The countdown to one of New York City’s most anticipated cultural and philanthropic celebrations is officially underway. Findlay Galleries hosted an elegant kickoff gathering in support of Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education’s annual Fiesta!, bringing together art, fashion, philanthropy, and New York society ahead of the October 5 celebration at The Plaza Hotel.
Ben Rodriquez-Cubenas, Jackie Weld Drake, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Margo Langenberg
The intimate evening was hosted by HRH Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Stephanie Borynack Clark, Frederick Stirling Clark, and Jacqueline Weld Drake, who welcomed a distinguished group of supporters and friends of Casita Maria. The gathering offered guests an opportunity to celebrate the organization’s longstanding commitment to children, families, education, and the arts while building excitement for its signature annual fundraiser.
Hunt-Slonem, Sharon-Bush
Jacqueline Weld Drake, a longtime supporter of Casita Maria, spoke warmly about the organization and this year’s honorees. She highlighted artists Hunt Slonem and Sonia Gutt de Haime, recognizing their friendship and support of Casita Maria, as well as Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas, Casita Maria’s Vice Chair, who will receive the Jackie Weld Drake Living Legend Award.
Duncan Sahner, Julia Dwyer, Georgina Schaefer, Kitty Dwyer, Fred Clark
Among the guests at the Findlay Galleries celebration were Steven M.L. Aronson, Edgar Batista, Cece and Lee Black, Martha Bograd, Halim Bulos, Sharon Bush, Shannon Donnelly, Michele Gerber Klein, Susan Gutfreund, Beth Hardwick, Cheri Kaufman, Margo Langenberg, Jeanne Lawrence, William Ivey Long, Janet Mait, Christopher Mason, Michael Gregson Reinert-Sessions, Jonathan Reinert-Sessions, Gabriel Rivera, Victor Roquette, Marc Rosen, Georgina Schaeffer, Jean Shafiroff, Peggy Siegal, Kathy Sloan, Christopher English Walling, Saundra Whitney, Victoria Wyman, and Casita Maria Executive Director Felix Urrutia.
Gabriel Rivera, Isanda Alvarez, Abed Kareem, Ben Rodriquez-Cubenas
Casita Maria Fiesta! at The Plaza Hotel
The much-anticipated Casita Maria Fiesta! will take place on October 5 at The Plaza Hotel, honoring Hunt Slonem and Sonia Gutt de Haime, while Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas receives the Jackie Weld Drake Living Legend Award.
The evening’s honorary chairs include a notable group of cultural and philanthropic figures, including Adrienne Arsht, Carolina Herrera, Wes Gordon, Audrey Gruss, Julio Larraz, Juan Montoya, Daisy Soros, and Lynn Wyatt, among others. Previous Fiesta! honorees have included celebrated names such as Gloria Estefan, Margot Fonteyn, Audrey Hepburn, Baz Luhrmann, Mary McFadden, Paloma Picasso, and Oscar de la Renta.
Susan Gutfreund, Sergio Orozco, Clemencia Dixon
Shannon Donnely, Guy Clark
Victor Roquette, Jean Shafiroff
Beyond its glamorous setting, Casita Maria Fiesta! supports an important mission. Founded in 1934, Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education is the oldest Latino charity in New York City. Based in the South Bronx, the organization provides children, young people, and families with educational opportunities, arts programming, social services, and a supportive environment in which to develop their talents.
The annual Fiesta! brings together New York’s philanthropic, artistic, and cultural communities in support of that mission. As Jacqueline Weld Drake noted during the kickoff, the event is known for being as much about celebrating and dancing as it is about speeches making it a particularly lively highlight of New York’s social and philanthropic calendar.
With the October 5 celebration approaching, the Findlay Galleries gathering offered a stylish preview of an evening dedicated to art, education, philanthropy, and the future of Casita Maria’s children and families.
For tickets and additional information, visit Casita Maria’s official website.
PHOTOS by John Sanderson / Annie Watt Agency