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Monday, September 24, 2001

By Marylynn Uricchio, Post-Gazette SEEN Editor

Where were you "30 Something" years ago? Dr. Art Levine was in the U.S. Public Health Service, and so he wore his splendid rear admiral uniform (a rank he attained slightly later in his career). Other guests at Saturday's benefit gala for the Society for Contemporary Craft took the suggestion on the invitation seriously and arrived creatively attired in '70s garb. Though leisure suits were at a premium (we know they don't disintegrate in landfills, so where did they all go?), there were plenty of loud prints, bell bottoms, fly away collars and truly unique items like Diana Bowden's vintage plastic diskette vest.

	Guests browse in the gift shop before jthe auction on Saturday. (John Heller, Post-Gazette)

The evening was a celebration on many levels, including the newly expanded galleries and studio space downstairs. From its humble beginnings in Verona 30 years ago, the society has grown into one of the country's top venues dedicated to the fine art of craft. More than 130,000 people come to its exhibitions annually, and the benefit funds the community outreach and educational programs that touch more. So many blasts from the society's past were present Saturday night -- longtime supporters who have done much to help it grow. But there were new faces as well, happy to be out and about, to be alive and doing something life-affirming.

Pennsylvania's first lady Michele Ridge was a special guest, and she greeted patrons during a private reception before cocktails. She said President Bush asked her husband to become the head of the new White House Office of Homeland Security last Wednesday and he had until Thursday to make his decision. With teen-age children, Mrs. Ridge said her first concern is their education and finding a home in Washington near a good school. Her longtime friend and classmate from Erie, Marvin Gold, just happens to be chairman of the society's board, which is how Mrs. Ridge came to be present at the benefit. Gold and his wife, Janice Penick, welcomed guests along with gala chairs Dr. Len and Kathy Stept and honorary committee chairs Jim and Susanne Wilkinson and Steve and Bev Elliott.

Wonderful hors d'oeuvres donated by the society's neighbors in the Strip District made browsing the live auction items during cocktails a feast. Indeed, the whole dinner of fresh foods orchestrated by chef Lon Durbin was the gift of the Strip, including the delicious salmon from Benkovitz. In a nice change from previous years, the auction led by Dave Russell was held in the society before dinner, so interested parties could really concentrate and disinterested ones could mingle outside. Dinner and a silent auction were held in a tent decorated with pop art flowers and other remnants of the era.

Chatting against a background of swinging '70s music were the society's executive director, Janet McCall, Barbara and Bernard Mars, Cathy Raphael, Susan and Steven Kemenyffy, Dr. Tom Allen and Judi Cannava, Marcia and Stanley Gumberg, Ed and Nancy Byrnes, Teri and Damien Soffer, Nanette and Ira Gordon, Gideon Toeplitz and Gail Ransom, Peggy and Steve McKnight, Dr. Loren and Ellen Roth, Dr. Bill and Cindy Swartz, Thad Mosley, Bob and Judy Bernardini, Tina Jennings and Guido D'Elia, curators extraordinaire Vicky Clark and Sarah Nichols, Lu and Syl Damianos, Janet and Don Moritz, Karen and Ed Linder, Judy and Ron Davenport, Chuck and Hilary Tyson-Porter, Judy and Michael Cheteyan, Tadao Arimoto, Robin and Sally Kaye and Becky and Herb Torbin.

Also, there were Amy and Ira Morgan, Beth Wainwright and Russ Kemerer, Suzie and Michael Scott, Jeanne and Mel Rudov, Teri and Tony Pyle, Cecile and Eric Springer, Ed and Becky Marks, Molly and Peter Blasier, Brian and Susan Sesack, Cynthia Carrow and Jim Kyper, Scott and Donna Hanley, Jo-Anne Bates, Ray and Claudia Steeb, Melanie Affinito and Bill Steitz, Elena Houlihan, Marian Weil and Matt Booley, Nancy Hanst, Dee Jay Oshry and Bart Rack, Bob Shooer (newly tapped to run the society's shop), Mary Kay and Oliver Poppenberg, Bill and Brigette Kolano, Leon and Ann Haley, Maggie McDonald and Russell Schuh, Jim and Ruth Frank, Murray and Allison Gerber, Scott and Teo Hollander, the PG's Marilyn McDevitt Rubin and Gene Deskins and Dr. Barbara Zawadski and Dr. Jerry Itzkoff.