Friday the 13th turned out to be a lucky day for the Junior Symphony Guild as one of the largest crowds ever took an early look at the Denver Country Club-neighborhood home that is the site for its 2006 Designer Showhouse.
The Sneak Peek Party is a Showhouse tradition that gives JSG members and their friends the opportunity to see the house in its “before” state. The idea is to help them better appreciate the effort that interior designers put into the finished product that is open for public tours from April 29 through May 21.
The public is welcome to visit the house at 160 High St. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The purchase of a combination ticket at the door will entitle visitors to return once the transformation is complete.
The 5,000-square-foot home was built in 1979 for Judith Ann and Don Newman. Over the years they hosted events for such celebrities as pianist Peter Nero, clothing designer Carolina Herrera, comedian Phyllis Diller, baseball great Johnny Bench and interior designer Mario Buatta. Don Newman, who died in the early 1990s, owned Furniture Galleries, an open-to-the-trade home furnishings store that Judith Ann closed late last year so that she could focus more on volunteer work and travel with her husband of three years, Jim Bien.
Evelyn Wright and Chris Thomas are the Showhouse chairs and note that the theme, High Society, reflects both the honorees and guests who had enjoyed the Newmans’ hospitality. Wright and Linda Bryant organized the Sneak Peek Party, working with the Showhouse social chair Rosemary Anna. Sarah Omer is president of the guild.
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Donations as large “as your heart allows” is the price of admission for a fundraiser to help cover the cost of repairing fire damage at the Children’s Museum of Denver. Family-oriented festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. today at the museum and include an auction, entertainment and refreshments … “Complex Conformity,” an exhibition of new works by Denver artist Frank T. Martinez, will be previewed at a reception at + gallery, 2350 Lawrence St. It’s from 6-8 p.m. and 15 percent of all sales go to the Latina Initiative and its efforts to cultivate, support and maintain the civic involvement of Latinas in Colorado. Sponsors are Meza Construction, Home Loan Experts and the Latin American Educational Foundation … Brunch and a fashion show are on the agenda Sunday when the Av’s Better Halves host their annual fundraiser at the new Hyatt Regency Denver. A silent auction at 11 a.m. precedes a meal served by Colorado Avalanche players and coaches who also will escort members of The Children’s Hospital Ambassadors as they take turns on the runway. Tickets are $250; call 303-405-1104 … Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Denver Gold executive director John Haigh as he recovers from emergency surgery. His wife, Susan Stiff, PR director for Denver-area Starwood
Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, says he’s in ICU at Porter Hospital, but is doing “much better” and would welcome cards.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
