Begun in 19th-century Paris, Impressionism was inspired by and embodied the very nature of the city. Demonstrating movement, light and a sense of immediate energy, Impressionism broke conventional rules of painting by using short, “broken” brush strokes of mixed and unmixed color and by advocating painting en plein air, literally “in the open air.” Impressionist artwork favored overall visual effect over precise, intricate details, making the resulting paintings appear to vibrate with excitement and movement.
More than a century after the energetic art movement took Paris and the world by storm, Impressionism makes the perfect theme for Arkansas Arts Center’s (AAC) Tabriz, a biennial two-night fundraising event hosted by the Fine Arts Club of Arkansas to benefit art acquisitions and educational programs of the AAC.
The event will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at AAC, with a fun, casual party featuring a silent auction of unique artworks, parties, trips and services. Guests can watch artists from the AAC Museum School in action and enjoy specialty cocktails, wine and ales paired with classic American fare. Tickets are $50 per person and available to the public.
A black-tie gala will be held for AAC members only at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at AAC. Attendees to this haute event can peruse a silent auction, enjoy premium cocktails, savor an elegant dinner prepared by Best Impressions and bid on upscale, must-have live auction items, including a safari to Kenya. Tickets are $400 per person.
New to Tabriz this year is a “studio party” immediately after Saturday’s gala, at 9 p.m. Open to both AAC members and non-members, the party, styled like a Parisian artist’s studio, will be held in the lower lobby, studios and courtyard of the AAC. Guests will dance to the tunes of Big Mike Geier and Kingsized, sip swanky cocktails and nosh on delicious hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $100 per person, and are included in the price of gala tickets.
From the event décor, right down to the invitations, this year’s Tabriz embodies Impresionism. According to Tabriz chair Lisa Baxter, the entire event is inspired by Claude Monet’s Impressionism, Sunrise, and designed by creative director Delaney T. Bagwell.
For the casual event on Thursday, the gallery walls of the AAC will be brilliant in peachy whites, tangerines, powdery blues and sea-foam aquas. The broad brush stroke of the artist will serve as a colorful backdrop not only for donated paintings, parties, trips and services but also for three-dimensional auction items, as the hues curve and swerve throughout the galleries, according to a press release.
The Saturday gala décor will focus on the plein-air aspect of Impressionism, welcoming Tabriz guests to stroll through a Parisian-styled city park while sipping cocktails and perusing the silent auction items. The seated black-tie dinner and the following live auction will offer guests a view of Monet’s San Giorgio Maggiore by Twilight.
Tabriz takes an immense amount of work and dedication, but with Baxter at the helm, all the intricate details fall right into place. Her history with Tabriz spans a decade and includes countless key roles.
“My dear friend, Peggy Jones, was the Fine Arts Club president at the AAC in 2000, and she asked me to be her membership chair,” said Baxter. “My educational background is in the sciences [she’s a registered, licensed dietician], so I have relished the opportunity to gain such rich knowledge in the arts while interacting with the AAC staff and other volunteers.”
From 2001 to 2006, the Lonoke-raised Baxter served terms as the Fine Arts Club corresponding secretary, second vice president, first vice president, newsletter editor, president and parliamentarian. During her 2004-05 term as president, she served on the Tabriz XIX steering committee. In 2007, she was one of the invitations chairs.
“But I really didn’t get to do much that year,” she said. An avid traveler, Baxter, her husband, Sam, and her family were on a Christmas trip in the Andes of Argentina when she broke three bones in her ankle while fly fishing. “So I came home to UAMS and had a plate and nine screws placed in my ankle,” she said. “Needless to say, I wasn’t any help that year!”
In 2009, she served as business manager for Tabriz XXI, along with friends Paula Aultz and Donna Rogers. “We had a great time, and they did such a phenomenal job that I secured their commitment to come back as the auction managers before I would accept the job of Tabriz chair!” laughed Baxter. “And the person who is taking my position on that committee this time, fittingly, is Peggy Jones, my friend who brought me to the AAC.”
Baxter points out that it takes more than just a few people to put on the AAC’s most important fundraiser. The AAC will be closed to the public for the entire week of Tabriz (February 28-March 7) to prepare for the event, and committee members, hundreds of volunteers, AAC staff and even friends and family will join forces with Baxter to make Tabriz a success.
“When I became the chair of Tabriz, not only my family members, but also my friends were called to action,” Baxter said. “Many of them are serving on committees; some are sponsors or patrons, while others are donating wonderful items to our auction. As a dear friend said the other day, no matter what our politics, when it comes to Tabriz, we are all in agreement with Hillary that it takes a village!”
Tabriz 2011
Casual Tabriz Party
• Wine and ales, American fare and a silent auction
• 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3
• Open to the public
• Tickets: $50 per person
Black-Tie Gala
• Premium cocktails, dinner and a fabulous live auction
• 6 p.m. Saturday, March 5
• For AAC members only
• Tickets: $400 per person
NEW! Studio Party
• Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dancing to Big Mike Geier and Kingsized
• 9 p.m. Saturday, March 5
• Open to members and the public (jacket required)
• Tickets: $100 per person (included in gala ticket)
For more information about Tabriz, call 372-4000 or visit ArkArts.com.