Wendy Sue Knecht and Her Years with Pan Am
Mumsey Nemiroff Discusses Fakes, Frauds and Forgeries in the Art World at the Virginia Robinson Gardens
George Geary Takes Us on a Tasty Trip down Memory Lane
An Interview with Sunday Taylor, Author of “The Anglophile’s Notebook”
Katie Marsano and the Art of Ikebana
A Big Thank You to VRG’s Outstanding Education Committee
We are so grateful to our remarkable Education Committee. Co-chairs Adrienne Horwitch, Patty Elias and Cindy Fields organized amazing events at the Virginia Robinson Gardens from 2018-2020. The fascinating lectures, dazzling tables, and delicious luncheons made for a memorable experience. The events were almost always sold out! The beautiful garden setting and lectures in the romantic Sumner Hunt-designed Pool Pavilion only enhanced the fabulous experience.
Left to right: Patti Elias, Cindy Fields, Adrienne Horwitch
With the help of our extremely talented resident design assistant, Andrey Yun, the themed floral centerpieces on the luncheon tables were always spectacular. Caterer Joe Monteferante** … Read More
Anna Wyckoff: The Alchemy of Costume Design and Fashion – POSTPONED
There is a magical, almost alchemic formula that makes certain cinematic moments unforgettable, and part of that equation involves the costume. Think Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly grazes on her breakfast while gazing in Tiffany’s window, sheathed in an austere black column dress and opera gloves, arrayed in a collar of pearls, a tiny tiara, and dark sunglasses dressed by Edith Head and Givenchy. In The Seven Year Itch, Marilyn Monroe relishes the breeze from the subway grate in her pleated white halter designed by costume designer William Travilla. Is this Costume or Fashion?
Costume and fashion are … Read More
Dr. Toni Bowers on Charlie Chaplin in Beverly Hills
Dr. Toni Bowers gave a wonderfully enlightening talk on Charlie Chaplin, focusing on his years in Beverly Hills, that fascinated and delighted the attendees at the Virginia Robinson Gardens on January 14, 2020. Education co-chair Cindy Fields introduced Dr. Bowers. A Professor of English literature at the University of Pennsylvania, she studied at the University of Southern California and Houghton College and received her doctorate from Stanford University. She publishes on and teaches about 17th and 18th century British writings by and about women.
Dr. Bowers related that when Charlie Chaplin came to live in Beverly Hills in 1922 at … Read More
Holiday Fun with Floral Designer Brad Austin
Brad Austin, from Brad Austin Imaginative Florals and his husband Ricky Ramirez, gave a hands-on class on making floral arrangements for the holiday season on December 18, 2019 at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. Brad mixed Noble Fir pine leaves to create a long lasting and versatile plant base that can easily mix with roses, Christmas Holly, ornaments, and orchids to create a reusable Christmas to Hanukkah to New Year’s arrangement. Brad also demonstrated how to pull apart roses to make them larger and more dramatic looking and created a charming light-up floral arrangement with a Champagne bottle and white roses … Read More