RSVP : A Very Happy Rebirth Day to Art Museum

As one supporter put it, the reopening of the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles’ mid-Wilshire district gave new meaning to the name “Miracle Mile.” “We’ve returned from the wars of recession, a down real-estate market and homelessness,” executive director Patrick Ela said.

Shuttered for three years and temporarily lodged inside the May Co. department store building before that, the museum was reinstated in its original building with a party (underwritten by Robinsons-May) Friday night that was not only artful down to the color of the salads (orange and purple nasturtium blossoms topping baby greens) but extremely emotional.

“Yesterday when I stood out there and saw the sign go up, I cried. This is my baby,” said Edith Wyle, who 30 years ago founded the Egg and the Eye restaurant and gift store, which she developed into a full-fledged museum.

In the time since the museum closed (with plans to develop a 21-story super-complex that died during the recession), its computerized mailing list was lost and the auxiliary committee collapsed.

“There were just a few loyal volunteers who stayed around,” said board member Marj Fasman, who chaired the dinner for more than 300 people. “But we were a fearsome group.”

The volunteers were hands-on, too, tackling virtually every detail of the party except pitching the gorgeous white tent in the parking lot and cooking the dinner. Fasman and her committee decorated the tables themselves with centerpieces of donated artworks that were auctioned.

“You should have seen us,” volunteer Lois Howard said. “There was so much creative energy you could feel it.”

Tables were low on pricey flowers, but high on wit, including coffee cups and saucers in unmatched colors. Fasman even fashioned a strange-looking bud vase for the ladies’ restroom. “Plumbing pipe and a flange,” she said of her scrambled-together creation.

Wyle’s husband, Frank, was put to work making 125 battery-operated spotlights for the tables, since the Fire Department won’t allow candles in tents.

“I’ve spent 40 years volunteering and making centerpieces for major events, and they’ve never been lit right until tonight,” Fasman said.

As for the museum’s opening exhibit, it hardly stopped with the pieces on view within the museum walls. Many guests created their own wearable works of art, including architect Ming Fung, whose Hodgetts + Fung Design Associates remodeled the building. She wore part of a man’s kimono and a stretchy top by Issey Miyake.

“It’s a combination of contemporary Japanese and ancient Japanese,” Fung explained.