Photo by Patricia Leslie
You remember Lesley Gore, don't you? Well, if you are between 40 and 80 (according to an informal survey Friday night), it's likely you do. She sang at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in a glorious night to celebrate doubling the museum's endowment growth to $50 million during its 25th anniversary year.
NMWA is the world's only museum "exclusively dedicated to showcasing the work of women artists." Although 51 percent of today's artists are women, only five percent of the art seen in U.S. museums is by women, according to a museum statement.
NMWA founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay welcomed guests.
Lesley Gore sang several numbers including two of her top hits, "It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" to the delight of the crowd who sang along with her. Lesley, 67, said she was celebrating her own anniversary, too: Her 50th in the music business. And her voice was no different from way back when/Photo by Patricia Leslie
Some of the guests who listened to Lesley Gore drifted back to days of yore. NWMA presented Lesley with its Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts/Photo by Patricia Leslie
Over at Table 14 Claudia Koerbler from the Kingdom of the Netherlands welcomed tablemates and celebrated the beginnings of a perfect meal with the first course of tomatoes, arugula, Camembert, and a choice of breads. Gold trim framed the plates/Photo by Patricia Leslie
650 donors gave to the endowment campaign/Photo by Patricia Leslie
Meanwhile, back at Table 14, women discussed the meanings of surrealism while handsome male tablemates went off to find more bubbly. From the left are Claudia Koerbler from the Kingdom of the Netherlands and third from right is Kathleen M. Burns, a George Mason University professor of journalism/Photo by a handsome lad
A Washington surprise at the museum fete Friday night was the most popular color: black/Photo by Patricia Leslie
There were quite a few "horsepeople" at the museum party including "Andrew" from the U.K., "Christopher," a Georgetown commercial investment real estate guru, formerly of Kentucky, "Gladys," a Kentucky farm owner (no relation), "Nancy," and "Liz" who just bought 3,000 acres in North Dakota (?)/Photo by Patricia Leslie
What could be finer than chocolate and champagne? The dessert buffet overfloweth: chocolate triangles so rich I almost married them, dainty chocolate cupcakes, chocolate mousse with shavings, fresh fruit (Really? Yes, a few skinny persons were seen placing pieces on dessert dishes to be left on tables, uneaten), and lemon tarts, among other delicacies/Photo by Patricia Leslie
Alas, it's time to say good night and order a coffee for the road/Photo by Patricia Leslie
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