(Photo credit WorldRedEye.com)
Miami’s iconic Vizcaya Museum and Gardens celebrated its centennial year during the 61st annual Vizcaya Ball, themed “A Night of a Thousand Stars,” on Saturday, Nov. 18. Proceeds from the event support the preservation of Vizcaya, a National Historic Landmark.
More than 250 guests walked down the historic Cascade entrance to the sold-out black-tie event and were greeted by cocktails as they entered the Gilded Age estate. The evening continued with entertainment and an elegant dinner overlooking Biscayne Bay with catering by Le Basque. Guests enjoyed an online silent auction and danced to the sounds of Soul Survivors. The festivities concluded with a spectacular fireworks display on Biscayne Bay high above the historic stone barge.
Vizcaya’s centennial year was marked by several momentous achievements shared with guests. Three new books were published featuring artist Robert Winthrop Chanler (who designed Vizcaya’s Swimming Pool Grotto), the memoirs of James Deering’s secretary (University of Chicago Press), and Vizcaya’s Contemporary Arts Program.
Thousands of local residents experienced the Vizcaya Village through creative programs.
Vizcaya received the American Institute of Conservation’s award for outstanding commitment to preservation — given to a single American museum or library each year. In September, the estate weathered the significant impact of Hurricane Irma and, with the support of many friends and more than 500 volunteers, great strides have been made to restore Vizcaya’s iconic beauty.
Vizcaya’s 2017 centennial is particularly noteworthy for two accomplishments that will shape the future of this National Historic Landmark. In July, the Miami-Dade mayor and county commissioners approved plans for the restoration and reprogramming of the Vizcaya Village, opening a clear path for this long-anticipated project that will cement Vizcaya’s role as a cultural hub.
That same month, the county approved the restructuring of Vizcaya’s governance. As of Oct. 1, Vizcaya is managed by the non-profit Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust Inc., in partnership with the county, and with the goals of enhancing preservation, educational programming and private fundraising.
Pearl Baker Katz chaired the Vizcaya Ball, planning the event with committee members: Lesli Ann Brown, Anthony Bryson, Victor Diaz, Swanee DiMare, Isabel Fine, Roxana Garciga, Sonia Gibson, Linda Levy Goldberg, Gladys Rustan-Hernando, Cathy L. Jones, Marile Lopez, Nicole Lozano, Marisa Toccin Lucas, Christina Martin, James W. Murphy, Carly Patterson, Staci J. Rutman, Tara Solomon, Silvia Trinidad, and Alexa Wolman. Among the guests were Mayor Carlos and Lourdes Gimenez, Florida State Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez and his wife Sonia Succar Rodriguez, Dan and Trish Bell, Jon and Nancy Batchelor, Phillip and Patricia Frost, and David and Christy Martin.
Sponsors for the event included Republic National Distribution Company, Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour, Robert Procop Exceptional Jewels, USA Bouquet, Bentley Miami, Wendy Newman Designs, Le Basque Catering and Design, Luxury Brand Partners, Oribe, Art Work by Lesli Ann Brown, bonnelly films, and Beaker and Gray.
Luxury silent auction items included a stunning blue topaz and diamond necklace designed by Robert Procop, a European Celebrity Cruise, designer handbags and a cashmere cape trimmed in fox donated by The Fur Salon at Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour.
Save the date for Vizcaya’s Preservation Luncheon, known as the “Hat Luncheon,” which will take place on Mar. 13, 2018 and Vizcaya’s 62nd annual ball on Nov. 18, 2018.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a National Historic Landmark that preserves the Miami estate of agricultural industrialist James Deering to engage the community and its visitors in learning through the arts, history and the environment. Built between 1914 and 1922, Vizcaya is one of the most intact remaining examples from this era in United States history, when the nation’s most successful entrepreneurs built estates inspired by the stately homes of Europe.
Vizcaya features a Main House filled with a decorative art collection, 10 acres of formal gardens, a rockland hammock (native forest), mangrove shore, and a historic village that is being restored to tell Vizcaya’s full story and provide additional spaces for programs and community outreach, including those on urban forming. Vizcaya has been a community hub since it opened to the public in 1953; it currently welcomes about 300,000 visitors annually.
Located on Biscayne Bay at 3251 S. Miami Ave., Vizcaya is open Wednesday through Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
For more information, visit www.vizcaya.org or call 305-250-9133.
