Artful Announcement

Two x Two unveils event chair and honorees for 15th annual gala

Two x Two hosts Cindy and Howard Rachofsky just announced Dallas art patron Christen Wilson will serve as the event chair for the 2013 charity gala and auction. Artist Luc Tuymans and Kiehl’s Since 1851 president Chris Salgardo will be presented with the amfAR Award for Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS and the amfAR Leadership Award, respectively, at the 15th annual fundraising affair set for October 26 at the Rachofsky House.

A longtime Two x Two supporter, Wilson is chairman for the Nasher Sculpture Center Advisory Committee and chairs museum fundraising events in Dallas, New York and London. She currently serves on the International Council for the Tate Modern in London and the North American Acquisitions Committee for the Tate. Earlier this year, she was the co-chair for the Tate Artists Dinner in New York.

Tuymans, a Belgian artist, is widely credited with contributing to the revival of painting in the 1990s. His sparsely colored abstracts are typically painted from pre-existing imagery such as photographs and video stills, which makes his canvases appear as though they were created from a failing memory. Tuymans has explored diverse and sensitive topics including the Holocaust, the effects of images from 9/11 and the ambiguous utopia of the Disney empire.

Salgardo has been with Kiehl’s for 13 years — the past seven as president — and the New York-based skincare company has been a staunch supporter of amfAR for more than a decade. Kiehl’s has created several limited-edition products to benefit the foundation, and, in 2010, Salgardo launched “Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR,” a week-long celebrity motorcycle ride through major U.S. cities. Under Salgardo’s leadership, Kiehl’s Since 1851 has donated more than $800,000 to amfAR.

Two x Two draws prominent artists, art collectors and philanthropists from around the world to Dallas for the annual sellout black-tie gala, which is part of a week-long series of events. Sharon Stone, Sigourney Weaver, Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, Barry Manilow, Natasha Richardson, John Benjamin Hickey, Taylor Dayne, Dita Von Teese, Stanley Tucci, Gavin Rossdale, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson and Patti LaBelle are among the VIPs who have attended in years past.

This year also marks the 15th year for the fundraising affair that has to date raised more than $40 million in support of essential AIDS research at amfAR and for the Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund at the Dallas Museum of Art. It is the largest U.S. fundraiser for both amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art, and funds raised at Two x Two have enabled the DMA to acquire more than 150 works.

Christen Wilson is the chairman of the 2013 Two x Two for AIDS and Art auction and gala.

Photo courtesy of Two x Two

Christen Wilson is the chairman of the 2013 Two x Two for AIDS and Art auction and gala.

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Denim & rhinestones

Dallas Cattle Baron's Ball 2024 wrangles record $7.1 million

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Cattle Baron's Ball 2024 chairs Marjon Henderson and Lora Farris had chosen the theme "New Horizons" for their Carrie Underwood-headlined event. By the end of the night, they'd changed their anthem to her hit "Blown Away."

"We just broke every record!" Henderson enthused as she passed out hugs during the live auction.

The big record they were going for was $100 million - a grand total raised in all 51 years of Cattle Baron's Ball. Entering the night, they only had a couple million to go. No sweat for this event. And, they made it.

Henderson and Farris revealed on November 6 that the grand total raised at the 2024 ball was (drumroll, please) $7,122,663.

Cattle Baron's Ball is the largest single-night fundraiser in the nation for cancer research through the American Cancer Society.

It's also Dallas' biggest party of the year.

Dallas Cattle Baron's Ball 2024 Cattle Baron's Ball chairs Lora Farris and Marjon Henderson with some special four-legged guests at the entrance.Photo by Haynsworth Photography

On Saturday, September 28, more than 3,000 party-goers, cowgirl'd and cowboy'd up in their Western-glammy best, descended from party buses and rideshare SUVs to the grounds of Southfork Ranch in Parker. Henderson and Farris, along with their volunteer committee 100 women strong, greeted guests on the famous grounds of the TV show Dallas, site of the first Cattle Baron’s Ball in 1974.

An exclusive VIP party, presented by Anne Davidson inside the Southfork Ranch Event and Conference Center, got the evening off to a festive start. Mistress of ceremonies, NBC 5's Deborah Ferguson, gave a hearty welcome and introduced '90s country tribute band Straight Tequila Night to the stage.

Early arrivals got the first chance to sip the night's signature “Cowboy Casanova” and "Take the Wheel" cocktails, featuring Grey Goose Vodka and Patron Cristalino Tequila, respectively. Longtime CBB-ers know to pace themselves when it comes to food; the entire night is a frenzy of glorious gluttony (keep reading). VIPs nibbled on lobster quesadillas, mini grilled cheese, bacon-wrapped jalapeno popper bites, Dublin Dr Pepper short ribs, Frito pie, and more.

Photo by Haynsworth Photography

Cattle Baron's Ball co-chair Marjon Henderson and her girlfriend group had plenty of reasons to smile.

At 7 pm, the masses arrived and the party really got started. It was a picture-perfect fall evening to take a Ferris wheel ride at sunset or pose for souvenir photos at one of the many interactive photo booths around the grounds.

Each room inside the Conference Center was buzzing with activity. The main event, as always, was the enormous silent auction. Bidders browsed and bid via smartphones for hundreds items from local retailers, restaurants, exquisite jewelry and fashion, trips, home decor, sports and music memorabilia, and more. The showpiece of the room was a stunning blue gown by Dallas designer Ese Azenabor, up for auction and bought for thousands.

For the first time ever, Neiman Marcus sponsored a "Glam Room," where guests could get get makeup touch-ups, enjoy a trendy Hugo Spritz cocktail, and enjoy Neiman Marcus' famous chocolate chip cookies. Next door, folks could shop for boots, cowboy hats, and jewelry at the event's first-ever Marketplace. (Considering everyone was wearing some combination of boots, jewelry, or hats, the room stayed impressively full of people trying on and buying.)

The Casino stayed busy, and so did a Mizzen + Main Sports Lounge next door. Note to next year's organizers: Stock up on the White Rhino espresso martinis. Fans remembered the hand-shaken delights from last year, the line stayed long, and supplies ran out early.

Time for more food. Vestals Catering served up an outdoor buffet as big as Texas: smoked bistro filet; smoked and jalapeno sausages; spicy peach-glazed chicken thighs; butternut squash, kale, and mushroom enchiladas; Texas caviar, cobbler with Blue Bell ice cream, and more.

Dallas Cattle Baron's Ball 2024 A getaway to Mexico was one of several fabulous trips auctioned off for thousands.Photo by Haynsworth Photography

At 8:15 pm, Cowgirl bell-ringing baronesses signaled it was time for the live auction to begin. Led by lively auctioneer Letitia Frye (herself a cancer survivor, she announced), this year's jaw-dropping prize packages and fantasy trips included a Napa wine weekend (sold for $55,000); best seats in the house for the forthcoming Carrie Underwood concert (sold for $75,000) and an "Ultimate Tailgate" with Troy Aikman (sold three times for $75,000).

Each year, one of the most coveted auction items is a wine dinner prepared by some of Dallas' finest chefs — including Kent Rathbun and Dean Fearing. Two dinners were sold for $200,000 each, bringing in a record-breaking total of $400,000.

A “paddle raise” initiative around the room raised an additional $1 million to name a grant in honor of Kace Phillips, a Dallas resident and CBB supporter who died of glioblastoma last January. His wife, Claire, and their young children appeared on stage to remember him and encourage the fundraising.

Finally, it was time to head into a sprawling tent for headlinerCarrie Underwood. Making their way across the grounds, patrons picked up portable “concert snacks” including dill pickle popcorn, rosemary potato chips, and ginger molasses cookies.

Dressed in black sequin shorts and denim-rhinestone jacket, Underwood played a high-wattage show for more than an hour. The crowd crooned along to her biggest hits, from "Church Bells" to "Cowboy Casanova" to "Before He Cheats," and threw their hands into the air, church revival-style, for "Jesus Take the Wheel." Her cover of Guns 'N Roses "Paradise City," for which she shed her denim jacket and head-banged her long blond hair, got the audience rocking along, too.

Dallas Cattle Baron's Ball 2024 The crowd gathers inside the concert tent for the Carrie Underwood show.Photo by Haynsworth Photography

Those who wanted to catch early Ubers home ended the night there, while those who wanted to make a late night of it gathered back inside on the dance floor beneath the Live Auction stage, where Manhattan Orchestra band revved up the after-party until 2 am.

And, oh yes, there was more food for late-night revelers: breakfast tacos; a deep-fried station of tater tots, fried pickles, and onion rings; burgers, and sliders. And for good measure, a Raising Cane's food truck showed up with chicken fingers, too.

Going into the 2024 event, Cattle Baron’s Ball had raised more than $98 million since its inception in 1974. The November 6 check presentation for more than $7 million no doubt had the beneficiaries singing "Blown Away."

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The story originally was published on October 2, 2024. It was updated with the total amount raised on November 7, 2024.

american cancer society carrie underwood cattle baron's ball celebrities fundraisers galas neiman marcus