2019 Annual Gala in New York
/On November 8, 2019, French philanthropist and art expert Hélène David-Weill was awarded the 2019 Anne Morgan’s Women of Courage Award at the American Friends of Blérancourt Annual Gala in New York.
While women leaders, artists, chefs, and entrepreneurs were honored throughout the evening, the American Friends of Blérancourt also recognized the men who have promoted not only the memory of Anne Morgan—who donated her home in France to become the only Franco-American Museum—but who also strongly believe in a world of equal opportunities and diversity. Among them is Jay R. Paul, a former publicist and a member of the board of AFB upon whom was bestowed the Château de Blérancourt Award.
“Anne Morgan belongs to those remarkable American women who do not know the word ‘impossible,’” Hélène David-Weill said during her acceptance remarks.
Born in Paris, David-Weill has been on the boards of museums and educational institutions in both Paris and New York: the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée Carnavalet, and Parsons School Paris in France; the Bard Graduate Center New York and FRAME in the United States. When she was President of the Friends of the Centre Pompidou, she used her leadership to commission dozens of artists to create everyday products, and her passion for artisanship and creativity led her to become the President of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
“Hélène David-Weill efforts have been dedicated, with an aim of getting things done” said the President of AFB, Countess Dorothea de la Houssaye who explained that “if art and culture are the ultimate forms of expression of friendships among people and countries, the work that Hélène David-Weill has led throughout her life has highly contributed to strengthening and developing the Franco-American relationship.”
“Through this recognition, we celebrated a life dedicated to promoting artists, imagination, education and most importantly an artistic dialogue of course but also a transatlantic conversation,” added Franck Laverdin, Chairman of the AFB Board.
Yet, as Hélène David-Weill told the audience, her work had not been an obvious decision.
Remembering what an American friend told her when she shared her idea of bringing American students to France to learn a “nearly gone traditional of ‘Know-How,’ the answer was: “Why don’t you do it?” and reminded David-Weill of Anne Morgan’s legacy.
These five words, ‘Why don’t you do it” have kept resonating with David-Weill ever since. “When I was Chairman of the Friends of Pompidou, I decided to ask painters, whose work had a third dimension, to make objects because I think life is smoother when we are surrounded by objects that we can touch, caress, or even break when bad tempered,” she told the audience.
The same words led David-Weill’s decision to even close the Musée des Arts Décoratifs when she chaired its board. “It had not been reorganized, or even touched, for too many decades.” But as David-Weill also identified, “the American spirit, generosity, search for beauty and happiness, made the reopening (of the museum) possible in 2006.” The same can be said about American philanthropy when it comes to the expansion of the Museum of Blérancourt that reopened in 2017 with the support of AFB.
To further celebrate women, most of the evening emphasized their economic and artistic leadership. The dinner was prepared by a young woman chef, Camille Martin, who was recently promoted Executive chef of the New York iconic restaurant Le Bilboquet. Many of the live auction items resulted from the work or the generosity of women entrepreneurs such as: Martine Assouline (Assouline); Jean Astrop (trip to Blérancourt Museum); Sonia Arakelian (Museo Memoria Y Tolerancia in Mexico City); Mexican entrepreneur Lilia Benitez, who represents Nobu Los Cabos, Puerta del Lobo and Hacienda de la Solariega in Mexico; ethical designer of the eponymous bags Ingrid Bruha; fashion designer and founder of Cihuah Vanessa Guckel; Valmont Cosmetics’ CEO Sophie Guillon; Founder of Mexico City’s Tres Abejas Leonora Tovar; Gala de la Danza’s founder Christina Lyon; co-founder of Casa Dragones Bertha González Nieves (first and only woman Maestria tequilera); fashion designer Lorena Saravia; New York fashion photographer Deborah Turbeville whose home in San Miguel de Allende, Casa No Name—led by Lourdes Robles—is now one of the most sought after hotel there; and chef Alain Ducasse who pioneered in training and promoting women chefs, including Benoit New York chef Laetitia Rouabah.
The Anne Morgan Women of Courage and Château de Blérancourt award trophies were created by Bernardaud.
All photos by Annie Watt Social Event Agency | Event featured in New York Social Diary
Special thank you to all of the Corporate Sponsors that supported the 2019 gala
