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YOUNG FRIENDS OF SAVE VENICE’S 50 CELEBRATIONS FOR 50 YEARS By Ann Grenier
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n honor of the 50th Anniversary of Save Venice, the leading American nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, longtime supporters are celebrating the organization’s milestone by organizing commemorative events worldwide to support important restorations of masterworks of Venetian art and architecture. In place of the annual Un Ballo in Maschera held in New York each year, Save Venice’s global initiative, 50 Celebrations for 50 Years (50x50), aims to raise critical funds for Save Venice’s mission during its anniversary year at a time when large-scale events are only beginning to return during the pandemic. The iconic yacht, HIGHLANDER, was the setting for the most recent dinner supporting this initiative by the Young Friends of Save Venice. Host, Mercedes de Guardiola, along with the Host Committee of Casey Kohlberg, Laura Day Webb, Cole Harrell, Clare Ngai, welcomed 24-guests to an intimate evening aboard Malcom Forbes’ most beloved vessel where he entertained dignitaries, Hollywood, and royalty. Designed in 1986 by the visionary Jon Bannenberg for Forbes, HIGHLANDER was relaunched in 2014 following a two-year refit by interior designer Joanne de Guardiola. Lizzie Asher (Save Venice Board member and Chair of the Young Friends Steering Committee) and Young Friend Steering Committee members Skylar Pinchal, and Silvia Mella also descended to Sag Harbor, NY for a glamorous evening under the stars. Lizzie Asher and Mercedes de Guardiola spoke of the importance the evening and the 50X50 campaign. As Lizzie Asher shared with guests, “Venice is a treasure that speaks of the heights of humanity’s genius and ingenuity. While we have known of the floods that affect Venice, unfortunately climate change in increasing their frequency and devastating effect. It is our responsibility to help protect the best that our individual and
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communal efforts have created in this jewel of a city for our posterity.” Notable attendees included: Mercedes de Guardiola, Timo Weiland, Lizzie Asher, Casey Kohlberg, Cole Harell and Tai-Heng Chen, Laura Day Webb, Clare Ngai, Kevin Brotman, Skylar Pinchal, Silvia Mella, Bryan Ludwig, Serena Woodward, Alyson Cafiero. Guests arrived via Donzi to HIGHLANDER for cocktails and an extravagant dinner underneath a resplendent full Buck Moon. Guests were treated to not only custom cocktails provided by Select Aperitivo and Macchu Pisco but also gift bags with rings from BONBONWHIMS, matcha from Sorate, beauty and body treats from Yves Saint Laurent, Santa Maria Novella, and Lili Bermuda. As the evening wound down and the prosecco swirled, Timo Weiland surprised guests with an after-party set DJing as the moon shone over the bay. The Young Friends of Save Venice is an energetic group of young professionals who share dual passions for art and preservation in Venice. Initially established in the early 1990s, the group was responsible for sponsoring specific restoration projects and for the growth of what is today known as Un Ballo in Maschera, held annually in New York. For more information and about Save Venice and 50 Celebrations for 50 years, including how to be involved, please visit www.savevenice.org/50x50. For more information about Save Venice and to discover the work of the organization, please visit www.savevenice.org. Photos courtesy of BFA.com
