a texas toast

rsvp
John Benjamin Hickey
and Stanley Tucci.
Designer Thakoon
Panichgul.
Patti LaBelle.
Dinner in
the outdoor tent.
Kenny Goss and
Joyce Goss.
Artist
Mark
Grotjahn.
Matt Looney and
his mother,
Cindy Rachofsky.
Event cochair
Dr. Gary Tigges.
Howard
Rachofsky.
The Rachofsky
House.
Kenneth Cole
and amfAR’s Eric
Muscatell.
A Texas Toast
Jim and Jan Showers.
It’s the rare fundraiser that guests actually look forward to attending
year after year. But then, the setting of the Two x Two for AIDS and
Art benefit—which raises money for the AIDS research organization
amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art—is a rare building. The Rachofsky House is a stunning Richard Meier–designed home that former owners Cindy and Howard Rachofsky filled with a singular
contemporary art collection and donated to the museum as an educational resource and event space. On the evening of Two x Two’s 13th
annual dinner and auction, a color-streaked Texas sky was visible
through the high glass walls; the surrounding parkland was decorated with whimsical sculptures to welcome guests.
Surrounded by so much beauty, is it any wonder that the crowd of
460 art collectors, dealers, and philanthropists were in the mood to
brandish their paddles? During the live auction, a painting by artist
Mark Grotjahn sold for $1 million, a record for the event; sales of
works by Kara Walker, Tony Cragg, Nigel Cooke, Glenn Ligon, and
others brought the evening’s take close to $5 million. (The auction
also included a handful of other rare opportunities, including the
chance to spend the day with former president Bill Clinton, and dinner with fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier.)
The cocktail hour, held in the Rachofsky House, allowed guests to
browse the paintings and installation pieces up for auction, and was
followed by dinner served in the garden, under a grand tent garlanded with glowing orange pendant lights.
The roster of celebrity emcees included actors John Benjamin Hickey, a Dallas native, and Stanley Tucci, as well as designer Kenneth
Cole; Patti LaBelle was on hand to perform for the crowd. “There’s no
starch in this evening,” says Hickey, one of the event chairs, who credits
the explosion of the city’s art scene and the expansion of its museum
district with fueling the event’s high spirits. “It feels like a really big
party, and Dallas goes all out,” Hickey adds. “The Dom Pérignon was
flowing, and a good time was had by all.” Peter Terzian
photography by kevin tachman; see resources
The Dallas art community turns out for a magical dinner and rousing auction
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