On The Town: Mumbo Gumbo Fest benefits Rosemary Children’s Services Cottage
Gumbo lovers were more than satisfied with the all-you-can-eat fish stew at Chef Claud Beltran’s sixth annual Mumbo Gumbo Fest. On Sunday (Sept. 16), besides the seemingly endless pots of shrimp and crawfish, three bands playing blues, jazz and folk music encouraged dancers to cut a rug. For the goodies, pre-registered guests paid $49 per person or $60 at the door. The event, benefiting Rosemary Children’s Services Cottage, took place on the Boston Court Theatre back lot.
Beltran, the chef and owner of Noir Food and Wine, offered his famous Louisiana-style gumbo and seasoned shrimp. “I always like to do something with a charity that has something to do with kids,” said Beltran. He has presented the festival for 20 years, but enlarged it for the last six years. This is the second year the fest has been located at the Boston Court Theatre.
Sierra Madre resident Jeff Hemphill is Beltran’s chef. Hemphill ladled out plenty of the gumbo. He also used his carpenter skills to cut out a large cartoon figure of Beltran mixing up his famous dish. The fun was the hole where Beltran’s head would have been. Instead, gumbo fans stuck their heads in the hole so they would appear as the chef. Hemphill’s wife Leslie Hemphill painted the figure and took her own turn at posing as the chef.
All funds raised will go towards the Cottage bathroom remodel project. According to Cottage Guild President Donna Pierson, Rosemary Children’s Services is the oldest and largest group home for 19 teenage foster girls.
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The Pasadena Museum of California Art celebrated it 10th anniversary, “10 x 10,” with dozens of art lovers bidding on over sixty museum past, present and future California artists on Saturday (Sept. 15). Accompanying the silent auction were specialty cocktails created by Magixology, hors d’oeuvres by Akasha Restaurant presented as beautifully as the art, music by KCRW’s Mario Cotto and a performance by Killsonic.
The installation of Three Muses by Anne Bray and Molly Cleator was a new. The larger than life, white fabric figures appeared to rise and contract, wafting in the breeze, as if greeting art patrons on the third floor patio. The Three Muses was a kid magnet as children flitted in between each figure much to the ire of parents and museum security guards.
Ignoring the Muses in favor of the bid sheets, Westside physician Dr. Irv Posalski bid on a 2010 sculpture by Sabrina Ott. The bulbous work jutting out from the wall was titled “Spots and the Spread of Hot Petals.” “There is structure yet room for the unstructured,” said Posalski, “You can take from it what you want.” Posalski took it, winning the auction with his bid of $350. The sculpture made of styrofoam, ink jet prints, plaster, glitter, spray paint, paper mache, pencil and oil paint is valued at $3,200. Posalski got a deal. Wife Gina Posalski agreed.
Not intending to bid at all was Pasadena resident Ashley Taylor Stuart. But she was attracted to a wool jacket created this year by Gregory Parkinson. The magenta-toned jacket was made of lurex embroidered wool gauze with lace trim hand dyed. Its retail value is $1,500.
Pasadena residents Patty McMillan and friend Magda Peregizin was present at the celebration in support of McMillan’s artist husband Jerry McMillan. His work on display, created in 2011, was titled “Square with Three Triangles.” It is a 40 x 40 photographic type-C print. Patty said her husband calls it a combination of abstract painting and photograph.
Earlier in the day the museum offered an afternoon of hands-on workshops for all ages. There were live performances, DJs and video art, a beer garden, food trucks and other refreshments.
The Pasadena Museum of California Art has presented 91 exhibits during its ten- year existence, featuring more than 400 California artists.
RUTH SOWBY may be reached at ruthasowby@gmail.com.