Gala Dinner Dance
The Gala Party
Diana Thébaud Nicholson
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Diana T. Nicholson & Pierre Marc Johnson
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The Gala committee headed by Carolina Richer-Laflèche, well-known Montrealer with a background in environmental law, includes Diana Thébaud Nicholson, Margaret Lefebvre, Donald Barwick, Pierre D'Amour, Paul Gagner, Denise Grossman, Ysabel Trujillo and Linda Sutherland
Briefly, this was an exceptional occasion for prominent Montrealers to meet and mingle with international and national leaders of the Environment from the public, corporate and academic sectors and to learn more about issues which are so important to the future of our planet and also, to understand how important Montreal has become in this sector.
This was a sparkling event. People involved in environment and sustainable development are also amusing, entertaining and very cosmopolitan!
ASTRI REUSCH
The artwork used as a theme for the Gala is taken from the large-scale environmental works of the Tropical Rain Forest Series by Astri Reusch. Original oil paintings up to 30 feet (9 meters) long, these works are part of an ongoing series of hundreds of images which the artist has created to celebrate the strength and diversity of the natural environment.
two artists Astri & Gertrude Barwick
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The artist was born in the tropics of South America and in this series she has immersed herself in the imagery of the tropical rain forest of her childhood. She has had the opportunity to observe both the beauty and the devastation of this resource and her artwork reflects her awareness and concern with respect to this process.
In January of this year, Astri Reusch explored this theme in the sets which she created for a multi-media performance work by the experimental dance group Danse-Cité at the Théatre du Monument National.
Peter & Michele Ferst |
Ms. Reusch has received international recognition for her sculpture, glass and major architectural works. Her work in glass has been exhibited throughout the world from Montreal to Tokyo, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the Corning Museum of Glass,the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris and many others.
She also created the monumental sculpture La Débâcle in the main hall of the Musée de la Civilisation in Quebec City, inspired by the force and drama of nature as expressed in the break-up of the massive ice floes which takes place every year on the St. Lawrence River. She has also created sculptural works in entrance halls at the headquarters of IntelSat in Washington DC and Belcourt Construction in Montreal.
The artistic theme of the evening was in the capable hands of Astri Reusch and Denise Grossman, two incredibly creative individuals.Some of Astri's "exuberant" paintings of tropical vegetation were hung in the Salon Versailles, including a huge work as a backdrop to the head table. These were complemented by lush plants from the Botanical Garden emphasizing the "greening of Montreal".
Catering was by the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Michael Marentette, President of Les Agences Whitehall provided the wines for dinner - new wines now being introduced to the Québec market. Music for dining and dancing, supplied by Peter Freeman and his orchestra which feature a guest appearance by talented Montreal soprano Susan Eyton-Jones (who was flown in from Europe for the occasion by Air Canada). She returned the next day to preform in Amsterdam.
Major sponsors of the evening include Bombardier Inc and Imasco. Other donors include Air Canada, Bowne of Montreal, COSMAIR, Les Agences Whitehall, the City of Montreal Botanical Gardens, NAYA and Astri Reusch.
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