The Art of the Benefit
Rathbuns put away their collection to make way for auction-worthy art at 9thannual fundraiser
Created to “sell art without selling out,” the annual Art Party hosted by chef Kent Rathbun and his restaurateur wife, Tracy, nonetheless raised a tidy chunk of change for the Dallas division of the March of Dimes — $20,000, to be relatively exact.
The Art Party made its first appearance as a thank-you soiree for the team that built the Rathbun’s home. Now, nearly a decade later, it’s a must-attend on every art-loving socialite’s fall calendar. The Rathbuns opened their home in the Penthouse of the Heights Towers to the city’s movers and shakers, and they were the most gracious of hosts to nearly 300 of their closest pals.
With their own stellar collection moved to a downstairs storage room to make way for abstract and figurative works for auction, the Rathbuns gave a boost to the profiles of local sculptors and painters, including Mindy Collins, Rick Griggs, Scott Harben, Ron and Chris Marrs, and Tamara White.
“Chefs are artists, so it doesn’t surprise me that Kent and Tracy are so attracted to art,” said publisher and editor-in-chief Terri Provencal of Patron magazine, a sponsor of the event. “What they’re doing is amazing, because it not only benefits the charity, but it benefits the artists as well.”
In between sampling “greatest hits” dishes from Royal China, Abacus and Shinsei and watching the awe-inspiring noodle-making display on the patio, guests got up close and personal with attending artists. Even the Rathbuns’ 6-year-old daughter, Garrett, got in the act by selling her drawings for $20 a pop, straight off her bedroom wall.
Also in attendance? Eve and Abran Aragon, Diane and Hal Brierley, Glass Distillery founder Ian MacNeil, Pat and Charles McEvoy, Susan Posnick,and Brandy and Will Taylor.