Now in its 20th year, the Tampa Museum of Art's annual Pavilion benefit is considered by many the city's most prominent social event of the year. This year, it took place on the museum's parking lot, with the Hillsborough River as its backdrop.
The original theme for the event—A Night in New Orleans—was struck after the Crescent City was devastated by a near-category 5 hurricane.
"When Hurricane Katrina hit, we changed the theme to A Tribute to New Orleans instead," said Bobbie Williams, the museum's event manager, "and decided to donate a portion of the funds raised to the New Orleans Museum of Art."
Williams hired Extravaganza Productions to produce the event, and with help from 75 volunteers, transformed the parking lot into a lush garden.
Inside the museum, 425 guests enjoyed cocktails and a silent auction before stepping outside for dinner and dancing. There, Extravaganza set up six 14-foot faux oak trees along with wrought-iron fencing and brick wall facades, and lighting systems that projected patterns and vibrant hues of blue and green. Connie Duglin Specialty Linen Oldsmar dressed the tables with black linens and matching black-and-white-striped overlays. Floral Impressions arranged centerpieces made of five-foot topiary trees accented with ivory roses and Casablanca lilies. Battery-operated candles hung on white ribbons from the trees. Near the dance floor, a six-foot-wide artificial pond with a four-tier waterfall blended nicely.
Chef Hans Hickel of the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay designed a menu with a taste of the French Quarter that included crayfish terrine with leek confit; mixed greens with honey-roasted pecans, chèvre cheese and cornbread croutons with molasses vinaigrette; a choice of seared beef tenderloin with foie gras and port glaze or seared swordfish with seafood etouffe served with sweet potato soufflé and baby vegetables; and a warm flourless chocolate pecan torte with bourbon cream and praline brittle. Throughout the evening, Southtown Fever played musical sets that ranged from jazz classics to dance beats.
Near the end of the evening, the Lady Tampa Bay, a 92-foot yacht from Yacht Starship, docked alongside the museum's edge for guests to board and enjoy more dessert and after-dinner drinks.
—Vanessa Goyanes
Photos: Thomas Overbey/Sprint Multimedia Inc.
The original theme for the event—A Night in New Orleans—was struck after the Crescent City was devastated by a near-category 5 hurricane.
"When Hurricane Katrina hit, we changed the theme to A Tribute to New Orleans instead," said Bobbie Williams, the museum's event manager, "and decided to donate a portion of the funds raised to the New Orleans Museum of Art."
Williams hired Extravaganza Productions to produce the event, and with help from 75 volunteers, transformed the parking lot into a lush garden.
Inside the museum, 425 guests enjoyed cocktails and a silent auction before stepping outside for dinner and dancing. There, Extravaganza set up six 14-foot faux oak trees along with wrought-iron fencing and brick wall facades, and lighting systems that projected patterns and vibrant hues of blue and green. Connie Duglin Specialty Linen Oldsmar dressed the tables with black linens and matching black-and-white-striped overlays. Floral Impressions arranged centerpieces made of five-foot topiary trees accented with ivory roses and Casablanca lilies. Battery-operated candles hung on white ribbons from the trees. Near the dance floor, a six-foot-wide artificial pond with a four-tier waterfall blended nicely.
Chef Hans Hickel of the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay designed a menu with a taste of the French Quarter that included crayfish terrine with leek confit; mixed greens with honey-roasted pecans, chèvre cheese and cornbread croutons with molasses vinaigrette; a choice of seared beef tenderloin with foie gras and port glaze or seared swordfish with seafood etouffe served with sweet potato soufflé and baby vegetables; and a warm flourless chocolate pecan torte with bourbon cream and praline brittle. Throughout the evening, Southtown Fever played musical sets that ranged from jazz classics to dance beats.
Near the end of the evening, the Lady Tampa Bay, a 92-foot yacht from Yacht Starship, docked alongside the museum's edge for guests to board and enjoy more dessert and after-dinner drinks.
—Vanessa Goyanes
Photos: Thomas Overbey/Sprint Multimedia Inc.
Black and white tables with rosebush centerpieces created a garden environment at the Tampa Museum of Art's Pavilion XX fund-raiser.
The Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay served New Orleans-inspired cuisine inside a decorated area in the museum's parking lot.
A cascading fountain helped transform the museum's parking lot into a garden.
Floral Impressions created centerpieces of trees hung with white roses and calla lilies.
