Scene & Heard: Hope Gardens finds a friend in Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton has a heart.

Andy Bales, chief executive of Union Rescue Mission, said that in December 2008, Hilton, her sister, Nicky, and mother, Kathy, came to work — with no fanfare — at the charity’s Christmas store. The store benefits underprivileged families, including residents of the mission’s Hope Gardens Family Center, a facility for women and children who might otherwise be homeless.

Now the charity has honored Hilton, along with Leigh Anne Tuohy (played by Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”) at the “Hearts of Hope” luncheon and silent auction Feb. 6 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village. The event raised funds for Hope Gardens.

During her first mission visit, Hilton brought gifts for the children and talked with many of the young mothers. She returned the next day with gifts for the moms. Last Christmas, the Hilton sisters designated Union Rescue Mission as the charity to benefit from a shopping event at the House of Petro Zilla in Los Angeles.

Hilton said her award for humanitarian efforts had special meaning for her. And before leaving the stage, she offered for auction a “picnic with Paris,” which she said also would be attended by her “hottest, coolest friends” at her pet-filled home. Tuohy, who was unable to attend the luncheon, addressed the audience via video.

Co-chairs Alice Starr, Terry Adamson, Marti Gonzalez and Kelly Roberts joined celebrities Rick Springfield, Roma Downey, Kathleen Quinlan, Anson Williams, Tracey Bregman and about 500 others for the lunch, silent auction and a fashion show by Tory Burch.

‘Masters of the American West’

Later that night, guests turned up in cowboy hats, bolo ties and bandannas at the Autry National Center in Griffith Park, where Jackie Autry welcomed nearly 700 people to a cocktail reception for the “Masters of the American West Fine Art Exhibition and Sale.”

“He never thought he’d see a Western history museum in Los Angeles,” Autry said of her husband, Gene, who was known as “the singing cowboy.” Yet the museum is now more than 20 years old, and for many collectors of Western art, its annual juried show is worth the journey to Los Angeles.

The show, which is also an important Autry fundraiser, features works by 76 artists. Although nearly all carry price tags in the four- and five-figure range, “The Sound of a Distant Bugle” by Howard Terpning sold for more than $1 million in the silent auction.

Amy Scott, the center’s curator of visual arts, classified the works as “contemporary Western realism — the time-honored icons of Western art: wilderness, wildlife, scenes of ranch life and native Americans.”

The artworks will remain on display until March 7.

‘Petrushka’

Fresh from designing a Venus’ flytrap — among other ordinarily inanimate objects — that comes to life in Broadway’s upcoming “Addams Family” musical, Basil Twist joined theater supporters at Fraiche in Santa Monica following the Feb. 4 premiere of his puppet show “Petrushka” on the Broad Stage

“As we get inundated with technology — texting, Facebook, e-mail — people are thirsty for the simple things,” Twist said. “Seeing a puppet come to life can be more magical than an iPhone.”

The puppet show was part of the eclectic mix of theater, music and dance offered on the Broad Stage, now in its second season.

“That’s what the Broad is about — innovative, avant-garde programming,” said Richard Crowell, of Vance Street Capital. Alison Bryan Crowell, a Broad board member, and her husband, Richard, underwrote the production.

Keith Fox of Fraiche, along with Los Angeles magazine, hosted the party, also attended by Broad director Dale Franzen, Jennifer and Royce Diener, Broad Stage architect Renzo Zecchetto and puppeteer Jim Gamble.

ellen.olivier@society-news.com