It Never Gets Old: Jacob’s Pillow Gala Welcomes Its New Director
Lisa Green reports from Becket. There is always a certain frisson at the Jacob’s Pillow Opening Gala, but this year, on Saturday, June 18, it was particularly heightened as the festival welcomed its new director, Pamela Tatge. Stepping up to the podium as self-possessed as if she’d been doing it for years, Tatge thanked the board of directors for the “opportunity of a lifetime" and told the more than 450 Pillow patrons that as much as she was thrilled to take on her new role, she was just as excited to be attending her first Jacob’s Pillow gala. The cocktail reception coincided with a preview of the exhibition “Lois Greenfield: Moving Still," celebrating the recent work of the artist who has defined dance photography for decades. The gala performance featured a variety of artists and choreographers, and Tatge awarded the 10th anniversary Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award to Camille A. Brown, who performed an excerpt from her award-winning work, “Mr. TOL E. RAncE." Dinner, silent and not-so-silent auctions and — what else? — dancing followed. [Above, board member Stephen Weiner and Pamela Tatge.]
Jacob's Pillow board member Claudia Perles, namesake of the future new dance studio, which will be built as part of next year's 85th anniversary capital campaign, and Charles Adelman, a member of the Gala host committee; Monty Blanchard and Leslie Tcheyan, a jewelry designer.
Gala co-chairs Joan Hunter and Sienna Patti, whose studio is a venue for contemporary studio jewelry.
Family bonding at Jacob's Pillow: Ann, Francesca and Joe Gallo of Tyringham; Attorney David Schecker with Vicki Bonnington, sporting a magnificent glass-and-nylon bird sculpture neck piece by Philadelphia artist Emily Cobb, with WAM Theatre's artistic director Kristen van Ginhoven.
Realtor Gladys Montgomery and PR maven Susan Lewin; Jerry Zinser, husband of new artistic director Pam Tatge, with Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University and Kari Weil, Professor of Letters at Wesleyan, who has a house in Monterey.
Sara Pasternak, a psychologist, and Madeline Hooper, who is on the board of the Berkshire Botanical Gardens.
RI publisher Mark Williams with Anita Shapiro and Harvey Shapiro; Choreographer Michelle Dorrance, winner of the Jacob's Pillow Dance Award in 2013, tells the guests how vital the Pillow has been to the development of her company.
Internationally renowned glass artist Tom Patti, designer of the the actual Jacob's Pillow Dance award, and Marilyn Patti; Leslie Norville, who produced A Ballerina's Tale documentary and Oskar Landi, a photographer.
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