our Distinguished Service Awards; to Ellen Mahnken for the elegant hand-calligraphic and painted presentation award and special award for presenting to Chairman of the Board David Slutzky in honor of his 30 years serving as Board President; to the Lex Grey Cabaret who performed during the Silent Auction – Lex Grey’s gown, Victor Deglio’s suit coat and Kaia Updike’s violin were designed and hand painted by long standing GCCA artist member Patti Ferrara – to Nite-Time, New York City’s premier party band for fabulous party music that got everyone onto the dance floor; to band leaders Yves and Amy Goldberg for helping underwrite Nite-Time’s appearance; and to all our friends in the media for their unflagging support in publicizing this and other Council events. A very special thank you to the following dancers who made the night unforgettable: Dancers from the Robert LuPone’s Presque Ballet: Carl Hales, Lynn Kramer, Melanie Lekocevic, Robert LuPone, Renee Meryman, Dandy Michener, Lucy A. Michener, Carol May & Tim Watkins and Todd Whitley; Dancers from Tara Van Roy’s Petite Productions: Lydia Ackerman, Haley Imbesi and Joanna VanSlyke and Special Guest Star Marcus McGregor.
Thanks to creative volunteer mask maker Dara Trahan, thanks to Sheila and Paul Trautman who helped David Slutzky set up the Ballroom and A HUGE thank you to our dedicated volunteers Bill and Helen Deane, Susan Kukle, David Slutzky, Dara Trahan and Sheila and Paul Trautman, who along with GCCA Visual Arts Director, Niva Dorell, set up the Silent Auction room on Friday before the Ball. Heartfelt thanks to gala’s Silent Auction volunteers Stephanie Dougherty, Erika M. Klein and Doug Theis for volunteering their time and energy during event. A very special thanks also to GCCA’s Board of Directors, staff, and all our volunteers, on and off site, for their hard work and long hours.
Congratulations to Todd Whitley recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Service Awards. This award was established 29 years ago to honor individuals and businesses whose outstanding contributions have significantly benefited the mission of the Arts Council as well as the cultural life of Greene County – and Todd has done just that!
Todd has served on the Board of The Friends of Beattie-Powers for 12 years, contributing to the arts programming in our area and most recently organized its first Turkey Trot 5K fundraiser attracting local and regional runners. As a former dancer, he extends his passion to raise awareness of the benefits of dance in extraordinary ways. Todd was one of the founders of the Hudson Valley Dance Festival five years ago. He has taught dance at the Athens Cultural Center, where he’s choreographed a number of works for the Athens Victorian Stroll and Athens Community Day, and held workshops at several local dance schools. His work with GCCA includes participation as a dancer in the Between the Lines fundraiser in 2015 and choreography of the Mainly Greene – Calico Indian Dance Showdown, which was performed by local community members (of all abilities!) at celebrations in Catskill, Haines Falls and Prattsville. Todd, who specializes in digital marketing strategy for nonprofits, is also a lecturer at Columbia University on Digital Media and Analytics and recently wrote the Digital Fundraising curriculum for the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN). Currently he is working with GCCA to enhance our online marketing and fundraising presence.This year Todd’s launched an online fundraising competition for GCCA through Crowdrise, which raised more than $4,600, and a second appeal to GCCA Members and Friends, $30/30 Years, in honor of the 30 Years of GCCA hosting the Beaux Arts Ball fundraiser to support its general operations.
A round of applause for all the artists, individuals, and businesses who opened their hearts to the Arts Council and generously donated their works and talents to the Silent Auction. Artists and Friends.
Thank you to the following businesses and organizations for your donations-23Arts Initiative, A Tangled Thread, Art School of Columbia County, Bridge Street Theatre, Camp Birch, Catskill Mountain Country Store, Catskill Mountain Foundation, Christman’s Windham House, Fortnightly Club, Garden of Stone, Gerta of Austria, Greyfox Bluegrass Festival, Hartland-on-Hudson, Izadorable, Inc., Jay Teske Leather Co., Kaaterskill Liquors, Kaatskill Mountain Club Spa, Magpie Bookshop, Mahalo, Marsha Farley Art, Miraluz Candles, Mountain Trails Cross Country Ski Center, NY Zip Line Adventure Tours, Onteora Mountain House, Peak Resorts at Hunter Mountain, Pine Ridge Farm LLC, Pistil Whip Design, Pro Ski N’ Ride, Sadhana Center for Yoga & Meditation, Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, Shinglekill Bed & Breakfast, Snow Bird Ski Shop, Swamp Angels, The Print Shop, The Windham Spa, Tiger Lily Jewelers, Traphagen Honey, Two of Us Productions, Upstate Pick Up Company, Vanity Fur, Village Common Mercantile, Windham Hardware, Windham Mountain Outfitters, Windham Resort, Windham Wine & Liquors
Thank you to these unique and generous artists, crafters and individual donors-Tina Accardi, Elizabeth Alpern, Dan Arshack, Marty Bannan, Will Barnds , Athena Billias, Beverly Billotti, Naomi Blum, Annie Borgenicht, Dot Chast, Bill Deane, Tasha Depp, Francis X. Driscoll, Patti Ferrara, Yechiam Gal , Elizabeth Gioja, Frank Giorgini, Elizabeth Gregory Gruen, Lex Grey, Bob Gruen, Valerie Hammond, Jared Handelsman, Charles Heckheimer, Sara Lampert Hoover, Erika M. Klein, Susan Kukle, Jodi Larison, Meryl Learnihan, Mara Lehmann, Lionel Magat , Dan McCormack, Eva Melas, Susan Miiller, Ron Miller, Michelle Moran, Portia Munson, Nancy Orr, Caitlin Parker, Ellen Perantoni, Stephen Petronio, Regine Petrosky Chuck Pierce, Elissa Pignataro, Kenneth Polinskie, Karen F. Rhodes, Nancey Rosensweig, Susan Sabino, Helen Sacco, Ruth Sachs, Sarah Shea, Ruby Silvious, David Slutzky, Carol Slutzky-Tenerowicz, Carol Swierzowski, Richard Talcott, Sheila Trautman, Marianne Tully, Alice Tunison, Marlene Vidibor, Karl J. Volk and, Bing Yang.
To all those who contributed financially to the underwriting of this year’s Beaux Arts Ball and to the well-being of the Arts Council throughout the year, we extend our grateful and heartfelt thanks. We had a Ball! See you next year on April 6th – Save the 2019 Date!