From disco land to candy land

Fun and fabulous Dallasites boogie to $9.4 million at 'fantasy disco' Two x Two Gala

What could possibly make the annual Two x Two Gala coming-together of Dallas' art-fashion-philanthropy worlds even more fun and fabulous? Taking it to a disco, and then to a candy land.

This year's sold-out, black-tie dinner and contemporary art auction attracted 535 guests who boogied it up to the tune of $9.4 million for the amFAR and the Dallas Museum of Art.

Hosted on October 22 by Howard and Cindy Rachofsky and John and Lisa Runyon, the 2022 Two x Two Gala went down in a "modern disco fantasy" designed by Todd Fiscus' Todd Events. Per tradition, the event was held at the Rachofsky House, under the signature 7,000-square-foot geodesic dome tent, which soars 48 feet in the center. Fiscus' team transformed into a space into the modern disco by lacing together a palette of bright colors with nature and glam textures like mirrored metals, white bleached wood, brushed brass, chartreuse, and burgundy.

As guests arrived, donning whimsical gowns and platform heels, the evening began with a Tequila Casa Dragones, La Grande Dame, and Belvedere cocktail reception and an art and luxury item silent auction. It was followed by a seated, multicourse dinner. For the first time, an all-vegan menu was served.

The Rachofskys and Runyons welcomed the invitation-only crowd, before turning things over to Dr. Anna Katherine Brodbeck, the Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the Dallas Museum of Art, who introduced patrons to honoree Rashid Johnson. AmfAR Co-Chairs of the Board, T. Ryan Greenawalt and Kevin McClatchy, presented Rashid Johnson with amfAR’s 2022 Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS.

After dinner, Nile Rodgers and CHIC entertained the crowd with a variety hits, including ”Le Freak, “ “We are Family,” and — fittingly for the disco theme — "Let's Dance."

Of course, the order of the night was raising big bucks, and that fell largely on the shoulders of auctioneer Michael Macaulay, Senior Vice President of Sotheby's. The live, contemporary art auction featured works by artists including honoree Johnson, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Kyle Dunn, Ulala Imai, Spencer Lewis, and Rafa Macarrón.

In all, 132 works of art were offered in the live and silent auctions, as well as a number of luxury and experiential packages. Bidders had plenty of time to prepare their paddles — the Two x Two First Look preview party was held two weeks earlier at Rachofsky House.

The party didn't stop when the bidding ceased. An after-party, presented by Nancy Rogers, rocked the back garden of The Rachofsky House until the wee hours. Also designed by Todd Events, the after-party transported the crowd to a pink candy wonderland, complete with all-pink color palette, lip motifs, “Slurp” neon signs, and an oversized lollipop for guests to pose with in the photo booth. The late-night revelers enjoyed Moët Hennessy Brandy Alexanders while dancing to the beats of DJ Lucy Wrubel. As a party favor, everyone left with a Pizzana’s best-selling pepperoni pizza by Chef Daniele Utidi.

Two x Two has become the largest fundraiser in the United States for essential AIDS research at amfAR, as well as the largest single annual source of funds for contemporary art acquisitions at the DMA; to date, the event has raised over $113 million. Through its funding, the DMA has added more than 300 major works of contemporary art to its permanent collection.

Photo by Kevin Tachman

Cindy Rachofsky, Sheree Hovsepian, Rashid Johnson, Howard Rachofsky

Notable attendees of the 2022 gala included Dirk and Jessica Nowitzki, Sheree Hovsepian, Ceron, Amanda Schufeldt, Howard Rachofsky, Kasey Lemkin, Bernard Nussbaumer, Michelle Nussbaumer, Cameron Silver, Jenny Kirtland, Coley Means, Bradley Agather Means, Gene Jones, Jerry Jones, Melissa Ireland, Charlotte Jones, Amir Rozwadowski, Haley Anderson, Christen Wilson, Kelli Ford, Jerry Ford, Lilah Ramzi, Benita Chan, Leigh Anne Clark, Maria Valim, Marc Metrick, Deborah Metrick, Mariel Sholem, Jamie Sholem, Matthew Looney, Alexandra Looney, Merrick Egan, Sara Fay Egan, Taylor Olson, Amy Phelan, Brian Bolke, Nimesh Patel, Bina Palnitkar Patel, Jamie O’Banion, Porschla Kidd, Bela Cooley, Thomas Keller, Bertha Gonzalez Nieves, Terri Provencal, Anna Meliksetian, Sheryl Adkins-Green, Esther Kim Varet, Kohshin Finley, Ryan Beal, Piper Beal, Missy Rogers Peck, Nancy Carlson, Jordan Jones, Kaleta Blaffer Johnson, John Domolky, Marguerite Hoffman, Elaine Agather, and LaQuan Smith.

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A Glittering Celebration

Christine Baranski brings Hollywood sparkle to Dallas luncheon

Photo by Kim Leeson

Karen Hughes White, Caren Lock, Christine Baranski, Shonn Brown.

The Omni Dallas Hotel shimmered in ruby tones on November 14 as more than 950 supporters gathered to celebrate a milestone four decades in the making: the Texas Women’s Foundation’s Ruby Anniversary Luncheon.

The afternoon blended Hollywood sparkle — courtesy of award-winning actress Christine Baranski — with heartfelt tributes to the visionary women who sparked a movement in Texas 40 years ago.

The annual luncheon, one of the region’s most significant events advancing women and girls, raised an impressive $840,000. More than $112,000 of that came in during the program itself, underscoring the energy in the room and the urgency of the mission.

TXWF used the occasion to announce a landmark figure: a cumulative $115 million in impact since its founding in 1985. That number includes nearly $90 million in grants to organizations serving women and girls, as well as more than $25 million invested in research, advocacy, and leadership initiatives designed to shape long-term change.

Board chair Cris Zertuche Wong opened the program by welcoming seven of the Foundation’s 11 living founders, who also served as the event's honorary co-chairs: Susan Shamburger Bagwell, the Honorable Harryette Ehrhardt, Catalina E. Garcia, Frances Griffin-Brown, Helen LaKelly Hunt, the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison, Madeline Mandell, Patricia Meadows, Gwendolyn Oliver, CoYoTe PhoeNix, and Rebecca Russell Sykes.

Their presence cast a powerful through line from 1985 to 2025, reminding guests how a collective of 19 bold women stepped across differences in background, beliefs, and political leanings to create an organization with the singular purpose of supporting Texas women and their families.

Wong also recognized former Foundation leaders and Ruby Anniversary co-chairs from across the decades: Gail Griswold and Brenda Jackson representing the 1980s; Laura Estrada, the 1990s; Helen Frank, the 2000s; and Shonn Brown, the 2020s.

TXWF president and CEO Karen Hughes White spoke to the road ahead, noting that while the founders’ vision remains timeless, the challenges facing Texas women have grown more complex. “It will take all of us to create meaningful, lasting, systemic change that levels the playing field for women and, in turn, creates a strong and vibrant Texas for all,” she said.

Throughout the luncheon, guests were treated to archival video clips of the founders recalling how they built TXWF from scratch: the meetings held around kitchen tables, the spirited debates, the shared belief that change was not only possible but necessary.

Brown then honored each of the 11 living founders, as well as those who have passed, noting that their collective voice will be further amplified in a forthcoming 40-story collection documenting TXWF's history.

The afternoon’s featured guest, introduced by Target executive and event sponsor Sabrina Thomas, was the incomparable Christine Baranski, the Emmy and Tony-winning actress of The Good Wife, Cybil, and The Gilded Age.

In an onstage conversation moderated by former board chair Caren Lock, Baranski charmed the audience with stories from her upbringing in Buffalo, New York, where she grew up in a working-class Polish American family. She spoke of perseverance, discipline, and dreaming big, qualities that carried her to Juilliard and ultimately into a celebrated four-decade career spanning television, film, and theater.

As the luncheon drew to a close, the mood was equal parts celebratory and forward-looking. Forty years in, the Texas Women’s Foundation continues to push for equity with the same passion that fueled its founding.

Photo by Kim Leeson

Karen Hughes White, Caren Lock, Christine Baranski, Shonn Brown.

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