Huntsville, Ala – The Huntsville Museum of Art’s (HMA) Gala Committee has announced the three events that traditionally take place during the first week of March and has installed the 2017 Gala Art Exhibition at the Museum which includes items for auction. The trio of events surrounding the art exhibition are scheduled for February 28, March 2 and 4. The first event, the Gala Luncheon, has already sold out, but tickets for the other two events are still available.
The 26th Annual Gala will kick-off its festivities on Tuesday, February 28 at 11:30 a.m. with a luncheon featuring designer India Hicks and catering by Lyn’s Gracious Goodness. This event sold out within just a few days of opening the registration. After a successful career designing collections of bath and beauty products, and bedding and jewelry, India joined forces with two strong business-minded partners to launch her own lifestyle brand: India Hicks. Her fascination with design started in childhood and was encouraged by her family, “As my father always said ‘good taste and design are by no means dependent upon money,’” said India.
“It is an honor to have India Hicks as our special guest for this year’s Gala Luncheon,” said Huntsville Museum of Art Executive Director, Christopher Madkour. “India’s creative and independent spirit has led her to establish a successful international design business where her collections are sold through networks of entrepreneurial women. She is an inspiration to entrepreneurial women around the globe. Her visit to the Museum is significant and is one that our members will be reminiscing about in years to come.”
The second event of the Gala fundraiser will be the Black Tie Dinner and Live Auction on Thursday, March 2, beginning at 6 p.m. During this event, guests will enjoy a cocktail hour followed by a dinner catered by Chef James Boyce and a live auction of artwork, accessories, vacations and more.
The third and final event will be the Gala Cocktail Party and Silent Auction on Saturday, March 4, beginning at 7 p.m. During this cocktail party, featured artist Sherrie Russ Levine will mingle with the guests and be available to answer any questions they may have about her artwork. Music will be provided by the Fountain City Players and hors d’oeuvres will be served by Chef Narvell.
The biggest part of the Gala events, and what ties everything together, is the Gala Art Exhibit. This exhibit is currently on display at HMA and can be viewed through March 5. This year’s featured artist is Sherrie Russ Levine. Levine’s paintings are gaining national recognition in private collections and painting competitions.
“There’s a method to my madness,” said Sherrie. “In other words, I work in a kind of artfulness with order whether working outdoors, or in the studio. I try to paint from life in a variety of subjects as much as possible, because I get a spontaneous impression to light and color that engages me to work intuitively to capture a fleeting moment in time. I can’t get that when working from photos alone, and photographs lie about the color in the shadows. This collection of works are inspired from my recent plein-air paintings while traveling abroad wandering through city streets and enduring interiors.”
While the Gala Luncheon and Black Tie Dinner are sold out, tickets can still be purchased for the Cocktail Party. Visit hsvmuseum.org for more information about the events, to view the auction items and to find out how to drive a brand new 2017 Jaguar SUV for a year.
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About the Huntsville Museum of Art Gala Committee:
For 26 years, the Huntsville Museum of Art Gala Committee has been a valuable resource for the Huntsville community and a proud supporter of the Huntsville Museum of Art. The Gala Committee was established to support the efforts of the Huntsville Museum of Art. Recognized as one of Huntsville’s premier fundraising events, the Gala Committee has generated well over $4 million in support of the Museum over the past 26 years which has helped bring nationally recognized exhibitions to the Museum and to this region.
About India Hicks:
India was born in London, England and comes from both British and design royalty. Her father was famed interior decorator David Hicks and her mother is Lady Pamela Hicks, daughter to the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma. Her grandfather was the last viceroy of India (hence her name) and she was a bridesmaid at Lady Diana’s marriage to her godfather, the Prince of Wales. After graduating from the New England School of Photography, she moved to New York and was hired by Ralph Lauren for her first modeling job, which led to a career on the other side of the camera throughout the 1980s and 1990s. India now lives on a small island in the Bahamas with her partner and their five children. Here, she has shared and documented her multidimensional and unpredictable life through social media, her three lifestyle books: Island Life, Island Beauty, and Island Style, and her website: indiahicks.com.
About Sherrie Russ Levine:
Levine was born in Georgetown, SC and attended Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, FL where she received her degree in graphic design and illustration. After graduating, she worked in advertising agencies and art departments in Atlanta, GA for 10 years before making Nashville, TN her home. Since 1995, she has focused on painting in oils, has shown in numerous galleries and juried shows throughout the United States.