Held on February 4, 2023, as the kick-off to the Georgia Museum of Art’s 75th anniversary year, Elegant Salute XVII raised more than $435,000 for the museum’s programs and long-term stability. Generous donors from the Athens area, around the state of Georgia and far beyond went above and beyond in their gifts to honor both 75 years of free inspiration and the legacy of our director, William U. Eiland, who will retire at the end of March. The event’s original fundraising goal was $275,000, but fundraising co-chairs David Matheny, D. Hamilton Magill III and Gordhan Patel worked together to go far beyond that number, and event chair Mary Lillie Watson was a never-ending source of enthusiasm and good cheer.
The evening had a 1920s theme, and attendees dressed to the nines, with flapper fringe, feather headdresses and lots of sparkles. University President Jere W. Morehead began a series of champagne toasts to Dr. Eiland that featured heartfelt tributes from long-time museum patrons Todd Emily, Andrew Littlejohn, Randall Ott, Kathy Prescott, Peggy Rolando and Jason Schoen. Many of them pointed out repeatedly that a big part of his success in the job has been his genuine interest in people and the deep friendships he has built with many supporters. As Ott put it, “Bill Eiland is my friend, and I love him.”
The new cocktail format was a great success, with attendees circulating and talking with each other as they enjoyed hors d’oeuvres from Epting Events and the Athens A-Train Band played jazz standards. As always, the flowers and decor were spectacular, thanks to Maggie Hancock, Ligia Alexander and an army of volunteers. The silent-auction items were popular, with much bidding on the dinner by Peter Dale in particular. Attendees also made their way to the galleries, where the exhibition “Object Lessons in American Art: Selections from the Princeton University Art Museum” was on view for its very first day.
Elegant Salute proper rolled right into the Dripping in Diamonds Dance Party, which started at 9 p.m. and went on until 1 a.m., with DJ Mahogany spinning tunes and attendees dancing the night away. Tickets to Elegant Salute were only available as a benefit of sponsorship, but individuals could purchase tickets to the dance party, which attracted a record number of attendees.
We thank everyone who made the evening such a fantastic success: sponsors, partners, volunteers, chairs and, of course, our staff.
Photos from Elegant Salute XVII(opens in new tab) (photo booth photos(opens in new tab))
Committees
Dance Party
Sarah Peterson, chair
Kathleen Belknap
K. Paige Carmichael
Airee Edwards
Kira Epstein
Kimberly Fiscus
Mike Hamby
Bree Hayes
Tiffany Hines
Elizabeth Katz
Christina LaFontaine
Michaael H. Landers
Shanell McGoy
Mary Prickett
Shenara Sexton
Julia Slatcher
Décor & Floral
Maggie Hancock, décor chair
Ligia Alexander, floral chair
Lucy Allen
Jenny Broadnax
Frieda Clark
Greta Covington
Betty Alice Fowler
Bree Hayes
Caroline Hicks
Nyah Hammond
Kaitlyn Hart
Avery Johnson
Elizabeth Katz
Sarah Peterson
Grace Ryan
Lauren Schlesinger
Beverly Sligh
Marcia Talmadge
Mary Anna Terrell
Jody Warner
Fundraising
D. Hamilton Magill III, co-chair
David Matheny, co-chair
Gordhan Patel, co-chair
Silent Auction
Christina LaFontaine, chair
Sarah Peterson
Honorary Chairs
Lucy Allen, Elegant Salute VIII
Rinne Allen, Elegant Salute XII
Devereux Burch, Elegant Salute VII
K. Paige Carmichael, Elegant Salute XIII
Joan Curtis, Elegant Salute VI
Betsy Dorminey, Elegant Salute XIII
Maggie Hancock, Elegant Salute XV
Jane Compton Johnson, Elegant Salute IX
David Matheny, Elegant Salute XIV
Isobel Parker Mills, Elegant Salute XIV
Sarah Peterson, Elegant Salute XVI
Amburn Power, Elegant Salute II & IV
Sarah P. Sams, Elegant Salute IX
Elegant Salute XVII Sponsors
$25,000
Brenda & D. Hamilton Magill III
Becky & David W. Matheny
Marilyn & John McMullan
Isobel & Jimmy Mills
Gloria Bryant Norris
Kathy B. Prescott & Grady H. Thrasher III
Todd Emily Community Foundation
Carol V. & Robert Winthrop II
$10,000
Judith & Mark Ellis
Elizabeth & Andrew Littlejohn
Jason Schoen
Dudley Stevens
United Bank of Switzerland
$7,500
Margaret A. Rolando
$5,000
Lucy & B. Heyward Allen Jr.
Blossoms Wholesale and the C.L. Morehead Jr. Foundation
Stephanie C. Bryant, in memory of Clay Bryant*
Shannon & Peter Candler
Faye Chambers
Martin E. O’Brien
Sarah & Chris Peterson
Dorothy A. Roush family
Margie Spalding
Terrell Foundation
Mary Lillie & Ray Watson
Mary M. Wood
$2,500
Anonymous
Karen L. Benson
Devereux & E. Davison Burch
Susan & W. Travis Burch
Lisa & William W. Douglas III
Bree & Richard Hayes
Jane Compton Johnson
Material Culture & Arts Foundation
Parker & Kent Middleton
Libby V. & C. Van Morris
Deborah & Dennis O’Kain
Jinx & Gordhan Patel
Gloria Ricks Taylor
Sarah P. & Walter A. Sams III
Gregory Ann & Richard Woodruff
$1,000
Rinne Allen
Linda Nicholson Beard
Jeanne L. Berry
Linda A. Bigelow
Sally Bradley
Kira Epstein & Benjamin Brainard
Maxine & Bob Burton
Lacy Middlebrooks Camp & Thomas G. Camp
Samuel B. Carleton
Missy & Wesley Cochran
Elizabeth & Anthony DeMarco
Betsy & Blair Dorminey
Karen & Jim Fleece
Teresa & Charlie Friedlander
Candace Gilliland
Susan Guttman* & Claiborne Van C. Glover III
Kitty & Karen Goodchild
Heather Leigh & Park Harris
Anne R. & Richard M. Hathaway
Judith F. Hernstadt
Angela & Matthew Hicks
Tiffany & Chris Hines
Margaret & Eugene Howard Jr.
William Tzu-Wei Huang
Cindy Karp
Lynne & Charles Knapp
Bob Davis & John Knowlton
Shell & Wyck Knox Jr.
Carol and Paul Kurtz
Christina & Wade LaFontaine
Marjorie & Mark McConnell
Marilyn D. McNeely
Babe & Carl Mullis
Anne & William R. Newton
Sherrie & Steven Olejnik
Sheila & Randall Ott
Sylvia Hillyard Pannell & Clifton Pannell
Judy Powell
Amburn Power
Shanell McGoy & Terry M. Powers Jr.
Carol & James Reap
Betsy & Rutledge L. Robinson
Julie & Ira Roth
Jewett & Alan F. Rothschild Jr.
Lauren & Matthew M. Schlesinger
Julia & Richard Slatcher
Heather Lindell and Spencer Tally
Telfair Museums, Inc., Savannah, GA
Brenda A. & Larry D. Thompson
Valerie Aldridge & Charlesworth Hunter Tison
Cecelia & David Warner
Frances Mock Williams
Event Partners
Athens Printing Company
Condor Chocolates, LLC
Epting Events
Oconee Events
Perryander Studio
*deceased
Authored by:
Hillary Brown
