Night of the Stars
• July 26, 2011

On Mar. 8, Gala, The National Center of Latino Performing Arts, celebrated its 35th anniversary season. The evening honored enduring supporters The Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Fernando & Stephanie van Reigersberg and Edwin Aparicio. Heart and soul of Gala, Rebecca and Hugo Medrano, were justly proud of their outreach that crosses “borders and frontiers.” The evening featured performances by Quin Tango, dancer Carina Losano and Gala’s Youth Company Paso Nuevo. Silent and live auctions supported Gala’s mission of creative artistic programming and commitment to arts education. [gallery ids="99630,105185,105181,105169,105177,105173" nav="thumbs"]

RAMMY Nominations
•

On Mar. 22, The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced the finalists for this year’s awards which will be presented at the Marriott Wardman Park on June 26. The theme will be Carnevale da Cuisine. New this year is the Joan Hisaoka Associate Member of the Year with Adams-Burch, BB&T, EagleBank, Fiji Water, The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC and SYSCO Food Services of Baltimore the finalists. Traditional categories include Fine Dining Restaurant, Chef of the Year, New Restaurant and Rising Culinary Star. [gallery ids="99633,105194,105225,105221,105199,105217,105213,105204,105209" nav="thumbs"]

Peruvian Cuisine Honored at the OAS
•

Lima has been declared the Gastronomic Capital of Latin America and that distinction was most evident at the Organization of American States on Mar. 23 as over 300 guests enjoyed a four-course dinner created by noted Peruvian chefs Coque and Felipe Ossio, who came here for the occasion. The menu included ceviche, shrimp chowder, lamb and multiple desserts. OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza presented Peruvian Minister of Trade and Tourism Eduardo Ferreyros with the first Cultural Patrimony of the Americas award in honor of Peruvian gastronomy marking the Inter-American Year of Culture. To recapture the experience guests departed with the prize winning cookbook Peru Mucho Gusto. [gallery ids="99634,105214,105226,105219,105223" nav="thumbs"]

Junior League of Washington
•

The Junior League of Washington (JLW) launched its 52nd Annual A Capital Collection of Holiday Shops at the Marriott Wardman Park with the Meg Graham Scholarship Breakfast on Nov. 19. The late Rev. Margaret “Meg” Graham was a past President of the Association of Junior Leagues International, former Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown, and co-founder of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. In l982 the JLW established an annual $10,000 Meg Graham Scholarship awarded to graduating seniors of DC public and charter schools who have been accepted to an accredited post-secondary institution and who demonstrate a strong academic record and significant volunteer service. [gallery ids="99569,104840,104829,104837,104834" nav="thumbs"]

Kitty Kelley & The Women’s Forum of Washington DC
•

On Nov. 18, Teresa and Paul Klaassen hosted Kitty Kelley and The Women’s Forum of Washington DC for a holiday shopping extravaganza accompanied by festive hors d’oeuvres and wine bars. Vendors on each floor included Nina McLemore, Proper Topper, J McLaughlin of Georgetown, Ibhana Creations and Sissy Yates Jewelry. The Women’s Forum of Washington, DC, Inc. is an affiliate of International Women’s Forum, an organization of preeminent women who share knowledge and ideas to enrich each other’s lives and to provide a network of support to prepare future generations of women leaders. [gallery ids="102507,120185,120196,120192" nav="thumbs"]

Monaco Toasts Prince Albert’s Nuptials
• July 13, 2011

Ambassador of Monaco and Mrs. Gilles Noghes celebrated the sixth anniversary of Prince Albert II’s accession to the throne and his recent wedding to Charlene Wittstock at a July 7 reception at the Metropolitan Club. Following a rendition of national anthems, the Ambassador said that the Prince had found the Princess he was looking for and shared that Prince Albert had quoted poet Robert Frost in honoring his new Princess as being the one he found on “the road less traveled.” Guests enjoyed a video presentation of the nuptials followed by an eloquent ambassadorial toast to US-Monaco friendship and, of course, to the newlyweds. [gallery ids="102536,120113,120119,120097,120105,120131,120125" nav="thumbs"]

Bulgaria Honors Azar Foundation
•

On June 30, Ambassador of Bulgaria Elena Poptodorova hosted a buffet dinner at her residence to introduce her diplomatic colleagues and US officials and friends to the Azar Foundation for Children of the World founded by Shahin Mafi. The foundation focuses on issues related to underprivileged and orphaned children as well as women’s issues internationally. The Ambassador spoke of children as often a “threatened species.” In welcoming the support for Azar, Shahin said “The smile or cry of children has no language. It is universal.” The evening was enhanced by the delightful singing of Bulgarian artist Elitsa Yordanova Stoyneva. [gallery ids="100235,106539,106565,106561,106544,106557,106549,106553" nav="thumbs"]

Turkey Celebrates the Washington Ballet
•

Ambassador of Turkey Namik Tan held a June 28 reception to celebrate the Washington Ballet’s upcoming cultural mission to Turkey and participation in the international Dance Festival in Bodrum on the Turkish coast. Board Chair Sylvia de Leon thanked the Ambassador for Turkey’s leadership in the arts and acknowledged the presence of Turkish dance students. The Ambassador traced the history of the residence and its role as a jazz center when Turkey’s second ambassador in Washington Münir Ertegün hosted black jazz musicians during the 1930s and 1940s in a racially segregated capital. The Ballet’s eight day tour in late August will include visits to historic sites in Istanbul and Ephesus, Whirling Dervishes and a performance at famed Bodum Castle. [gallery ids="100234,106524,106545,106529,106541,106534,106538" nav="thumbs"]

Champagne Brunch Toasts Paloma Picasso
• July 7, 2011

In conjunction with the current exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), on June 6 outgoing Co-Presidents of the Women’s Committee Cyd Everett and Isin Ludlow invited members to join them for a champagne brunch in the museum board room and the chance to touch the amazing jewels of Tiffany jeweler Paloma Picasso. The designer honors her family name as the daughter of the famed artist and her mother Francoise Gilot. Paloma Picasso is represented in the Smithsonian’s famed jewel collection. NMWA Director Susan Sterling spoke of Cyd’s “spark and oomph” and thanked Isin for hosting an event and her constant support. Tiffany representatives Mary Adams and Bryant Rice traced the designer’s evolution from early designs to the current Moroccan inspired theme and brought outstanding pieces to hold and admire. [gallery ids="100049,100050,100051,100052,100053" nav="thumbs"]

Luxembourg Honors Ambassador Melanne Verveer and Innocents At Risk
•

The stunning Luxembourg residence was the place to be on May 17 as Ambassador Jean-Paul Senninger and Mrs. Louise Akerbloom entertained supporters of Deborah Sigmund’s Innocents at Risk (IAR). The Ambassador said that women’s advancement should be a centerpiece in government plans. Barbara Harrison of NBC championed the evening’s honoree Melanne Verveer, President Obama’s Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues. The Ambassador previously served as Chief Assistant to First Lady Hillary Clinton and as Chair and Co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. Deborah has garnered staunch international backing for her campaign to combat the scourge of human trafficking. [gallery ids="99833,99834,99835,99836,99837,99838,99839,99840,99841" nav="thumbs"]