A Thank You Note to Lea Corriston+Crew for a very artful party

Gray mid-winter…red lips…urban black…rabbits…sushi (made with fish and veggies, not rabbit)…art…refreshments…cupcakes…sound…light…people…party

Hostess: Lea
designer: Design Ranch
planning team: immense
crew: fun and welcoming

You go to a big party, step across the threshold, briefly meet the hostess or host, head for the food and drink, absorb the atmosphere briefly, and dance to the beats. Party pics, delicious dresses, gorgeous people, happy faces. The memory images of the Nelson-Atkins’ Party Arty event will fill the facebooks of many, posted at online newsstands near your fingertips for the next few days.

What won’t fade for me was meeting Lea Corriston, the team leader for this party whose team was a lovely welcoming collection of people. Many people had a hand in this fun event and I wish to extend my thanks.

My friend, photographer and artist Rachael Jane, attended on behalf of Pam Taylor and Pete Dulin of Present Magazine. Rachael shot mega mega-pixels and those pictures will be great. We watched, observed, met some nice people, chatted with the staff behind the open bars, shook hands with the dancing DJs, visited with the security staff, watched Mike Crivello screen some awesome commemorative t-shirts, examined Jessica Finch’s ikebana floral artistry, and watched as Lea Corriston made a party plan come alive with her hands-on care throughout the evening.

Impressive. Colors…red, gray, black…

We’re blessed with this incredible public space called the Nelson-Atkins. To see the spaces filled with new light, banners, lanterns, people, music, aromas, people, and people made the spaces that much more alive, for beautiful architecture pays homage to humanity, spaces designed for them. The Bloch building received a soaring sound, color, and light check with a moving array of color from the personal architecture of colorful fashion. Contemporary cream filling for this contemporary glass light-absorbing jewel of a building.

And the venerable, classic Nelson. In the main reception hall, the black marble pillars with streams of warm red light streaming up to the carved ceiling, all those crevices shouting down with new shadows while another DJ team digitally doled out sounds for dancing and rhythmic head nods beneath huge silken banners sporting a black rabbit, this year’s calendar mascot.

I’m a writer, but not a journalist, so please excuse my lack of objectivity here. This place is like a second home to me especially on Sundays; my Rozzelle Court ritual of coffee and a big chocolate chip cookie, the newspaper, my journal and fountain pen. I live there…kinda.

Thanks, Lea. You threw a fun Party…thanks, Pam and Pete…I was present, thanks to you guys. Thanks, Rachael…can’t wait to see what you saw…