Mosaic Family Services announces Brittany Merrill Underwood, Founder and CEO of Akola, as the recipient of the 2017 Champion of Human Rights Award, which will be presented at the nonprofit’s 8^th Annual Gala on Friday, October 6, 2017 from 7 p.m.– 12 a.m. at sixty five hundred on Cedar Springs.

The Champion of Human Rights Award is presented each year to individuals and/or groups who strive to ensure the protection of the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are entitled. The award is presented to Ms. Underwood for her inspirational work empowering women in disadvantaged communities throughout the globe. Akola trains and employs women in poverty, including survivors of trafficking here in Dallas, so they can support themselves and meet the needs of their families.

“Brittany Underwood and Akola have transformed the lives of thousands of women and children around the world”, remarked Ashley Anderson Smith, event co-chair and Mosaic Family Services board member. “We are thrilled to honor her as a Champion of Human Rights. We hope the community will join us in ‘Raising the Stakes’ as we raise vital funds to support Mosaic Family Services and our mission of providing a safe haven for survivors of human rights abuses.”

Past award recipients include Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates, director and filmmaker Libby Spears; fashion designer Abi Ferrin; Judge Roberto Canas, Jr., presiding judge of Dallas County Criminal Court No. 10; Jan Langbein, executive director of Genesis Women’s Shelter, and Paige Flink, executive director of The Family Place; Ambassador-At-Large Luis C. deBaca; and local philanthropist and women’s and human rights activist, Lauren Embrey.

Chaired by Ashley Anderson Smith and Nusia Sookarow, with honorary chair Susan Posnick, the event will be a “night in Monte Carlo” themed gala, including cocktails, dinner by cn catering, silent auction, raffle, casino, and music by DJ LC.   America’s sassiest lifestyle guru Steve Kemble will serve as this year’s emcee.

Tickets for the Mosaic Family Services 8^th Annual Champion of Human Rights Gala: Raising the Stakes are $150 each; sponsorships begin at $500. For tickets, sponsorships or more information, visit mosaicservices.org/events.

About Brittany Merrill Underwood

Brittany Merrill Underwood has made an extraordinary impact through her dedication over the past 13 years to transform the lives of impoverished women and families through the Akola Project. Akola operates a thriving social business designed to empower women in disadvantaged communities through training, employment and holistic care. Akola’s products are sold throughout the country, and their elevated jewelry line is the first Full-Impact Brand to be sold in the luxury space through their national launch in Neiman Marcus.

As a nonprofit, Akola reinvests 100% of their profits to support work opportunities, training, social programs and the construction of training centers and water wells in impoverished communities throughout the globe. Akola makes a social impact throughout its entire supply chain and offers women opportunities through the creation of handcrafted raw materials, assembly of the product, and in the distribution center that acts as a second chance job program. The hope of Akola is to encourage new thinking about international development and to inspire the next generation of social innovators to deliver the highest level of impact in disadvantaged communities.

In 2017, Brittany was named among the World’s Top 10 CEOs in Inc Magazine. In 2014, she was asked to join the mentoring class for the Laura Bush Women’s Initiative and joined the faculty of Southern Methodist University as an adjunct professor in 2015 where she teaches a new course on Social Innovation. As CEO of the Akola Project, Brittany continues to devote her life to creating a brand that empowers women through economic and holistic development.

About Mosaic Family Services

Mosaic Family Services is a safe haven for survivors of human rights abuses, including domestic violence and human trafficking. The multicultural staff at Mosaic supports, educates, and empowers more than 25,000 people each year through direct services and outreach. Refugees and survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence receive shelter, legal representation, counseling, access to health care, and support services in more than 30 languages. Every year, Mosaic House provides emergency housing to hundreds of women and children fleeing domestic violence and human trafficking.  They are the only shelter in North Texas providing comprehensive services to multicultural survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.  For more information, visit www.mosaicservices.org.

The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) hosted a reception and dinner honoring the first recipient of The Richard Brettell Award in the Arts, landscape architect Peter Walker, on Tuesday, April 11, 2017.

Dr. Richard C. Benson, president of UTD, and Dr. Richard R. Brettell, the Margaret McDermott Distinguished Chair of Arts and Aesthetic Studies and the Edith O’Donnell Distinguished Chair at UTD, were joined by more than 90 guests for the occasion, held in the Founders Building on the UTD campus.

As guests arrived, they mingled over cocktails and passed canapés while enjoying music from the Radiant Guitar Group.  After cocktails, patrons progressed to the dining room where tables displayed accents of gold and topiary centerpieces of magnolia leaves and white roses.

Dr. Benson welcomed attendees and introduced The Richard Brettell Award in the Arts that recognizes the essential and fundamental role of the arts in the life of the university.  As he shared, the award will honor an artist working in or between any of the broad spectrum of artistic endeavors, including the visual arts, music, literature, performance, and architecture/design.  Given every other year, the award consists of a prize of $150,000 and a week's residence on the UT Dallas campus and in Dallas, during which the awardee will present a major public lecture and interact in a variety of venues with the students, staff and faculty of UT Dallas and with the larger arts community of the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

The concept of the Brettell Award is inspired by the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT, created by the McDermott Family at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1974. The MIT McDermott Award is also made every other year, and it is planned to schedule the two events in alternating years.

Dr. Benson also extended his gratitude to Mrs. Margaret McDermott seated nearby, who provided the gift for the annual award.  He then took a few moments to recognize just a few of the many accomplishments of Dr. Brettell, to whom the award is named in honor of.

Dr. Brettell, who has three degrees from Yale University, came to UTD 15 years ago. His resume includes having served as curator of European paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago and director of the DMA, a position he held from 1988 to 1992. Brettell occupies the Margaret M. McDermott Distinguished Chair of Arts and Aesthetic Studies and the Edith O'Donnell Distinguished University Chair at UTD.

As dessert was served, Dr. Benson returned to introduce the first recipient of The Brettell Award, landscape architect Peter Walker.  Before formally presenting the award, Benson welcomed artist Linda Ridgway to the podium whose bronze and 24k gold sculpture, Nature’s first green is gold, 2016, served as this year’s award.  As Linda shared, the sculpture was inspired by poet Robert Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” which she then recited for the audience. 

Dr. Brettell and Walker joined Dr. Benson and Ridgway as they unveiled the sculpture.

Walker, a renowned landscape architect whose work includes the transformation of the UT Dallas campus, the design of the sculpture garden at the Nasher Sculpture Center and the National 9/11 memorial, extended his thanks to Dr. Benson and the University of Texas at Dallas, Dr. Richard Brettell, and Margaret McDermott for the distinct honor.  In his remarks, he humbly accepted the award on “behalf of all landscape architects.”

In closing, Dr. Benson asked all in attendance to raise up their glasses in a toast to Peter Walker, the first recipient of The Richard Brettell Award In the Arts.

For more information about The Richard Brettell Award in the Arts, visit http://www.utdallas.edu/brettell-award.

 About Peter Walker

A renowned landscape architect with over 50 years of experience in practice and teaching, Peter Walker is the mastermind behind the ongoing campus enhancement plan at UT Dallas, which includes the magnolia tree-lined mall, the trellised plaza, and the wooded area surrounding University Parkway. The scope of his concerns is expansive — from the planning of cities to the design of small gardens– with a particular emphasis on civic design, corporate headquarters, plazas, academic campuses, and urban renewal projects. Exploring the relationship of art, culture, and context, he has challenged traditional concepts of landscape design.

After graduating from Harvard's Graduate School of Design, Walker banded together with his professor Hideo Sasaki to found Sasaki, Walker and Associates in 1957, which later became The SWA Group. Walker spent seven years building up the company's reputation as an internationally recognized urban design firm before forming Peter Walker and Partners (now PWP Landscape Architecture) in 1983.

Walker also designed the landscape for the Nasher Sculpture Center in downtown Dallas in collaboration with Renzo Piano Workshop. Framed by live oak and cedar-elm allées, rows of holly hedges, and a series of stone plinths, the garden design at the Nasher provides a stunning outdoor gallery for the museum's collection of sculptures.

The firm's architects challenge traditional concepts of design, and they frequently join with renowned architects to create significant projects. Advocating a landscape that responds to — as well as influences its environment — Walker has collaborated with architects of such stature as I. M. Pei, Arata Isozaki, Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Yoshio Taniguchi, Ricardo Legorreta, and Helmut Jahn.

Over the years, Walker's firm has received honors and awards and won numerous design competitions, including the National September 11 Memorial in New York, the United States Embassy in Beijing, and the Library Walk at the University of California, San Diego.

About Richard Brettell

Richard Brettell is among the foremost authorities in the world on Impressionism and French Painting of the period 1830-1930. With three degrees from Yale University, he has taught at The University of Texas, Northwestern University, The University of Chicago, Yale University, and Harvard University and is currently the Margaret M. McDermott Distinguished Chair of Art and Aesthetic Studies and the Edith O’Donnell Distinguished Chair at the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also an international museum consultant with projects in Europe, Asia, and the United States. He established the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Museums at UT Dallas.

In 1980, Dr. Brettell was appointed Searle Curator of European Painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1988, he became the McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA). Since leaving the DMA, Dr. Brettell has been involved with the purchase of the M.H.W. Ritchie Collection for the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, with the building and renovation program of the Portland Museum of Art (Oregon), and with the Millennium Gift of the Sara Lee Collection, for which the company won the National Medal for the Arts in 1999. He is Senior Advisor for International Art for the National Gallery of Australia and is working with Professor Stephen Eisenman of Northwestern University to catalogue the collection of 19th and 20th century French Paintings at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California.

Dr. Brettell worked with Elizabeth and Felix Rohatyn, former Ambassador to France, and Françoise Cachin, former Director of the French National Museums, to create FRAME (French/Regional/American Museum Exchange).

Dr. Brettell is actively engaged with architecture in Dallas, as a board member and founding president of the Dallas Architecture Forum, as a Consultant to Philip Johnson for The Cathedral of Hope in Dallas, and as curator of an exhibition devoted to "Five Dallas Modern Architects" for UT Dallas in January/February 2002. This exhibition has traveled to the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas in Austin, and the University of Houston. He has published architectural criticism, including "Beyond the Golden Age: Three New Art Museums for Texas" in Southwest Review (Vol. 87, no. 4) and "Lost in Translation: Ando's Building for The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth" for CITE: A Quarterly publication of the Rice Design Alliance.

 The Dallas Museum of Art League announces that more than $125,000 was raised at Art in Bloom: Seasons of Love on Monday, March 21, 2017.  Symposium chairperson Sarah Jo Hardin, with honorary chairperson Jill Goldberg and Sheila Durante, the DMA League President, were joined by a sell-out crowd of over 350 guests at the eighteenth annual fundraiser, which supports the DMA’s exhibition and education programs and the DMA League’s Floral Endowment Fund.

The celebration began on Saturday, March 25 with an evening reception in honor of Art in Bloom patrons co-chaired by Barbara Averitt, Marena Gault, and Sherwood Wagner.   Sponsors and host committee members arrived at Wagner’s lovely home, which had been transformed with flowers, including a floral-covered “DMA” inside the foyer entryway, a floral-shrouded staircase personally installed by Wagner, and stunning floral arrangements throughout.  As partygoers mingled over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, pianist Tray Boswell and guitarist Dan Quinn provided entertainment.  Art in Bloom featured speaker René van Rems chatted with attendees as excitement was building for Monday’s symposium and luncheon.

On Monday, March 27, Art in Bloom began at 9:30 a.m. with a reception in the Hamon Atrium.  Highland Park High School’s Highlander Strings quartet played as guests bid on items in the silent auction and purchased raffle tickets for the chance to win one of four prizes including: a $1,000 gift certificate from Eiseman Jewels NorthPark Center, a pair of Roberto Coin earrings, a luxury overnight stay for two at the Hotel Crescent Court, and a $500 gift certificate from Jacksons Home & Garden.  

Attendees were then directed to the Horchow Auditorium for van Rems’ floral demonstration. DMA League president Sheila Durante opened the symposium welcoming all and thanking the League’s loyal supporters and its corporate sponsors whose support of Art in Bloom helps underwrite the DMA’s education programs and the League’s Floral Fund.  She introduced Jill Goldberg, Art in Bloom’s honorary chairperson, thanking her for graciously lending her considerable expertise and leadership to the event.  Durante then invited Art in Bloom’s chairperson, Sarah Jo Hardin to the podium, and paid tribute to Hardin’s creativity as well as her leadership talents.

Chairperson Hardin thanked all the attendees before introducing the Park Version choral group from Highland Park High School, who performed a capella “God Only Knows What I’d Do Without You” from the Beach Boys as a tribute to the many Art in Bloom volunteers, followed by “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical Rent, in honor of this year’s theme.

Featured speaker René van Rems, a world-renowned ambassador of the floral industry, took the stage to begin his demonstration of eight designs inspired by works in the Dallas Museum of Art’s permanent collection.  As he began work on the first design, inspired by Gustave Courbet’s painting A Fox in the Snow, van Rems warmed up the crowd immediately by sharing a tip. “For those new to floral design; when in doubt add a hydrangea,” he said, as he added white hydrangeas to the arrangement.  He then went on to create seven diverse designs, from traditional to contemporary, as he thoroughly entertained the crowd with his wit and wisdom on all things floral.

Attendees returned to the Museum’s concourse to continue perusing the silent auction, which included the designs just created by van Rems, while sipping specialty spring-inspired cocktails by Duckworth Vodka.  Van Rems also took time to sign copies of his book, Rene’s Bouquets: A Guide to Euro-Style Hand-Tied Bouquets.

Patrons progressed to the Atrium for a seated lunch with tables dressed in cornflower blue and watermelon, with floral centerpieces from Judy Blackman of Blumengarten.  At each place setting was a white porcelain birdhouse vase with pink roses from Forestwood Fine Flowers and a $250 gift card from St. John.

Guests enjoyed a delicious lunch, with each course inspired by a season and featuring locally or Texas-sourced ingredients, including a summer-inspired first course of watermelon, prosciutto, and sliced brie salad with Texas balsamic and micro basil; followed by a fall entrée of jalapeno and corn stuffed semi-boneless Lockhart quail with wilted Uvalde curly spinach, glazed root vegetables and flower thyme jus.  As winter’s assiette of chocolate desserts was served, Hardin came to the podium to introduce St. John’s Highland Park Village store director Randi Schwartz.  Schwartz quickly got the day’s style show going with models walking the runway dressed in selections from St. John’s gorgeous spring collection. 

The floral extravaganza continued after the symposium with the first-ever Live Blooming Art Exhibition featuring a unique display of floral arrangements created by local floral designers and inspired by works of art from the Museum’s permanent collection. Participating designers were: Judy Blackman of Blumengarten; Metka Terselich of Metka Floral Designs; Caroline Hansen of Forestwood Florals; Dan Pierce of Wild about Flowers; Doan Do of Cebolla Fine Flowers; Sarah Hobbs of Park Cities Petals; Juan Gomar of Apples to Zinnias; Lucy Diaz-Flores of Bella Flora; and David Kimmel of David Kimmel Design. The exhibition remained on view to all DMA visitors March 28 - 29 in the Museum’s Level 2 European galleries. 

Art in Bloom International attendees included:  Sarah Jo Hardin, Art in Bloom chairperson; honorary chairperson Jill Goldberg; Sheila Durante, Dallas Museum of Art League president; Agustín Arteaga, The Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art; Margaret McDermott; Mary McDermott Cook; Peggy Sewell; Beverly Freeman; Holly Huffines; Susan Fisk; Nancy Cates; Barbara Bigham; Sherwood Wagner; Stacey McCord; Diane Byrd; Ola Fojtasek; Heather Furniss; Rusty Duvall; Beverly Nichols; Faye Briggs; Cyrena Nolan; Linda Burk; Angela Paulos; Emily Maduro; and Julia Fuqua. 

About the Dallas Museum of Art League

Founded in 1938, the League is celebrating 76 years of contributions through volunteer work for the Museum, art acquisitions and the support of key endowment funds. 

The League has participated in the acquisition of approximately 100 works of art for the Museum.  In addition, the Dallas Museum of Art League has supported special exhibitions, education, exhibition endowments, Late Nights and Thursday Night Live and contributes to the Endowment Fund.

The O’Donnell Foundation announces the recipients of the 2017 Excellence in AP® Arts and Music Theory Scholarship Awards.  The scholarship recognizes four outstanding high school seniors who have participated in or are currently participating in the O’Donnell Foundation’s AP Fine Arts Incentive Program at Dallas-area high schools, including Justin Yan of Colleyville Heritage High School. 

Each student will receive a $20,000 scholarship.  The 2017 Excellence in AP Arts and Music Theory scholarship recipients are:

• Colin Chan, Plano East Senior High School
• Jesse Tan, Plano West Senior High School
• Nicole Wojtania, Plano West Senior High School
• Justin Yan, Colleyville Heritage High School

The scholarship recipients, their families, teachers, school administrators and school board members were honored at a reception held on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, hosted by Edith and Peter O’Donnell at the Communities Foundation of Texas.

At the appointed time, attendees took their seats as Deborah Moore, director for AP Fine Arts Incentive Program, welcomed all guests.  Peter O’Donnell followed to congratulate this year’s recipients on behalf of him and his wife, Edith O’Donnell.  He recognized Edith’s life-long passion and many accomplishments in support of the arts, including the Advanced Placement Fine Arts Incentive Program.

The AP Fine Arts teachers from the recipients’ respective schools then introduced each student, sharing the many attributes and achievements which made the award winner deserving of this prestigious scholarship.

Each of the scholarship recipients revealed the value of art and music during their high school careers and how they view its ongoing importance in college and beyond.  All expressed their gratitude to the O’Donnell Foundation and the Communities Foundation of Texas, as well as their teachers and families for their ongoing support and inspiration.

Colin Chan, who plans to attend Rice University to pursue a double major in chemistry and art history, shared, “I hope to find a career in the medical field, all the while giving back to the arts community.  Art has given me a creative outlet; a chance to stretch my mind in ways not offered in any other study or class.”

Plano West Senior High School’s Jesse Tan, who will “most likely attend John Hopkins University in fall to study biomedical engineering,” thanked his AP Fine Arts teachers for challenging him throughout his high school career.

Tan said, “Some of the main tenants I have taken away as a student heavily involved in the fine arts include a spirit of creative innovation, a willingness to take risks, and an avid desire to tackle rigorous coursework.  My instructors for my fine arts courses have frequently challenged me to develop my own train of independent thought and to hone my sense of intellectual curiosity.  Whether it be through analyzing potential motives behind a piece of contemporary artwork or puzzling out the correct chords and harmonies in a musical composition, such stimulating courses have really served and encouraged me to foster an ambitious mind that looks to the future.”

Nicole Wojtania of Plano West Senior High School said, “Whatever I pursue in the future, my art and humanities classes have provided me with the tools to become a well-informed accomplished citizen who contributes to and meets the needs of a global society.” Wojtania plans to attend either Harvard University or MIT with the hope of majoring in biomedical engineering with a minor in business or economics.

Justin Yan of Colleyville Heritage High School credits his AP Music Theory class, with teacher Casey Muckley, as one of his most enriching courses. “Studying piano has taught me that successfully interpreting music relies on three things: paying attention to detail, never losing sight of the big picture. and always asking ‘why,’” he said. “Even though I plan to study computer science at Princeton University this fall, I believe that the lessons music has taught me are invaluable in any field.”

The O’Donnell Foundation sponsors the annual scholarship program to provide financial assistance to exemplary AP Studio Art, Art History, and Music Theory students so they can attend and graduate from the college of their choice in four years.   It is also hoped that the scholarship will encourage other promising AP Arts and Music Theory students to pursue excellence academically, personally and professionally. 

Selection criteria include academic performance, ability to think independently and creatively, strength of character and integrity, strong leadership, commitment to earning a college or university degree in four consecutive years with a 3.0 GPA, and knowledge and application of arts or music.  The 2017 Scholarship Selection Committee was comprised of community volunteers, business leaders and arts supporters including Hong Bass, Kathy Bishop and Harvey Mitchell. 

Contributions to the Excellence in AP Arts & Music Theory Award Scholarship Fund may be made through the Communities Foundation of Texas.  For more information or to make a gift, visit www.cftexas.org.

 About AP Arts

The O’Donnell Foundation’s Advanced Placement Fine Arts Program was founded twenty-three years ago to motivate high school students’ interest and success in rigorous college-level fine arts courses. This year, 137 teachers and 1,661 students from 16 Dallas-area high schools participate in the program. Courses include AP Art History, AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D Design, AP Studio Art 3D Design, and AP Music Theory. Pre-AP courses may include any classes that prepare students for AP arts courses. The Foundation also provides superior AP and Pre-AP training in the schools that participate in the program.

Based on the 2016 College Board AP fine arts qualifying exam results of a “3” or higher, the Foundation’s grant schools account for 19% of the state’s qualifying AP Fine Arts exams; 29% of the state’s qualifying AP Art History exams, 25% of the state’s qualifying AP Music Theory exams, and 13% of the state’s qualifying AP Studio Art exams. Eight of the Program’s schools are included in the top ten state rankings for comprehensive AP Fine Arts schools (campuses that offer all three disciplines: AP Studio Art, AP Art History, and AP Music Theory). Eighty-nine percent of the Foundation’s AP Fine Arts students taking an AP Fine Arts exam in 2016 received a qualifying score. 

Since its founding in 1994, more than 19,000 arts and music students have benefited from the O’Donnell Foundation’s AP incentive programs. Last year, graduating seniors earned over $34 million in scholarships.

Chick Lit Luncheon co-chairs Tricia George and Mary Martha Pickens were joined by nearly 100 host committee members on Tuesday, March 21 for a kick-off celebration of the upcoming 11^th annual luncheon benefiting Community Partners of Dallas (CPD).

Held at honorary chair Gail Fischer’s beautiful home, guests arrived and mingled while sipping “Skinnygirl” cocktails in honor of the brand’s creator, Bethenny Frankel, who will be the featured speaker for the April 21 Chick Lit Luncheon.  Served in custom stemless wine glasses etched with the Chick Lit Luncheon logo, partygoers enjoyed their choice of Bethenny’s signature grapefruit margarita, white cranberry cosmo, margarita, white sangria or Chardonnay while nibbling on cocktail bites from Cassandra Fine Catering.

Raffle tickets for the opportunity to win one of three amazing prizes were also available including: Roberto Coin Perfect Diamond Hoop Earrings set in18-karat white gold with pavé white diamonds that trim the inner and outer hoop, donated by Bachendorf’s; Annabel Ingall “Cece” leather messenger bag with gold hardware and Krewe “Breton” sunglasses handcrafted in New Orleans with amber gradient lens, oyster motif frames and 24k gold plated hardware and a $500 gift card to Tootsies; and a fabulous weekend in New York City including airfare for two, a two-night weekend stay at The Yale Club of New York City, two breakfasts for two, a $200 gift card for dinner and two tickets to The Real Housewives of New York City Tour!  Raffle tickets are $25 each or 5 for $100 and can be purchased now by calling CPD at 214.624.7621 or at the Chick Lit Luncheon.  Winners need not be present to win.

Paige McDaniel, president and CEO of Community Partners of Dallas, gathered the crowd mid-way through the evening to thank everyone in attendance for their support of this year’s fundraiser, including presenting sponsors Dr. Robert and Lara Tafel.  After sharing a brief story about a young boy that the organization had recently helped, she raised a glass to toast this year’s host committee in appreciation for their commitment to Dallas county’s abused and neglected children served by Child Protective Services (CPS). 

Pre-party attendees included co-chairs Tricia George and Mary Martha Pickens, honorary chair and hostess Gail Corder Fischer, Paige McDaniel, president and CEO, Community Partners of Dallas, Lara Tafel, Katy Bock and Lori Anna Dees, underwriting co-chairmen, Stephanie Stollenwerck, Cindy Turner, Kim Gleason, Lisa Cooley, Megan Flanagan, Samantha Wortley, Francie Mancillas, Erin Taylor, Candace Winslow, Kristen Sanger, Caytie Langford, Kirsten Gappelberg, Heather Bonfield, Angela Nash, Christie Carter, Greg Nieberding, Juliette Coulter and Monica Egert Smith.

 As guests departed, they were each gifted a Chick Lit Luncheon stemless wine glass and Skinnygirl sugar free mints.

The 11^th annual Chick Lit Luncheon will be held on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. at the Hilton Anatole. Long-time supporters The Bitzer and Needleman Families and Peacock Alley will receive the Partners for Children award for their ongoing commitment to the philanthropic needs of our community and years of service meeting the needs of abused and neglected children.

The Chick Lit luncheon will include a wine reception followed by a seated luncheon and remarks by best-selling author, natural foods chef, reality TV star, self-made businesswoman, and mom, Bethenny Frankel. Tables begin at $1,750 and a limited amount of individual tickets are on sale for $175. For more information, visit communitypartnersdallas.org.