Arts & Entertainment

Art Center Heats Up for Annual Gala

Hundreds come out to honor Ravinia President and local art teacher.

Mimes, music and martinis awaited the around 300 people who showed up to Red Hot Gala on May 5.

The event included food and drinks from local hot spots like , and The Bent Fork, as well as musical performances by and , President and one of the two honorees of the night.

"It's very flattering and very humbling at the same time," Kauffman said about the honor. "I love living in Highland Park and this is why."

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Kauffman was honored for the he has set for Ravinia since his tenure began in 2000, according to the gala's program. 

"What people are doing is they're honoring Ravinia," said Kauffman, who performed at the event with pianist Adam Marks.

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In addition to Kauffman, The Art Center also honored Ina Beierle, who has been teaching classes at the center for over 20 years.

"We try to choose someone from the arts community as an honoree and also one of our teachers," explained Elise Frost, secretary for The Art Center's Board of Directors.

The annual gala, which included a silent auction for artwork, is one of three big fundraising events for The Art Center, according to Events Coordinator Jacqueline Chilow.

Attendees included Highland Park public figures like and (all of whom still held their positions at the time of the event). , who was , also attended.

"It is really one of my favorite events to come to," Rotering said. "I've been looking forward to this for months."

A grinning Silberman tried to put the event in perspective.

"This party is better than the Bloomberg party after the Academy Awards," he said.

"But not the Vanity Fair party," added Rotering with a laugh. 

Many of the attendees came to show their support for Beierle, who they'd taken classes with at The Art Center.

"I found her encouraging and inspirational," James Paradiso said of Beierle, who taught him in an assemblage class.

Beierle said that it was "wonderful to have that kind of recognition," but indicated that she didn't need to be thanked for doing what she loves to do.

"It's my pleasure to be here," Beierle said. She explained that when it comes to teaching art to adults, the hardest part is getting them to overcome a lack of faith in their artistic abilities.

"Adults don't trust their abilities, when it comes to creating they're nervous about it because they think there's a right way," Beierle said. "There's no right way or wrong way, there's only their way and what inspires them."

Megan Callahan, a member of The Art Center's Board of Directors, said she's been taking classes at The Art Center for nearly all of the 19 years she's lived in Highland Park, including one with Beierle. Though her husband, Tim, has not taken any art classes, he still enjoys attending the galas.

"You see a lot of Highland Park here," he said.

Check out photos from the event above.


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