To some, Bloemaert was star of weekend

By LENNIE BENNETT

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 31, 2001

For many people, the weekend was about Trent Dilfer and Ray Lewis, whom maybe we like better now that they're winners, and Jason Sehorn, who maybe is not as cute as he was before his team lost the Super Bowl, and about Britney Spears, who held her own quite nicely against that old rocker Steven Tyler.

But at the Museum of Fine Arts, the weekend was about Abraham Bloemaert. Bloemaert died in 1651, but he lives on in his art, which is the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts that opened Friday with a reception for upper-category donors.

Doing duty in the reception line was museum director Michael Milkovich and trustee Dr. Gordon Gilbert and wife Adele, experts in Dutch painting who loaned a Bloemaert from their collection for the show.

"It looks bigger hanging in this gallery, and a little different," I said to Carol Upham, pointing to Christ and the Samaritan Woman, which I thought was the painting in the museum's permanent collection, moved to the larger Mackey Gallery.

"That's because it's a different one," she said. "This is ours," and pointed to another version of Christ and the Samaritan Woman.

As it turns out, the artist painted several, all with the same name.

And the nice thing about parties like this is that they bring out people who can explain why.

"It was an important moment in the life of Christ," said ace docent Anne Shamas, "when he reached out to someone who was not Jewish."

I crashed a group that included Bill and Margaret Dawson, Skipp and Joyce Fraser and Bud and Enez Hart, to whom Mrs. Shamas was explaining the term "mannered," often applied to Bloemaert's style. It refers, it seems, to figures made more elegant by elongating them. We looked at the -- shall we say, delicately -- "ripe" figures of nude women in another painting.

"Hmmmm," someone said.

"Actually, these figures look a little porky, not mannerly," Mrs. Shamas said.

Whatever. I love the exhibition.

The William R. Hough Company and the family of the late Bert Smith were major underwriters, so, of course, Bill and Hazel Hough and Barbara Smith were on hand, as were Drs. Starr and Rudy Weihe with their son, Dr. Jeff Weihe and wife Anne, who live in Tampa; Jim and Charlotte Krizek; Rose Posno; Harry and Jackie Piper; Gemma Martin; Dr. Joe Pilkington, wearing a cool tie printed with excerpts from the Magna Carta; Celma Mastry; Fred Davy and Toni Fudge; Jim and Rosemary Johnson; Peter and Clementine Sherman and Flora Kennoy, another knowledgeable docent who gave Polly Dashiell and Zeta Bobbitt a private tour, in English, I should specify, since Mrs. Kennoy could do so in one of several languages.

The Suncoast Center for Community Mental Health annually honors an individual who has worked on behalf of the mentally ill. This year, the center chose well. At a luncheon at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort on Friday, Sallie Parks received the Sunrise Award for her years of public and volunteer service. She has been a Pinellas County commissioner since 1992, spearheading a management study of the county's mental health care statute and funding, and serving as chairwoman of the recently formed Partners in Crisis, District V, a statewide effort to increase funding for mental health and substance abuse. Gov. Jeb Bush recently appointed her to the Florida Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Mrs. Parks is a woman of many parts. I first met her almost 20 years ago, before her political career, when she was president of the board of Palladium Theatre, now American Stage. I have always admired her leadership style, friendly and inclusive, and her ability to make difficult choices and decisions with grace and tact.

Also in attendance were Barbara Daire, president and CEO; Robert Melby, chairman of the board; his wife, Jane; Wendy Chastelet; Cary and Joan Putrino; Ted and Jean Giles Wittner; Michael and Melody Brown; Jeff Hearn; Richard Winning, Louise Weaver; Marilyn Littlejohn; Caryn Rightmyer; Linda Hirsch; Tom and Vicky Dunn; David Punzak; Bill Wallace and daughter Betty Corty; Helen DeWalt; and Catherine McGarry.

Things I learned: Joni Bartolotta said the R'Club fundraiser, for which she designs the spectacular fashion and entertainment show, will have a new format this year, a dinner and dancing, along with the show, at Mirror Lake Lyceum on Oct. 13. Sharon Wittner and Ken Gloger recently returned from a monthlong trip to Southeast Asia, which she declared "fabulous, especially Vietnam."

Peggy Hawkins, chatting with friends Kay Yennie and Corlyss Winters, told me she has not moved into the $1.3-million Cloisters penthouse she contracted for three years ago because she is waiting for the windows to be replaced, which she hopes will happen before July 4, "because we all want to come up and watch the fireworks there," said Mrs. Yennie.

This is my last Super Bowl reference, I promise, but it's a story too good not to be retold. At the recent Bayfront on Vine silent auction, friends Kathy Saunders, a St. Petersburg Times correspondent, and Janet Peterson were bidding on the pair of Super Bowl tickets. (If you have ever been involved in an auction, even a silent one, you understand the frenzy that can overtake you as bidding escalates, an observation I make to explain how they suddenly found themselves offering $5,200.)

To their relief, on one hand, and disappointment, on the other hand, they were outbid.

That night, Saunders received a call from Cadillac Jacks, a local beach bar. Earlier, Saunders had bought a $10 raffle ticket there for Super Bowl passes. She won them. "So our husbands babysat and Janet and I went to the Super Bowl for $10." It was probably one of the best bargains of the week.

Looking ahead

Feb. 15 -- ALL-STAR AUCTION: Suncoast Children's Dream Fund, which grants "wishes" of seriously ill children, benefits from this big auction of sports and celebrity memorabilia, gifts, collectibles and vacation packages. Dinner by Carrabba's. 5:30 p.m. Tropicana Field. $50. 892-6736.

Feb. 17 -- QUEEN OF HEARTS BALL: A community leader is crowned the new queen and other notable volunteers are recognized as her court. The black-tie dinner and dance is a fundraiser for ASAP Homeless Services and the Suncoast Child Protection Team. 6:30 p.m. TradeWinds Island Grand Resort, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. $95. 341-1444.

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