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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
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© 2017 THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. StarGroup International, Inc. West Palm Beach, Florida Concept and Supervision: Brenda Star Book Design: Mel Abfier Editors: Katie Edwards, Donna Plasket Editorial and Research Support: Paula Law, Cindy Hoyt, Heather Henry and Annaleah D. Morrow, Ph.D. Portions of this book are based on “The Society of the Four Arts: A Narrative of Significant Events from 1936 to 1983” by Olivia Gazzam Morrish. Designed and produced by StarGroup International, Inc. 561.547.0667 www.stargroupinternational.com Printed in Canada Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication 2016958275 THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS/HISTORY AND LEGACY ISBN 978-1-884886-25-6 All photographs used with permission from The Society of the Four Arts. iv
THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
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DEDICATION
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.� Ralph Waldo Emerson
This history is dedicated to the visionaries who created The Society of the Four Arts, to those who have overseen and nurtured its growth and to those who will shape its future in the years ahead.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
xi FOREWORD xv INTRODUCTION 1a TIMELINE
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GIOCONDA AND JOSEPH KING LIBRARY
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THE GARDENS
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ESTHER B. O’KEEFFE GALLERY
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CHILDREN’S LIBRARY
77 JOHN E. ROVENSKY BUILDING 83 PHILIP HULITAR SCULPTURE GARDEN
105 FITZ EUGENE DIXON EDUCATION BUILDING
121 SOME FAVORITE MOMENTS
135 CONTACT
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FOREWORD
During the 2016-17 season we celebrated the eightieth anniversary of The Society of the Four Arts. We continue to broaden our outreach, improve our campus and expand our offerings to better serve our members and the general public. We appreciate the support of Ann and Gil Maurer and the Hearst Foundation for underwriting this book. This publication serves to remind us of our distinguished history and highlights the many accomplishments since the 1996 update of our archives. During these years we have been most fortunate to have enjoyed truly remarkable leadership from Executive Director Robert Safrin followed by Presidents Ervin Duggan and David Breneman. Chairmen of the Board of Trustees Fitz Eugene Dixon and his wife Edith Robb Dixon, who followed him, were true visionaries who were instrumental in the dramatic expansion of our educational program through the creation of the Campus on the Lake, which is housed in the new state-of-the-art Dixon Education Building. We have been blessed with a superb Board of Trustees throughout the years. Their dedication, wisdom, participation and generosity
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have been inspirational to all of us. Without fail they have always led the organization to greater heights and an enviable reputation in the community. A particular strength of the Four Arts is the dedication and longevity of our current management team. Our Executive Vice President and Curator Nancy Mato has been with us for thirty years. Our Director of Education Molly Charland, Director of Finance Kathy Mardambek and Director of Facilities Ron Minnicks have all been at the Society for over twenty years. They and the other Directors and Programing Staff Phillip Barnes, Phillip Bergmann, Katie Edwards, Susan Harris, Rachel Schipper and Debra Watson lead a team of professionals who are truly talented, considerate and accomplished. They bring the campus of the Four Arts alive each day and we are most grateful for all their contributions. It has been my privilege to serve as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the past seven years. The Four Arts is in excellent shape financially and consistently generates annual operating surpluses. Our endowment is well-managed and growing nicely. Our physical facilities are sound thanks to the support we receive from the biennial galas that fund continuing improvements. This season we are commencing the comprehensive renovation of the King Library, which was the original home of the Society. All of this is possible because of the support, involvement and commitment of our trustees and members. Thanks to you, we honor and respect our past, participate in and enjoy the present and confidently look forward to the future. Patrick Henry December, 2016
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MRS. FREDERICK JOHNSON
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INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
The Society of the Four Arts was founded in 1936 as a nonprofit organization to celebrate art, literature, music and drama. The very idea of a center for the arts attracted its first leaders, a distinguished group who nobly set out to offer free programs to the public. The first officers of The Society of the Four Arts were: Mr. Hugh Dillman, President Mrs. George C. Van Dusen, First Vice President Mrs. Frederick Johnson (Mary Mackinnon), Second Vice President Madame Louise Home, Third Vice President Mr. C. Percival Dietsch, Fourth Vice President Mrs. Alfred G. Kay, Secretary Dr. Edmund L. Dow, Treasurer Mr. Frank G. Macomber, Consulting Director Mrs. Mary E. Aleshire, Director Maud Howe Elliott, a renowned author and daughter of Julia Ward Howe (“The Battle Hymn of the Republic�), was named honorary president, a title she held until her death.
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The first board of directors included: Mrs. Lorenzo E. Woodhouse, Chairman Mrs. Hugh Dillman Mr. Maurice Fatio The Honorable Mrs. Frederick E. Guest Mr. Sidney Homer Mrs. George A. McKinlock Mrs. M. Bernard Phillip (Jane Peterson) Mrs. Henry R. Rea Dr. George Waterman Mr. Marion S. Wyeth In the first annual report of the Society, a goal was set forth to one day “establish a Temple of the Fine Arts – which will house its own galleries, its halls of music, letters and drama with attendant libraries, forums, theatres and chairs of instruction.” The first art exhibition was assembled by Dr. Daniel J. McCarthy and Mrs. Frederick Johnson, chairman of the art committee. They borrowed impressive works of art from important collectors, galleries and Palm Beach residents. The most notable painting in the exhibit was Rembrandt’s “Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer,” lent by Lord Joseph Duveen. This valuable painting was later purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art for over $2 million and remains in their collection today. The aspiration of the founders was contagious. In the first two weeks following the opening of the Four Arts’ first exhibit, more than two thousand people visited the galleries. Teachers from many towns in the state brought their pupils - workers, artisans, professionals, in fact, persons from every walk of life came to enjoy and to study. In her xvi
first annual report, Director Mary Aleshire said about the events of the first season, “This exhibit represented not only the artistic taste of the patrons but their civic pride as well.” Honorary President Maud Howe Elliott, who was one of the most distinguished and vocal advocates for The Society of the Four Arts, expressed great pride in the mission of the organization:
It is the tradition that old men who have but a short time to live, to enjoy them, are possessed to build fine houses. This may account for my consuming ambition to see a home built for this Society. “Give us a home,” I hear the muses crying both day and night, “Give us a home.” In this peerless empire of the sun, give us a temple of the arts! Maud Howe Elliott
As the stories and pictures in the following pages recount, The Society of the Four Arts has fulfilled the dreams and visions of its founders and continues to thrive as a “temple for the arts” to this day.
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1934 • On May 19 Mrs. Lorenzo E. Woodhouse, Mrs. Maud Howe Elliott (Mrs. John Elliott) and Mrs. Frederick Johnson announced plans for the Civic Arts Association, a new organization with a mission to promote art, literature, music and science, and ultimately, the creation of a library and an art museum.
1936 • Colonel E.R. Bradley generously offered the new organization the use of a vacant store in the building he owned on Royal Palm Way (now the Rovensky building). • On January 14 the Civic Arts Association changed its named to The Society of the Four Arts and incorporated as a nonprofit, receiving its charter on February 8, 1936.
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• Mr. Hugh Dillman was named the first president of The Society of the Four Arts and Maud Howe Elliott was named honorary president, a designation she held until her death in 1948. • Mrs. Mary E. Aleshire was named the Four Arts’ first executive director. • On January 25, 1936, the Four Arts opened its first exhibition of artworks borrowed from local galleries and collectors to great critical acclaim. One of the most notable pieces, Rembrandt’s “Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer,” was later sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for more than $2 million.
1937 • Celebrated architect Maurice Fatio was named architect of the high-profile project, and his firm of Treanor and Fatio announced that they would donate the cost of their services entirely. • The Four Arts made plans and raised money to erect the organization’s first building on Cebia Avenue (now Four Arts Plaza). • The Four Arts held its first National Invitational Painting Exhibition, which would later become the Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Painters, an event known throughout the country for showcasing upand-coming artists. These contemporary art exhibitions remained a staple of Four Arts programming for 64 seasons.
1938 • On January 8 the Four Arts moved into the new building (now the King Library). • At the suggestion of Mrs. Alfred G. Kay, The Garden Club of Palm Beach built seven small demonstration gardens on the grounds of The Society of the Four Arts. These gardens were intended to provide guidance to those seeking inspiration and advice on which plants will thrive in the sub-tropical South Florida climate.
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1939 • Dr. Daniel J. McCarthy became the third president of the Four Arts; Mr. Paul Anglim was named executive director.
• The Phipps family donated “The Age of Bronze” by Auguste Rodin, one of the most notable pieces in the Four Arts collection.
• Citing the need for a library in the Town of Palm Beach, Maud Howe Elliot made plans for a dedicated space for a reading room and library and was appointed the first chairman of the library committee.
1941 • On December 5, 1941, Mr. Joseph Gunster became the fourth president of the Four Arts; Mr. Frank Gair Macomber was named executive director. • Mrs. Frederick Guest purchased the library of architect Addison Mizner for the Town of Palm Beach to remain in the custody of the Four Arts Library.
1940 Herter Murals Dedication
• Mrs. Woodhouse commissioned murals to be painted by artist Albert Herter on the front loggia of the Four Arts building (now the King Library).
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• The Four Arts library officially opened on February 10 on the second floor of the Four Arts building. A portrait of Maud Howe Elliott painted by Adele Herter was given to the library in honor of Mrs. Elliott’s dedication and advocacy of the library.
Portrait of Maud Howe Elliott by Adele Herter
• Two bronze black panther statues by artist Wheeler Williams were donated by Mr. Byron Miller and Mr. Andrew Jergens.
Hugh Dillman, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Gunster and Mrs. Frederick Johnson
1942 • Mrs. Ann Poeller was named executive director of the Four Arts. • Because of World War II, major building expansion plans were put on hold, and The Society of the Four Arts focused on supporting the war effort. Dances and concerts for officers and enlisted men were held, and library hours were expanded for servicemen. The Four Arts also organized an art project at nearby Camp Murphy and held an exhibition of soldiers’ art in the gallery.
Patrons enjoying the Four Arts library after it opened in1938
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1944 • Mrs. Frederick (Olivia) Morrish formed The Junior Activities Committee made up of younger supporters of The Society of the Four Arts who volunteered as ushers for lectures, concerts and teas and also assisted with the clerical work in the office. They put on marionette shows, children’s art exhibitions and Saturday afternoon children’s movie screenings.
1945 • Dr. LeRoy Dow left a bequest to The Society of the Four Arts to establish a building fund for future building acquisitions.
1948 • “A New Era” for the Four Arts was proclaimed as the Society began its first season in the new building. • Matthew T. Mellon became president of The Society of the Four Arts.
Alfred G. Kay, Hugh Dillman, Mrs. Lorenzo E. Woodhouse, Dr. Daniel J. McCarthy and Joseph F. Gunster
• A generous donation from Mrs. Paul Moore allowed the Four Arts to purchase motion picture equipment and begin the high-caliber Friday night film series that continues today.
1947 Mrs. R.L. Chastain pours tea for Misses Allison Reimers, Margot Hilstead and Barbara Beveridge
Byron Miller
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• Mr. Byron Miller and Four Arts President Joseph Gunster successfully negotiated the purchase of the Addison Mizner-designed Embassy Club for half of its asking price. Mr. John Volk was named as architect for the new building and transformed the former Embassy Club into a space with an auditorium, art galleries and offices.
Dr. and Mrs. Matthew T. Mellon
1950 • The Junior Activities Committee of The Society of the Four Arts hosted “Tableaux Vivants” (living pictures), which raised $4,000 for The Society of the Four Arts, providing funding for greatly expanded stage facilities.
1954 • Marion Sims Wyeth became president of The Society of the Four Arts.
1956 • Work to expand the library began and music listening rooms, offices, an elevator and air conditioning were added.
Junior Activities Committee of The Society of the Four Arts, February 28, 1950: Mmes. Charles E. Wilson, Belford Shoumate, Daniel Holder, J. Edward Farrar, James A. dePeyster, Edward U. Roddy, Jr. Milton A. Fuller, George C. Van Dusen, James N. Ballentine, Kemp Caler and Miss Winifred Anthony. Seated, back row: Mmes. Abram Nesbit II, Henry K. Hardin, Wiley R. Reynolds; second row: Mmes. Henry F. Richardson Jr., John H. Perry Jr., Robert Grace, Edward H. White Jr.; front row the Misses Olive Massie, Virginia Anthony, Mrs. Frederick D. Morrish and Miss Joan Halpine Smith.
• The Garden Club of Palm Beach employed the firm of Innocenti & Webel to restore the Four Arts gardens to the original concept of seven distinct gardens laid forth in 1938. • Colonel Harold Fowler was named the new president of The Society of the Four Arts. That same year, Russell A. Plimpton, former director of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and past president of the Association of Art Museum Directors, was named executive director of the Four Arts.
1955 Carl Sandburg speaking at The Four Arts Library in 1946
• Allan McNab, former director of the Lowe Gallery in Miami and acting Four Arts exhibition director, was named executive director of the Four Arts.
Russell A. Plimpton
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1956 • The Four Arts established a separate children’s department within the library with programs and resources specifically for youngsters.
1961 • Mr. A. Atwater Kent Jr. was elected president of The Society of the Four Arts.
A. Atwater Kent Jr.
Col. and Mrs. Harold Fowler
1958 • The auditorium was expanded with a larger stage and two dressing rooms to allow for more elaborate productions and concerts to be held.
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1964 • Membership in The Society of the Four Arts reached a record of 1,300, though the auditorium could only seat 718. A waiting list for future membership was established.
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• After learning that the land adjacent to the Four Arts was to be sold to a developer, Four Arts supporters quickly raised funds to purchase the property at the corner of Royal Palm Way and Cocoanut Row, preventing it from becoming a grocery store and preserving the land for future growth. Two adjacent lots were subsequently purchased in 1967 and 1968.
1966 • Walter S. Gubelmann was elected president of The Society of the Four Arts.
1974 • Wishing to attract more young people to the Four Arts, The Junior Activities Committee was revived under the chairmanship of Mrs. Louis O. Hilton.
1976 Walter S. Gubelmann, Charles Van Rensselaer, John Gordon, Princess Evangeline Zalstem-Zalessky, Mrs. Philip (Mary) Hulitar
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• Mr. John Gordon, curator of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, was named the new executive director of the Four Arts.
1972 • The Society of the Four Arts was first accredited by the American Association of Museums (now the American Alliance of Museums).
• “Intetra” by sculptor Isamu Noguchi was donated to the Four Arts by Ziuta and Joseph James Akston and unveiled in the spring of 1976. • The Four Arts held its first black tie gala dinner dance, chaired by Mrs. Harold Whitmore. The evening featured a performance by Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse, and a party was held afterwards in the beautifully decorated galleries.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl E.T. Smith, Ronald Reagan and John Gordon in 1977
1977 • James M. Brown, previous director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Oakland Museum in California and the Corning Glass Center in New York, was appointed executive director of The Society of the Four Arts.
In 1973 Barbara Walters spoke to an eager crowd at The Society of the Four Arts.
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1979
• Mrs. John Clifford Folger approached Four Arts trustee and noted fashion designer Philip Hulitar about a plan to transform the somewhat unsightly lots owned by the Four Arts into a more attractive space. Mr. Hulitar sketched a plan for a sculpture garden with a beautiful surrounding wall, which was subsequently approved by the Town of Palm Beach.
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The Duke of Wellington spoke at the Four Arts in 1978.
• The Junior Programs evolved into the “Programs for Young People,” a series of four events per season attended by students in Palm Beach area private schools. That same year the Four Arts held its first Annual Gifted Children’s Art Exhibition, an exhibition that continued annually for the next 24 seasons.
1980 • Philip Hulitar’s design for a sculpture garden was completed in November. A number of sculptures solicited by Mr. and Mrs. Hulitar were donated and dedicated at their new homes in the Four Arts Sculpture Garden; these acquisitions included two sculptures by Jose Antonio Villalobos: “Youth” given by Mary and Philip Hulitar and “Innocence” given by the A. Atwater Kent Foundation. Also in 1980 artist Diana Guest Manning donated her work “Naja.”
• An addition was made to the original King Library building, increasing shelf and storage space.
Henry Kissinger spoke at the Four Arts in 1980.
1981 • More sculptures were added. “Neptune” by Ira Bruce Reines was given by Mr. and Mrs. Jack C. Massey. “Giraffes,” by Henry Mitchell was given by Mrs. Eileen Zantzinger Holberg in memory of her husband Alfred Zantzinger, and “Maternidad La Cuava: Homage to Zúñiga” by Felipe Castaneda was given by Mrs.
1988
Barton and Walter Gubelmann at a Four Arts benefit
Richard Harrison Hill, Philip Hulitar and Mrs. Bradford A. Whitmore.
1986 • The executive committee named Robert W. Safrin the new executive director of the Four Arts.
• Philip and Mary Hulitar presented a generous gift to The Society of the Four Arts for the garden’s continued maintenance. In recognition of this gift, along with his many years as chairman of the sculpture garden and as a trustee of the Four Arts, the board voted to honor Mr. Hulitar by naming the sculpture garden for him. • Longtime Four Arts president Walter S. Gubelmann passed away. In his memory, an endowment was created for an annual lecture called “The Walter S. Gubelmann Annual Lecture” to be held as part of the Tuesday lecture series.
• Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr., former vice president of the Four Arts, was named president.
1990 • Mr. and Mrs. F. Warrington Gillet Jr. donated “Silver King,” a sculpture by D.H.S. Wehle, to be installed in the fountain outside the gallery building as a memorial to Walter S. Gubelmann, who loved sport fishing. • The family of Margaret Richardson Trout donated “Reaching,” a sculpture by Edward Fenno Hoffmann III, to the Hulitar Sculpture Garden.
• The Four Arts undertook a massive project to preserve and restore the Albert Herter murals on the library loggia. Originally painted in 1939, the murals had been badly damaged by exposure to sun and salt air. Phillip Hulitar at the dedication of the Phillip Hulitar Sculpture Garden
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1992 • The Benefactor’s Council was created by President F. Eugene Dixon Jr. and Executive Director Robert W. Safrin, and Hollis M. Baker was named the first chairman. Establishment of the Benefactor’s Council immediately led to increased support of and involvement with the Four Arts. • The Four Arts purchased the Embassy Apartment Building on the corner of Royal Palm Way and Four Arts Plaza in May of 1992. The purchase was made possible by Mrs. Robert M. (Jane) Grace, a vice president of the Four Arts. It was decided the building would be named in honor of her father, John E. Rovensky.
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1993 • November 2, 1993, saw the renovation of the new John E. Rovensky Building completed. As staff moved into their new offices, trustee Henry P. McIntosh IV provided new computers, software and printers for increased efficiency. • The Four Arts Children’s Library opened in its own dedicated space on the second floor of the new Rovensky Administration Building on November 8.
1995 • The Four Arts received a generous gift to support the children’s art programs, and the children’s art gallery was named the Mary Alice Fortin Children’s Art Gallery. • Dr. and Mrs. Arthur O’Keeffe made a generous donation to the Four Arts and, in recognition, the building housing the gallery and auditorium was named the Esther B. O’Keeffe Building as a tribute to Mrs. O’Keeffe’s work as an artist.
1994 • New seating, carpet, draperies, stage curtains and ceiling lights were installed in the auditorium, which was then renamed the Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium in honor of the prestigious speakers brought to its stage through the work of the former Four Arts president.
The Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium received a much needed renovation in 1994.
1996 • The Four Arts added a second less formal gala dinner dance for the Young Friends on the evening following the traditional biennial gala dinner dance. The event, which proved to be very popular, was chaired for the first time by Margo and Ashton de Peyster; Shelley and William Gubelmann were honorary chairs.
and the name of the library was changed to recognize this splendid gift.
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1997
• Ervin Duggan, former CEO of PBS, was chosen as the successor for Executive Director Robert Safrin. At the time of his appointment the title of executive director of The Society of the Four Arts was changed to “president,” and the title for the head of the board of trustees was changed to “chairman.”
• Mrs. Philip Hulitar enhanced the sculpture garden with the donation of “Monumental Apple Basket” by Luis Montoya and Leslie Ortiz.
1999 The new Four Arts Children’s Library opened on the second floor of the Rovensky Building in 1992.
2000
• The O’Keeffe family created a sizable endowment in support of the Four Arts’ prestigious Tuesday afternoon speaker series, which was renamed “The Esther B. O’Keeffe Speaker Series.”
2001 • Mrs. John R. Donnell established a generous endowment for an annual “John R. Donnell Memorial Lecture” in honor of her late husband.
• The library received a generous donation from Gioconda and Joseph King, 11
• The Four Arts began offering education programs in cooperation with the Palm Beach Art and Antiques Fair. The enthusiastic reception of the events led Ervin Duggan to make plans for a “small liberal arts college with the entire community as its student body,” and the Campus on the Lake programs were born.
2002 • The Society of the Four Arts planned for a major renovation of the Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden. The landscape architectural firm of Morgan Wheelock, Inc. was chosen to oversee this high-profile renovation.
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2005
• Helen Bernstein established an endowment for a biennial lecture in memory of her late husband Harold Bernstein. After her death in 2014 the family renamed it the Helen and Harold Bernstein Memorial Lecture.
• Mr. and Mrs. William G. Pannill made a major donation to underwrite the new garden pavilion, which was named the Pannill Pavilion in their honor.
• After hurricanes Frances and Jeanne inflicted serious damage on the Four Arts Botanical Gardens, plans were made to restore the gardens to the plan designed by Innocenti & Webber in the 1950s.
• Ambassador and Mrs. Edward E. Elson generously endowed an annual lecture, “The Esther Elson Memorial Lecture,” in honor of Ambassador Elson’s late mother.
Ed and Susie Elson
Fitz Eugene Dixon and Kit Pannill at the Pannill Pavilion Topping Off Garden Renovation 12
• As work on the sculpture garden continued, the Four Arts received “Sior Maschera,” a sculpture by Philip Jackson, given to the organization by Reginald B. Collier.
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Association, The Garden Club of Palm Beach, the American Landscapers Association and many other organizations.
• After being diagnosed with an incurable fungus, a massive 100-year-old banyan tree that was to be the cornerstone of the new garden design found new life in Las Vegas after the Bellagio Hotel and Casino purchased the tree and transported it for a yearlong display celebrating the changing seasons. • Mr. and Mrs. Fitz Eugene Dixon donated the sculpture “Peacock Monument” by Dan Ostermiller to be placed at the gates of the newly remodeled Hulitar Sculpture Garden. • Fitz Eugene Dixon, longtime chairman of the board of trustees, passed away.
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2007 • Edith Dixon succeeded her late husband Fitz Eugene Dixon and became chairman of the Four Arts board of trustees. • The Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden reopened after an extensive renovation in March of 2007. The entire town was invited to see the new design, which won awards and praise from the Palm Beach Civic
• The sculpture “Pear Harvest” by Luis Montoya and Leslie Ortiz was donated to the Hulitar Sculpture Garden by Jeannie and Richard Pearman in memory of their parents. • The Biennial Gala and Young Friends’ Gala were 13
held in the newly remodeled sculpture garden for the first time.
2009
from the Metropolitan Opera. The success of these events led to new telecasts from the National Theatre of London and the Bolshoi Ballet as well as in-depth on-screen tours of museum collections around the world. • Seeking to get attendees of the Young Friends’ Gala more involved, Edith Dixon and Talbott Maxey made plans for a new group called The Four Arts Contemporaries, and an inaugural reception for the group was held in April of that year.
Members of the first Four Arts Contemporaries committee Erik Waldin, Mary Brittain Cheatham, Talbott Maxey, Piper Quinn, Heather Henry and Peter Geisler
• “Dance of the Cranes” by John Raimondi was donated to the sculpture garden. The sculpture was the gift of J. David Veselsky in memory of Ferris P. Ellis and Leslie C. White. 14
• The Four Arts completed high-definition upgrades to the projectors and screens in the Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium and debuted a new lineup of live telecasts
2010 • On March 19 Patrick Henry was named the new chairman of the board of trustees. • Zita Hawley Wright commissioned artist David H. Turner to create a sculpture entitled “The Bond” based on her memories of swimming with a mother and baby dolphin. • Noted sculptor Lawrence Holofcener loaned his sculpture “Allies” to The Society of the Four Arts. The work, which features life-sized likenesses of Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill chatting on a bench, is a replica of Holofcener’s well-known
installation on Bond Street in London. The sculpture quickly became a favorite for Four Arts visitors who wished to pose for photographs with the great world leaders. • With the help of a leadership gift from Mrs. F. Eugene Dixon Jr., the Four Arts purchased the former Palm Beach Public School building on the northeast corner of the Four Arts campus on November 10 and began making plans to renovate the facility as the future home of Campus on the Lake programs.
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chandelier was designed to be raised and lowered as necessary. “Allies” artist Lawrence Holofcener • The newly renovated education building was opened in March of 2013 and named the Fitz Eugene Dixon Education Building in honor of the generosity and support of the Dixon family. . • The Four Arts received a gift to endow a permanent artist-in-residence position from philanthropists Mickey and Larry Beyer.
• In December Executive Director Ervin S. Duggan announced his retirement after more than a decade of incredible growth for the Four Arts. • Two new sculptures were donated to the sculpture garden. “Forgotten World III” by Norman Sunshine was given anonymously and “Recovery” by Grainger McKoy was donated by Edith Dixon.
• In October the Four Arts unveiled dramatic decorative enhancements to the Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium, which had not been updated in more than 25 years. Among the most notable was a 9-foot chandelier specially designed to replicate the Addison Mizner produced chandeliers seen in other parts of the building. Mindful of film screenings and live telecasts, the 15
2014 • Lake Worth artist Zenon Tozcek was commissioned to create murals for the interior archways of the Gubelmann Auditorium. Inspired by the building’s original openair design, the murals were designed to invoke the feeling of viewing a Florida sunset. • After learning that Lawrence Holofcener was seeking a buyer for the loaned “Allies” sculpture, which had become such a popular feature of the sculpture garden, the Four Arts launched a campaign to purchase the sculpture outright. The campaign received the support of nearly two dozen donors, many of whom made their gift in honor of a relative who had served in WWII during the Churchill and Roosevelt’s leadership. • The Society of the Four Arts named Dr. David W. Breneman as the organization’s new president and CEO. Dr. Breneman 16
came from a long career in academia, and had most recently served as University Professor and Newton and Rita Meyers Professor in Economics of Education and Public Policy at The University of Virginia.
• In September 2016 The Society of the Four Arts received approval to update and restore the Four Arts King Library and embarked on a campaign to preserve the charm of the building while enhancing its accessibility. • The iconic gilded bronze sculpture “Diana” by Augustus Saint-Gaudens
was given to the Four Arts by Robert and Miranda Donnelley and installed in the southeast corner of the Four Arts Sculpture Garden in honor of long-time Four Arts Executive Vice President and Curator Nancy Mato.
2017 • The Four Arts announced that Susie Elson would become chairman of the board of trustees after Patrick Henry retired at the end of the 20162017 season.
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
GIOCONDA AND JOSEPH KING LIBRARY Our First Home
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n 1937 after the Four Arts’ first season, money was raised to buy the land and erect the first building on Four Arts Plaza. Maurice Fatio was named the architect of this high-profile project, and his firm of Treanor and Fatio entirely donated their services. The land was bought from the Phipps family, who subsequently donated the land to the north of the present library, the current parking lot. The Four Arts moved into this new building on January 8, 1938, where art exhibits, poetry readings, lectures and musical events took place. In February of that year, a beautiful flower show sponsored by The Garden Club of Palm Beach was held in the new building. One of the Four Arts’ founders, author Maud Howe Elliott, saw the need for a library in Palm Beach, and in 1941 the second floor of the Four Arts building became a dedicated library space. When the Four Arts acquired what is now the Esther B. O’Keeffe Building
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y favorite memory of The Society of the Four Arts is visiting the library, which is peaceful and an important learning and reading center. David Blackwell Lowe
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Dr. Saul Rotter, Mary Hulitar and Hope Annan helping to prepare the library for a book sale
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in 1947, the first floor of the original building was converted into library space, as well, and the facility continued to grow and serve the community of Palm Beach. In 1997 the library was renamed the Gioconda and Joseph King Library in recognition of a very generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. King. Today, the King Library collections are recognized as among the finest fiction, nonfiction and film holdings in the region. In addition, the rare book room houses the personal library and scrapbooks of Addison Mizner, who is most revered as the father of the Mediterranean revival style of architecture. Among the many literary and education activities held in this historic structure are several monthly book discussion groups, widely attended book sales, teen technology programs, and Florida Voices, an author presentation and book signing event generously supported by the Fred J. Brotherton Charitable Foundation.
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y favorite memory of the Four Arts was doing research and studying at the original building, now the King Library, when I was a student at the Palm Beach Day School in the 1940s. Now, I love the Four Arts speaker series, the quality of all events, especially exhibitions and the peacefulness and solitude of the Four Arts Campus, despite the many activities it supports. John B. Rogers
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love the library! It is all a library should be... a tranquil, happy place to sit, a bright, serene spot to visit and read, along with the most accommodating staff to assist you!
Jane Simon
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y favorite memory of The Society of the Four Arts is the Tuesday afternoon that Frank McCourt spoke about his life. Frank had won a Pulitzer Prize for his book, “Angela’s Ashes,” describing his miserable impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland. Frank walked out on that stage at the Four Arts, looked at the audience and pronounced to all that he had very bad news for us, “there was to be no money made writing about our happy childhoods, misery sells.” (I also thought my wife Cynthia’s presentation on her life in the art world was first rate.) Mike Gibbons
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
THE GARDENS
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n 1938 The Garden Club of Palm Beach planted seven small demonstration gardens on the grounds of The Society of the Four Arts. For nearly eight decades these gardens have served as a guide for homeowners seeking plants that thrive in the sub-tropical South Florida climate. Even those with no interest in landscaping can appreciate the gardens’ quiet serenity; visitors often come just to relax and unwind from the pressures of their day. The founders built well. Mrs. J.S. Phipps built a Spanish façade to demonstrate plantings suitable for a Spanish-style house. Mrs. Joseph F. Gunster created a moonlight garden of white-blooming vines and shrubs. Mrs. Clifford V. Brokaw landscaped an area suitable for a colonial-style house; Mrs. Lorenzo Woodhouse designed a beautiful Chinese garden as a memorial to her daughter. Mrs. Hugh Dillman planted a rose garden; Dr. LeRoy Dow, a jungle garden, and Mrs. Alfred G. Kay used a wall fountain with a Madonna sculpture as a focal point for a garden of small tropical fruit trees. For many decades, in a long and fruitful partnership with the garden’s owner, The Society of the Four Arts, The Garden Club of Palm Beach has maintained the gardens.
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he Four Arts plays a fundamental role in the cultural enrichment of our community. What I love about the Four Arts is the wide variety of activities and resources that the Society provides. When I think of Four Arts, I think of the Children’s Library, the diverse speaker series, the beautiful buildings and the wonderful members and guests, all of which form a wonderful community to learn and be a part of. Cherie Toufanian
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Landscape architecture firm Innocenti & Webel was retained in the 1950s to improve the garden’s architectural features, to relate the garden’s separate elements more closely to one another, and to create a master plan, which included many rare specimen plants. In the summer of 2004 hurricanes Frances and Jeanne all but destroyed the Four Arts Gardens. Undaunted, the Four Arts undertook a major reconstruction project that not only restored the gardens according to Innocenti & Webel’s master plan, but also added new irrigation, re-circulating pumps for fountains, a new electrical system, more comfortable seating and improved walkways to ensure accessibility for visitors. Thousands of visitors experience the gardens annually, and The Garden Club of Palm Beach and the Four Arts Gardens continue to offer ideas and inspiration and practical education for gardeners and moments of quiet respite for all who visit.
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y favorite event was John Pohanka’s marathon lecture on Maria Callas, February, 2016, and I don’t even like opera! He was mesmerizing with his intense interest in the subject and the amount of research he had done for this presentation. Three hours into the lecture and still going, almost no one left the auditorium. The Four Arts is a mainstay of my winters in Palm Beach. Betsy Nottingham
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y favorite spot to visit on the Four Arts campus is by far the garden but I love the Children’s Library, too! What I love about The Society of the Four Arts is the variety of programs.
Audrey Foster
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t would have been impossible to guarantee the company of my husband (Michael Kennedy) to Palm Beach without the membership in The Society of the Four Arts. His love of chamber music, art and opera along with my enjoyment of ballet and lectures was a driving force in our decision to own a home in Palm Beach so many years ago. Beach, golf, tennis all paled in comparison to the simulcast of the MET or the live concerts. We looked forward to the weekends bringing a light lunch, sitting on a bench and knowing we had seats without having to rush in... always leaving us enough time to wander through the Chinese garden for a simple meditation on how blessed we were. Eleanora Kennedy
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he most exciting thing for me is how the Four Arts has opened up to the public in a way that could never have happened in the early days of our joining. The fact that it is now open to all is marvelous. I think the education facilities and the opportunities offered there are fantastic. I loved the early days with Edith Dixon of doing the first dinner dances and breaking the mold of what had been done before for such a long time. For me, starting the Young Friends event with Margo de Peyster was something that I found very special and I am so thrilled and proud that it has gone on to be such a major event on the Four Arts calendar. It has been an enormous privilege for both of us to serve on the Board for all these years. It has been wonderful for me to have worked on the Film Committee for so long and in more recent years, chairing the Education Committee. I’ve had great fun offering my KISS (Keep it simple suppers) demonstrations. Shelley Gubelmann
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ince the founding of The Society of the Four Arts, the most important event, in my opinion, was the ascent of Fitz Dixon, a cultivated, prescient, benevolent autocrat with unusually focused judgment, special wisdom and exceptional courage to its Chairmanship. At a crucial moment in time he sought out and secured Ervin Duggan as the Society’s President. Ervin Duggan, a brilliant man of unique experience, legendary erudition, and an elegant speaking talent, radiated a gracious Southern charm. With the total support and backing of Fitz, he transformed a parochial literary society into the most visible and significant cultural facility with an unchallenged place as the premier organization in Palm Beach and Palm Beach history. Ambassador Edward E. Elson
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he gardens at the Four Arts have been beautifully maintained. It has a calmness that is a rare jewel for our family. They have become the winter “go to” place with our young grandchildren. The children and adults alike are instantly calmed by the quiet and beauty. And their curiosity kicks in to learn about the different plants, the fountains and the sculpture. The diversity offered on so many levels makes for quite an interesting place. There seems to be something to entertain, enlighten or amuse all of us. Debra Beard
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
ESTHER B. O’KEEFFE GALLERY
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fter The Society of the Four Arts’ first successful decade, it was clear that new facilities would be necessary if the organization was to keep up with the clamoring demand for programs. Maurice Fatio, who designed the Four Arts building, originally intended for additional construction on the north and south of the building, and as World War II ended, Four Arts leaders began to plan on this expansion, even laying a corner stone for the new construction. As America recovered from the war, prices for building materials and labor began to skyrocket, and the prospect of new construction proved to be too costly. Around the time Four Arts leaders came to this conclusion, board members Byron Miller and Joseph Gunster began talks with the executors of the estate of Colonel E.R. Bradley, whose shuttered Embassy Club was going on the market. The Society of the Four Arts had held many of the early events and exhibitions in this very building, and it appealed to many to acquire it and renovate it for the purposes of the Society. In 1947 The Society of the Four Arts reached an agreement with the Bradley estate to purchase the Embassy Club. The building had been designed by noted architect Addison Mizner in 1929 and had served as a social club for nearly a decade before closing.
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y favorite memory of The Society of the Four Arts was the Tuesday lecture given by Ann Romney, who was clear and concise. She had a delightful manner and she spoke eloquently of Mitt, her husband. She was unassuming and direct-a real treat in today’s world! A. Michael Sullivan Jr.
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John Volk was asked to remodel the new building and on December 11, 1947, when the Four Arts moved into its new building, a new era of the Society began. The Embassy Club’s open patio area was enclosed and an auditorium for 700 was built. To the east, galleries for art exhibitions were constructed and offices for Four Arts staff were added on the second floor of the building. Shortly after opening, motion picture equipment was donated by Mrs. Paul Moore and the Four Arts Friday film series, which continues today, began in 1948. Over the years, prestigious concerts and lectures were held in the auditorium. The expansive galleries of the new Four Arts building allowed for an array of diverse and exciting art exhibitions and the Four Arts quickly drew capacity crowds to events in its new home. To raise funds in support of the continuing growth of the Four Arts, The Junior Activities Committee with the help of Mrs. Frederick Johnson held “Tableaux Vivants” (or Living Pictures). It was a complicated undertaking as very elaborate sets were created to allow members of The Junior Activities Committee to pose as parts of historic works of art. While successful and wildly popular, “Tableaux Vivants” called to light the need for a greatly expanded back stage and dressing room, which was completed in 1958.
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While programming continued to grow, the auditorium itself did not change until 1994 when a major remodeling was undertaken. New chairs with plush fabric, carpets and elegant curtains brought the facility on par with the quality of the performances taking place within. The remodeled auditorium was christened the Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium to recognize the service of the long-time Four Arts president and benefactor who died in 1988. In 1995 Dr. and Mrs. Arthur O’Keeffe made a generous gift to endow the building, now named the Esther B. O’Keeffe Gallery. The auditorium underwent another “facelift” in 2014 adding the dramatic Mizner-styled chandelier to the center of the auditorium, as well as Floridainspired murals on the back archways. In the nearly seven decades since the O’Keeffe building became part of The Society of the Four Arts, thousands of musicians and performers have appeared on the Four Arts stage. The smart designs and the foresight of past Four Arts leaders laid the foundation where great performances, lectures and other events can be held for years to come.
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ill Koch’s Western Art Collection is my fondest Four Arts memory. The unique photographic image of Billy the Kid was the most enduring of its many highlights.
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e were thrilled to be invited to join The Society of the Four Arts some years ago. Everything about the Four Arts has been our favorite! We love the balance and breadth of topics in the Tuesday lectures. We love touring the art exhibits before the lectures. Bill Koch’s Western Art was spectacular. We love the Wednesday evening concert performances as well as the Saturday simulcasts. We also love lectures given by our friends, particularly Giuliana Koch and John Pohanka. Our lives have been truly enriched! Sally and Dick Phelps
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he Society of the Four Arts is Palm Beach’s intellectual home, where we gather to celebrate the creativity and imagination that enrich our lives, and to connect with the brightest minds that shape our society. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! I am a gardener, so the gardens are a feast and a reminder that there is beauty in a sometimes ugly world. I love the literary and musical events, an opportunity to learn more about old favorites and try new writers and composers. I love it all, and I am proud to be a member. Lesly S. Smith
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y favorite memory of The Society of the Four Arts was the magnificent Gala in February 2016. A vision of the all-white theme in a magnificent tent, with a white baby grand piano on center stage, the musicians in white jackets, the white orchids, and the theme of “Shall We Danceâ€? all contributed to a night that will long be remembered. Jane Korman 57
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any years ago I attended one of the weekly lectures. It was on the Art of Falconry. On the stage were a number of live birds of prey. At one point a hawk flew out over the audience and was called back to the stage. Quite an experience!
Jean Astrop
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’m just thrilled to have the opportunity to be able to attend the speaker series. These are excellent and we’ve also attended two of the galas which were fabulous. As part-time residents it’s great to have access to cultural events. Having been part of several other cultural organizations, it’s very important for us to continue learning and we appreciate what you have to offer. Marlene Del Zotto 59
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hat I love about The Society of the Four Arts are the opportunities to learn, study and enjoy the arts with friends and family. I love the art classes and lectures. Mary Ourisman
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have seen The Society of the Four Arts grow into a celebrant of the fine arts, the likes of which I don’t believe exists in any similar sized community in the United States -- if not on the entire planet. I can’t begin to recount the many collections and exhibitions which The Society of the Four Arts has displayed in the Esther B. O’Keeffe Gallery Building over the years, but I do remember that more than one of the collections’ owners have stated that the sensitivity and creativity with which the collections were hung by the Society’s Executive Vice President and Curator Nancy Mato surpassed the manner in which the collections were displayed in the owner’s own home. Exhibition standouts in my mind have been those most generously lent to The Society of the Four Arts by William I. Koch, in particular, a small portion of his extraordinary collection of American Western memorabilia, which produced the largest audiences in the Society’s history. Stellar in the community outreach by The Society of the Four Arts are the Campus on the Lake programs, which have engaged tens of thousands in enriching programs, of so many types that defy enumeration. But, perhaps, my fondest memory of The Society of the Four Arts hinges around an Easter Egg Hunt staged in the beautiful Hulitar Sculpture Garden in 2014. Eight thousand brightly colored eggs were secreted throughout the garden where I stood with camera at the ready, and was rewarded with a picture that, in my mind, perfectly captures the joy in which the community holds The Society of the Four Arts. Rip McIntosh
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My favorite memory of The Society of the Four Arts was attending the Esther B. O’Keeffe lectures and realizing how wonderful it was to have interesting speakers in such an intimate setting and to often be able to meet the speaker after the lecture. I specifically chose to live in Palm Beach for The Society of the Four Arts and to enjoy and participate in all of the cultural events! William D. Robbins
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ur favorite thing about The Society of the Four Arts is the variety of events offered throughout the year. We greatly enjoy the Tuesday lectures and even the streaming when we cannot obtain parking, the special musical performances, the bridge classes and the most festive biennial galas offered! Virginia and Alfred Morgan
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
CHILDREN’S LIBRARY
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ngaging children with stories and learning has always been a part of Four Arts programming, and from the beginning, the library offered age-appropriate reading and exploratory materials for children. In 1956 the Four Arts established a separate children’s department and hired a professional children’s librarian to develop the collection and plan events for children, and the Children’s Library took on a life of its own. When the Four Arts acquired the old Embassy Apartment Building in 1993, the Children’s Library was moved from the main library to the second floor of the newly christened John E. Rovensky Building. These facilities allowed for great expansion and more programs to be offered. The establishment of a children’s art gallery was made possible in 1995 through a grant from the Mary Alice Fortin Foundation.
Author Robert Forbes
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Today, the Four Arts Children’s Library offers free story times, school age classes in cooking and floral arranging and other special events to children throughout Palm Beach County. The library provides use of computers and iPads, as well as the latest story books and children’s movies. With the sunny atrium, this special library is treasured by many old and young alike.
The Four Arts Children’s Library was established in 1956.
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y favorite spot to visit is the Children’s Library with my grandson. When he was a baby, I would take him to story time. He loved it! The Easter Egg Hunt was another enjoyable adventure that we did together. He is now 9 years old and we go to the King Library together. The Society of the Four Arts is a wonderful institution for both young and old. It’s a special place to share with family and friends. Anita Gabler
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
JOHN E. ROVENSKY BUILDING
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ormerly the Embassy Apartment Building, the Rovensky Building was purchased by The Society of the Four Arts in 1992 and renovated the following year to create an expanded and dedicated Children’s Library and Art Gallery, staff offices and meeting rooms. A very generous contribution by Mrs. Robert M. (Jane) Grace, then vice president of The Society of the Four Arts, made the purchase possible. It was decided that the building would be named in honor of her father, John E. Rovensky, a distinguished banker who had retired to Palm Beach and had served the Palm Beach community passionately for many years. Renovation of the new building began in April 1993 with Howarth (Hap) P. Lewis as architect and Conkling and Lewis as contractor. Plans called for administrative offices on the first floor as well as an executive committee meeting room adjoining the executive director’s office. A large room for board of trustees meetings and functions and a large caterer’s kitchen were also included. The second floor, which had been an open The
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The second floor, which had been an open courtyard surrounded by apartments, became the new Children’s Library as the space on the top floor of the Four Arts Library was becoming too small for growing needs. A children’s art gallery (now the Mary Alice Fortin Children’s Art Gallery) was constructed along the south side of the second floor. It is also used for films and other activities. The atrium was covered with a skylight, allowing for a sunny main room with smaller reading rooms around the center. The third floor now featured a conference room for future classes and other needs, an apartment to be used by the executive director and office space for The Garden Club of Palm Beach. The building opened on November 26, 1993.
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
PHILIP HULITAR SCULPTURE GARDEN
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hilip Hulitar was a prominent American couturier and Palm Beach resident who restored several historic houses on the island of Palm Beach. The garden’s evolution, from a trio of vacant lots with tangled vines and scrub palms to its magnificence today, is a continuing tribute to his vision. In March 1965 Four Arts members learned that the property at the corner of Royal Palm Way and Cocoanut Row was about to be sold to a grocery store chain. Eager to acquire the land, Four Arts members swung into action. Just two days before the sale was to proceed, Walter Gubelmann, then president of the Four Arts, made an offer to the owners of the property, the Walton family, to match the price offered by the Davis Brothers’ Winn Dixie grocery store chain. In just one weekend, pledges for the required amount were raised by telephone. The lot was acquired the following Monday morning, according to legend, just before the Davis Brothers’ lawyers arrived for the closing. Subsequently, in 1967 and 1968, the Society bought the two adjoining lots. By Spring 1979 the combined lots, although saved by the Four Arts, were still unimproved. Mrs. John Clifford Folger, then chairman of the Four Arts Landscape Committee, discussed with Philip Hulitar the need for beautification. Mr. Hulitar created a design to establish a sculpture garden. Work on the garden was completed in November 1980.
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Philip Jackson (1944 – ) Scottish, living in England Sior Maschera Bronze 05.4 Gift of Reginald B. Collier
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Mr. Hulitar eagerly solicited donations of sculpture from friends and Four Arts members. In 1988 he and his wife Mary made a generous gift to The Society of the Four Arts for the garden’s continued maintenance; in 1988, in recognition of his years as chairman of the sculpture garden and as a trustee of the Four Arts, its board voted to honor Mr. Hulitar by naming the sculpture garden for him. Philip Hulitar, whose artistic creativity, vision and commitment were responsible for turning three vacant lots into a handsome sculpture garden, died in 1992. To enhance the Hulitar Sculpture Garden, plans were announced in 2002 to add park-like elements such as elegant walkways and fountains. The landscape architecture firm Morgan Wheelock, Inc. was chosen for the job in April 2003 and ground was broken in early 2004. Four Arts trustees Mr. and Mrs. William G. Pannill made a generous donation to underwrite The Pannill Pavilion, the crown jewel of the garden design. In March 2007 the sculpture garden re-opened to the public. The enhanced Hulitar Sculpture Garden was carefully designed to serve the Four Arts and the Palm Beach community as an outdoor museum, a handsome urban park, a botanical garden and a place for quiet contemplation and appreciation of the surrounding beauty. As former Palm Beach Mayor Lesly Smith observed in late 2004, Mr. Hulitar “would be proud to see his vision continued in this new and beautiful way.”
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John Raimondi (1948 – ) American Dance of the Cranes Bronze 09.1 Gift of J. David Veselsky In Memory of Ferris P. Ellis and Leslie C. White
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hat we appreciate most is the sense of community that the Four Arts engenders. The programs are open to all, both on the island and elsewhere, and the library is a special resource for everyone. Campus on the Lake, yoga, Metropolitan Opera, the magnificent garden, lectures, and many other events and field trips appeal to people of all ages, interests, and backgrounds, whether they are residents of Palm Beach, neighbors in West Palm Beach or Florida, or visitors from out of state. It is a special institution in Palm Beach that offers so much for so little to so many! Jocelyn and Robin Martin
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love being exposed to a myriad of special art exhibitions, renowned authors, leaders, artists, musicians, movies, concerts, and opera! I love our Children’s Library with its fabulous activities, teachers, and its inclusion of children from areas outside of Palm Beach. I love our King Library murals. I love our book programs and look forward to the spectacular new library with its technological advances. I love our amazing Dixon Education Building with its creative spaces. I love Campus on the Lake lectures and workshops, and those who develop them. I love the Sculpture and Four Arts Gardens full of beauty and peace. Finally, I love the dedication of our president, amazing staff and board members who work tirelessly to make our Four Arts the incredibly dynamic cultural institution that it is! Melinda Hassen
David H. Turner (1961 – ) American The Bond, 2010 Bronze 2010.1 Gift of Zita Hawley Wright
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or me the Four Arts has been a learning center and what a gift: introduction to opera, glorious Shakespeare, music appreciation, thought provoking lectures, movies never seen, exhibits, ballet and theatre. Thank you for food for our minds amid companionship in a lovely spot. Christine Strawbridge
Henry Mitchell (1915 – 1980) American Giraffes, 1959 Bronze 81.15 Gift of Mrs. Eileen Zantzinger Holberg In Memory of Her Husband Alfred Zantzinger
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remember somebody saving what is now the sculpture garden from having a grocery store built there by making it possible for the Four Arts to be able to buy the property! I loved the Banyan trees on the Cocoanut Row side of the Garden. We flew out to Las Vegas to see the one in the Garden of the Bellagio after it was transported there. I also remember our first Four Arts Ball, which was on the Lake side, where the parking lot is! Extremely glamorous, with Neal Smith music. Brent Elmore
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Luis Montoya, Spanish, (1950 – ) and Leslie Ortiz, American, (1957 – ) Pear Harvest Bronze 08.1 Gift of Jeannie and Richard Pearman In memory of their parents
Luis Montoya, Spanish, (1950 – ) and Leslie Ortiz, American, (1957 – ) Monumental Apple Basket, 1998 Bronze 98.1 Gift of Mary Hulitar
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t a Palm Beach Garden Club flower show at the Four Arts, I noticed a very attractive gentleman. He was admiring a Christmas cactus that I had entered into the show.
That was the first of our many encounters at the Four Arts. One day, Fred Wright invited me to join him for an oyster dinner. We became engaged after he proposed to me in the Four Arts Sculpture Garden while sitting on a bench dedicated to my grandmother. I will be forever indebted to the Four Arts. Missy Geisler
Dan Ostermiller (1956 – ) American Peacock Monument Bronze 06.2.2 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr.
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e loved the Bill Koch Western Art exhibit from a few years ago. Every house guest that we had that year, we took to the show and everyone absolutely raved about the show. It was so well put together and so informative. Over the years we have enjoyed so many events at the Four Arts - we attend almost every Tuesday lecture, and last year we also attended many of the Thursday lectures. We have enjoyed many other art exhibits, but the Bill Koch exhibit was truly exceptional. Holly Peterson Breeden 95
Edward Fenno Hoffman III (1916 – 1991) American Reaching, 1963 Bronze 90.1 In Memory of Margaret Richardson Trout Given by Her Family, November 21, 1990
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Felipe Castaneda (1933 – ) Mexican Maternidad La Cuava, Homage to Zúñiga, 1976 Bronze 81.13 Gift of Mrs. Richard Harrison Hill, Philip Hulitar, Mrs. Bradford A. Whitmore
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Augusts Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) American Diana cast 1979, edition 4 of 6 Gilded bronze 2015.1 Gift of Miranda and Robert Donnelley in honor of Nancy Mato longtime Vice President and Curator of the Society of the Four Arts.
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avid’s mother, Olivia Gazzom Morrish, often talked of the enthusiasm of the early days of the Four Arts. Her mother (David’s grandmother) was a close friend of Maud Howe Elliott, whose portrait hangs above the desk in the library, and with other friends, they encouraged people to join, particularly young members. When David and I were younger and visiting, we thought it so exciting to go with our parents to hear famous speakers. We really love the variety of events, the opportunity to enjoy and enrich ourselves. David and Kay Morrish
Ira Bruce Reines (1957 – ) American Neptune, 1981 Bronze 81.3 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jack C. Massey
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Grainger McKoy (1947 – ) American Recovery, 2010 Stainless Steel, edition no. 2 2013.1 Gift of Edith Robb Dixon
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Lawrence Holofcener (1926 – ) American Allies (Winston Churchill & Franklin Roosevelt) Bronze, 1992 Loaned by the artist Purchased by the Society, 2014
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y husband Dick and I used to walk to the Sculpture Garden frequently all through the year. After giving a nod to Mr. Churchill and Mr. Roosevelt, we always found a great respite from whatever was going on in the rest of the world, and a wonderful place to relax and reflect and talk quietly about this or that. After he died, I purchased a memorial bench there, and I go sit on that bench often, and enjoy the beautiful scenery, and remember how happy we were when we went there together. Pamela Acheson Myers
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love the Four Arts because it is the cultural center of our town. The programs offer something for just about anyone. The Four Arts Garden maintained by The Garden Club of Palm Beach since 1938 is the most beautiful garden in Palm Beach with a diversified selection of plants found nowhere else on our island. Kit Pannill
Jim Dine (1935 – ) King Parrot, 1995 Painted cast bronze 5/6 2014.1 In memory of K. Bryant Wick, Jr. (11/22/616/25/2009) Donated by his mother Dorothy Tremaine Hildt (9/17/27 – 1/3/2014)
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’ve enjoyed watching the campus expand and gardens restored to perfection. I enjoy attending events as well as strolling leisurely around the gardens perhaps with a book under my arm. Giuliana Koch’s lectures are my favorite events that I’ve attended at the Four Arts. The Four Arts is paramount to a privileged lifestyle and primary reason for settling in Palm Beach. Heartfelt thanks. Carla P. Darlington Jose Antonio Villalobos (1935 – ) Mexican Youth, 1970 Bronze 80.3 Gift of Mary and Philip Hulitar
Jose Antonio Villalobos (1935 – ) Mexican Innocence, 1971 Bronze 80.4 Gift of A. Atwater Kent Foundation
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
FITZ EUGENE DIXON EDUCATION BUILDING A Home for Learning
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hroughout its history, The Society of the Four Arts has always offered lectures and events to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of the arts. In 2000 newly appointed president Ervin Duggan set about to take this long tradition of education to the next level. Having lived in Washington, DC, Duggan was familiar with the Smithsonian Institution’s education program, Campus on the Mall. He met with its founder, Janet Solinger, who encouraged Duggan’s vision. When he told her the auditorium held only 700 seats, she said, “Don’t apologize! That’s the perfect size!” The next year, the Four Arts founded Campus on the Lake with the goal of filling the community’s hunger for lifelong learning while providing a model for other communities seeking to do the same. Duggan also felt that the Four Arts needed something new and different to underscore its uniqueness: to distinguish it from the numerous other
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cultural institutions in and around Palm Beach. In his words, “Art museums, performing arts centers, gardens, libraries. There were many of these; what would set us apart?” Some of the first Campus on the Lake programs borrowed from nearby events, such as the Arts & Antiques Show held in downtown West Palm Beach. The Four Arts invited some of the visiting antiques experts to offer a morning class on antiques and art collecting. On the morning of the first class, 75 people showed up — more than the room could hold. It was clear from that moment that the Campus on the Lake would be a success. By 2005 thousands were registering for Campus classes on art, literature, music and more. Makeshift classrooms — conference rooms, the library, the Gubelmann Auditorium — were straining under the burden of their double duty. Over the next few years, eager to locate dedicated classrooms and facilities to accommodate the thriving and rapidly growing education program, the Four Arts set its sights on the Palm Beach Public School Building, perfectly situated on the northeast corner of the Four Arts campus. Built in 1921 by famed Palm Beach County architect William Manly King, the building was dilapidated and unable to accommodate school children under new laws. It was considered valuable property and the School District of Palm Beach County was, at first, unwilling to consider selling it to the Four Arts. Under the leadership of then board chairman Fitz Eugene Dixon, the Four Arts negotiated with the school district for more than six years before an agreement was made to purchase the building. Going forward, the building was known as the Fitz Eugene Dixon Education Building, as a testament to Dixon’s leadership and passion for education.
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Enthusiasm for the mission of the Campus on the Lake quickly translated into support for a capital campaign to renovate the Dixon Education Building. A groundbreaking was held in February 2012, and in March 2013 thousands of guests were welcomed at opening celebrations that marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Four Arts. The new building featured state-ofthe-art classrooms, a 225-seat auditorium, a demonstration kitchen for cooking classes, an art workshop, a computer lab and an apartment for visiting artists-inresidence. Today, the Campus on the Lake is home to a variety of workshops, classes and lectures on topics from opera to watercolor painting to iPhones. “We started building the Campus on the Lake in 2001 with no money, no teachers, no students — only a hunch about that hunger for lifelong learning,” Duggan explained. “But when we built it, they came. They came with their curiosity. They came with their enthusiasm. And when we asked for help to build a new home for the program we had built, they came with their financial support, from small gifts to buy a paving stone to hundreds of thousands of dollars to build and furnish classrooms, offices and kitchens.” Now, more than 15 years after the launch of the Campus on the Lake, the Dixon Education Building teems with activity and is firmly woven into the civic life of Palm Beach.
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love the selection of activities – from bridge lessons to art lessons. Just the fact that these are available is sustenance for the soul---something to get up for and dream about as day is done. My favorite place to visit is the garden. To sit and contemplate with a choice of several different spots on a beautiful day cannot be beat. One of my favorite events was a talk by the late President Harry Truman’s grandson telling of the relationship of his grandmother and grandfather as a young couple that was the basis for a book of their letters that the young man published. I then bought and read the book and enjoyed every word of it. On another level I enjoyed immensely a garden party that I was invited to, held in the garden of the Four Arts. It was a delightful event on a beautiful day attended by guests in appropriate attire for a garden. Helene Herzig
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y most memorable events were my two years of classes with Barry Ingram. As a classically trained actor, he was an amazing mimic who could copy any accent. As a result, his classes were full of laughter. He brought Shakespearean plays and sonnets to life in ways I had never understood them before. His seminar on Oscar-winning, English film directors explored the lengthy planning that goes into feature films and totally changed the way I look at movies. Only at the Four Arts could one spend 90 minutes each week with a star of film, television and stage followed by another 90 minutes with an opera diva. Beatrice Guthrie
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he Society of the Four Arts is my graduate school and continuing adult education. I am enrolled in such a wonderful variety of learning experiences. The movies are my Friday delightful date and the Tuesday lectures broaden my mind and expand my horizons. The art gallery brings me my lifelong love of art. The classes bring me growth. For me, the Four Arts is the best of Palm Beach. Patricia Duncan
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aving painted many images of the Gardens over the years, I am thrilled with the enhancements that continue to make The Society of the Four Arts such a beautiful and culturally rich part of the magnificent tropical island community of Palm Beach. As a member I was delighted to give sketch classes in the gardens and to give a talk introducing my art retrospective. As a former New Yorker, I fully appreciate the richness of all the offerings at the Four Arts which are also available to the fortunate public.   Sandra Thompson
PAINTING BY SANDRA THOMPSON
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James Ballentine, Dorothy Letts, Nancy Mendel, Anne Keresey, Bobbie Lindsay, Connie Geisler, Parisa Hamzetash and Baily Sory
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ur favorite memory is our participation in the Palm Beach Follies in the Gubelmann Auditorium to raise money for the restoration of the Four Arts Garden, our FAVORITE place to visit. We developed friendships during this event that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. The Saturday Operas, Wednesday night concerts and Campus on the Lake have enriched our lives. Peter and Connie Geisler
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS
SOME FAVORITE MOMENTS
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Judy and Leonard Lauder
Heather and Patrick Henry
Jane and Bill Told Judith Martin (aka Miss Manners) and Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr.
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Barbara Bush, Shelley and William Gubelmann
Joe Flanagan, Tori Papanicolaou, Carol Flanagan and Nicholas Papanicolaou
Robert Safrin, Shelley Gubelmann, Edith Dixon, Sue Whitmore Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr.
Melinda Hassen and Peggy Moore
Larry and Mickey Beyer
Susan and Rip McIntosh
Former Town & Country editor Pamela Fiori signs books for Kit Pannill and Melinda Hassen
Ed and Susie Elson
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Margo and Ashton dePeyster and Mary Morse
Walter S. Gubelmann, Mrs. dePeyster, Mrs. R.J. Wean, Mrs. Philip Hulitar. Front row, Russell A. Plimpton, Mrs. A. Atwater Kent Jr. and Mrs. H. Down Nelson
Dick and Sally Phelps
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Gay Gaines and Rip McIntosh
Mrs. Henry F. Richardson, Mrs. George W. Phillips, Mrs. Walter S. Gubelmann
Giuliana and John Koch
Mrs. Frederick Johnson, Mrs. LeRoy Berdeau, Mrs. Claude K. Boetther, Princess BG Odescalchi and Mrs. William Johnson
Mrs. David McCullough and Edith Dixon
The Honorable Dr. Desmond Guiness, Nancy Mato and Robert Saffrin Peter Geisler
Betty and David Scaff
Mary Morse and Gioconda King
Heather Henry and Maureen Donnell
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William and Kit Pannill
Walter S. Gubelmann, Charles Van Rensselaer, John Gorden, Princess Evangeline Zalstem-Zalessky, Mrs. Philip (Mary) Hulitar
Bill Told, The Rev. Dr. Barbara H. Nielsen and Dudley Moore
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Mr. Timothy Killian, Mrs. LaBaron Wilard Jr. and Mr. James Brown
In November 2006 a group of Four Arts donors visited Las Vegas, Nevada, where a massive banyan tree had been relocated from the Four Arts garden to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino where it was converted into a featured display celebrating the seasons. Trip participants were Mr. and Mrs. W. Dale Brougher, Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Duggan, Mr. and Mrs. Barry Hoyt, Mr. Peter Geisler, Ms. Missy Geisler, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Flanagan, Mrs. Robert Grace, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Kirkbride, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Lyons, Mrs. John Donnell, Mrs. Fitz Eugene Dixon, Mrs. J. Simpson Dean, Mrs. Page W. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. James Ballentine, Mrs. William R. Wister Jr., Mr. Phillip Tilearco, Mr. Townsend Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Paul VanderGrift, Mr. and Mrs. Bailey B. Sory III and Mr. and Mrs. Adolfo Garcia.
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R
ick and I adore the Four Arts Ball! Walking into the beautiful garden, hearing the music and seeing the fabulous clear tent promises another unforgettable evening of dancing and memories.
Lotsie Holton
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M
y favorite memory of the Four Arts was the 2016 dinner dance. I found it very sophisticated and in a way theatrical, which was as it should be. The band stand really seemed to be right out of a Hollywood musical. I expected Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly to ask me to dance at any moment! The music and ambiance was perfect. It was a magical evening. Barbara, The Marquesa Viuda de San Damian
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T
he Gala every other year is always a very special spectacular! But mostly I love the versatility of the Tuesday Speakers, and the garden is a real joy. Being a member of the Four Arts is belonging to a special enlightened club! Anka Kriser Palitz
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T
he collective wisdom that our Four Arts Tuesday lecturers have dispensed over the years is awesome! The range of art exhibitions is like having a personal curator who divines exactly what would interest you. The Friday movies are most often the slightly off-beat movies I really intended to see, but missed. And the gardens, the pavilion, are the ultimate serene oasis that envelops us all. Gil Maurer
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W
e really love everything about The Society of the Four Arts! For us, it is the center of life in Palm Beach.
The Four Arts offers a beautiful campus, excellent event speakers, renowned art exhibitions and many special events to celebrate, even cooking and wine classes! Among our favorite memories are those of the biannual galas in the Four Arts Garden, which recently celebrated 75 years of beauty and gardening education for Palm Beach residents and its many, many visitors. There are wonderful places in the world to live, visit, or retire, but nothing compares with Palm Beach because of The Society of the Four Arts. With each new season begins many exciting opportunities for adventure into grand experiences for learning and fun! Peggy and Dudley Moore
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THE SOCIETY OF THE FOUR ARTS 2 FOUR ARTS PLAZA PALM BEACH, FL 33480 (561) 655-7227 www.fourarts.org
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