Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/734526
34 HERMÈS HEARTS ART Chair Merele Yarborough Honoree Kermit Oliver Kermit Oliver's La Vie Sauvage du Texas Myrtle Jones, Shawntell McWilliams Alvia Wardlaw Honoree Shelby Marcus Michael Dale Docia Rudley, Cesar Galindo Jeremy Garcia, Jackie Le, Thuan Nguyen Heidi Smith Kevan Hall, Bob Devlin Reginald Van Lee Percy Creuzot, Lora Clemmons Shonte Byrd-Markland A Texas Artist of the Year headlines, TSU University Museum is celebrated, and those beautiful scarves. Catherine D. Anspon reports. Photography Fulton Davenport. W hen Merele Yarborough assumed chair duties for this year's For the Sake of Art Gala — usu- ally a biennial cocktail party where artworks become inspiration for a wearable art contest, à la Project Runway — she had a vision for more. The chair lady's successful touches included a black-tie element, moving the fête from the Texas Southern campus (it benefits TSU's University Museum), and transforming the event into a seated dinner. Most significantly, she and museum director Alvia Wardlaw came up with the idea to honor artist Kermit Oliver and patron Shelby Marcus. Marcus' friendship with Oliver prompted her late husband Lawrence Marcus to introduce the artist to Hermès to design a series of scarves. The rest is history. How fitting it was, then, that Hermès' River Oaks District flagship graciously hosted a pre-gala soirée — a very elegant cocktail kickoff. Swift Catering served a chic lit- tle dinner on four-tops among the beautiful scarves, bangles, and Birkins. Louis Roederer Champagne flowed, Keith Witty Band performed jazzy standards, and a sea of orange bags were spotted on the arms of guests. On the scene: Hermès Houston director Jeremy Garcia, underwriter Reginald Van Lee in from D.C., runway judges for the gala the following eve including designers Cesar Galindo and Kevan Hall, coordi- nator Andrea Bonner, Heidi Smith, Jacqueline Kinloch, Percy Creuzot chatting with Lora Clemmons, designer Michael Dale, Neiman Marcus GM Bob Devlin, and gallerist Yvonne Garcia of Hooks-Epstein, who represents Mr. Oliver.