Cindy and Howard Rachofsky have been toiling in Addison. Their project has been The Warehouse on Inwood Road. Thanks to the Rachofskys teaming up with architect David Droese, the former furniture storage space became an art showplace.
While the Dallas Women’s Foundation held their patron party on Thursday, September 24, there, the universe of art lovers came together along as well as well-heeled media types to learn the name of the Nasher Prize Laureate.
Nasher Sculpture Center Director Jeremy Strick confided that he had bet on who would be the winner before the selection was finalized. Did he deal the cards so his choice won? Jeremy looked stricken (no pun intended). Of course, he didn’t!
Still he was delighted at the outcome and the reasoning behind it.
As photographers (one even had an iPhone on a tripod) set up, the heady types of the Dallas art crowd gathered including Jennifer and John Eagle, Deedie and Rusty Rose, Kelli and Allen Questrom, Marnie and Kern Wildenthal, Jeff Byron, Kevin Hurst, Luciano Peña, Catherine and Will Rose, Linda Marcus).
On the sidelines, handlers served as life guards advising even the most housebroken types to not get too close to the art on the walls.
Snapshots: Joyce Goss waiting for her car and admitting that she couldn’t wait to get out of her high heels…Merry Vose, who will be co-chairing the Perot’s Night at the Museum along with husband Chad Vose and Carrie and Steven Becker, was headed to Paris to shop for her shop Canary…Marnie and Kern Wildenthal were just back from settling their granddaughter at Oxford.
When the big moment came for the announcement, Jeremy stood at the podium in between two large monitors and introduced the the Nasher Laureate Prize Laureate Co-Chairs Jennifer Eagle and Catherine Rose. Looking like they had borrowed their husbands’ specs, Jennifer and Catherine thanked Aston Martin and JP Morgan Chase for being the Nasher Prize 2016 co-presenting sponsors. They recognized Nancy Nasher and David Haemisegger, who were standing among the crowd, for creating such an international award.
Then it was time to announce the artist who was selected to receive the $100,000 prize by a panel of international art elite (Phyllis Barlow, Lynn Cooke, Okwui Enwezor, Yuko Hasegawa, Steven Nash, Alexander Potts and Nicholas Serots). Smiling Jeremy resumed his place at the podium and announced that in this time of pain and turbulence, the choice was so right. It was Columbian sculptor Doris Salcedo. Following an excellent video on the artist, her works and the judges’ comments, Doris’ taped acceptance was gracious and as impressive as her work. The announcement was a resounding hit from the guests’ reactions.
With a toast to the decision and the announcement that a discussion would take place in London on October 11, another with Doris on April 1 and the gala presentation on April 2, the crowd broke up with media heading for media kits and interviews with key players and guests smiling and comparing notes.
What was of equal note was despite Monday’s announcement that Max Anderson had cleared his Dallas Museum of Art desk off, nary a word was heard aloud about Anderson’s departure.