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OCTOBER | PAGE 22 | 2014 PROJECT ROW HOUSES' 20TH ANNIVERSARY GALA WHEN: Friday, October 24, at Project Row Houses campus CHAIRMEN: Cheryl Creuzot and Rebecca Trahan WHY WE'RE GOING: Project Row Houses represents an amalgamation of art and community that can only be described as shining. Co-founder/2014 MacArthur Fellow Rick Lowe's dream of a social sculpture was novel 20 years ago — it remains at the vanguard today. In an age of black- and white-tie nights held in grand spaces, there's nothing better than returning to a place that stands for roots, and where you can see the transformative difference money and a master plan can make — in this case, the proudly preserved, ever-expanding blocks of Row Houses campus, which serves young mothers, artists and the historic African-American neighborhood of the Third Ward. In keeping with the importance of the 20th anniversary, co-chairs Cheryl Creuzot and Rebecca Trahan plan a down-home tribute to the PRH vision. Supporters will stroll from Delia's Lounge on Dowling to Row Houses' alfresco courtyard, which is enveloped by beautiful rows of 1930s-era vernacular homes. Music stations and jazz, R&B and soul stylings, including DJ Brother Kenhya on the turntable and a to-be- announced headliner on the main stage, will serve up memorable moments, as will a dinner boasting homegrown comfort food including Frenchy's mythic cooking. Also notable for the collector contingent is an auction of Houston art headliners Otabenga Jones and Associates, who have graced the Whitney's walls; CAMH- exhibited Nathaniel Donnett; and senior master George Smith. Tickets from $500, tables from $5,000; contact Cecilia Pham, 713.526.7662, cpham@projectrowhouses.org. KEEPING IT REAL IN THE THIRD WARD THE TREES ARE ALIVE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON GRAND GALA BALL WHEN: Saturday, October 18, at MFAH Law Building CHAIRMAN: Frances Marzio WHY WE'RE GOING: As proclaimed by gala chairman Frances Marzio, "This will be a ball for all seasons!" This elegant and erudite gala chair does double duty as curator of The Glassell Collection and the museum's antiquities department — but who knew that Marzio's gala would be back to the future? Instead of making the mummies dance and selecting a theme in keeping with her ancient-world expertise, she opted to transform Cullinan Hall into a verdant backdrop set to a half-dozen swaying 20-foot-tall projected trees by avant-garde video artist Jennifer Steinkamp. Marzio, who breaks tradition and helms this epicenter of the season as a solo chair (fittingly, the last single MFAH Grand Gala chair was her late husband, MFAH director Peter Marzio, who reigned over the evening in 2009), reveals her big plans for a reimagined fête: "Cullinan will be a virtual forest, and all tables will have spectacular views. There are no fashion rules. Wear what you like. Everything will be in season. Dinner by City Kitchen will reflect the changing seasons, as will the event design by Scott McCool of In Bloom. Dance to the David Caceres Orchestra or dance with the trees!" Tickets from $750, tables from $10,000; 713.639.7523 or grandgalaball@mfah.org. WHEN: Thursday, November 6, at Royal Sonesta Hotel CHAIRMEN: Francine and Westy Ballard, Lindley and Jason Arnoldy WHY WE'RE GOING: Mounting Marchesa on the runway in an elaborately choreographed fashion show by Saks First Avenue, Catwalk for a Cure promises all the dazzle and excitement that can be muscled by a pair of in- demand power brokers known for their style and acumen. PaperCity digital/style editor Francine Ballard joins forces with jeweler/entrepreneur Lindley Arnoldy — with husbands Westy and Jason by their sides — to orchestrate one of the most dramatic and awaited evenings of the season. Marchesa designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig fly in from London with their lavish fall collection, and while Catwalk remains a nighttime benefit, the chairs have added their own spin, courtesy of a very special bauble sponsor. "One of the highlights will be the MARCHESA GLIDING BY+ DRINKING DIAMONDS SAKS FIFTH AVENUE CATWALK FOR A CURE Ice Bar from Tenenbaum & Co., adding shimmer with two of our favorite types of sparkle: diamonds and champagne," Miz Ballard divulges. "And in Catwalk's first-ever champagne pull, guests purchase a glass of champagne for the chance to discover if the faceted stone shimmering in the bottom of the coupe is faux or real." Watch for a new social media campaign to generate buzz (hashtag #Catwalking14), enjoining pre-event posts re: cocktail frocks, hair and makeup, as well as the glam night's party pics. Then wrap it all up with fabulous silent auction loot: a fashion-week trip to New York in the spring with coveted tickets to the Marchesa show, plus lunch and shopping with an InStyle editor. All of the above goes to the bottom line of the Houston-founded Amschwand Sarcoma Cancer Foundation and makes this 11th Catwalk the crown jewel of November's numerous fêtes. Tickets $350, tables from $5,000; contact Missy Bellinger, 713.256.4250, info@sarcomacancer.org. Co-founders Jesse Lott and Rick Lowe at Project Row Houses campus, 1993 Lindley Arnoldy, left, and Francine Ballard. Evening gowns Marchesa from Saks Fifth Avenue. Jewels Tenenbaum & Co. PHOTO MAX BURKHALTER. HAIR JAVIER RODRIGUEZ FOR CERON SALON. MAKEUP TONYA RINER. PHOTO MAX BURKHALTER. HAIR AND MAKEUP TONYA RINER. POWER FROM A GILDED AND GRAND BALL SET TO FUTURISTIC VIDEO CYCLES, TO THE GLAMOUR OF MARCHESA DESIGNERS GEORGINA CHAPMAN AND KEREN CRAIG PRESENTING THEIR FALL COLLECTION, PLUS A VERY SPECIAL DOWN-HOME ANNIVERSARY IN THE HEART OF THE THIRD WARD, CATHERINE D. ANSPON PROFILES THREE BIG CHARITABLE NIGHTS — AND THE PERSONAGES WHO SHAPE THEM. for fall. our picks Frances Marzio with a work by Subodh Gupta DAVID ROBINSON