On Wednesday, February 20, 2019, Franck Laverdin, Chairman of the American Friends of Blérancourt (AFB), and Dorothea de La Houssaye, President of AFB, welcomed guests to an all-white attire dinner fundraiser to benefit its Blérancourt Fellowship at the Fritz Gallery with the support of Wendy Fritz, owner and Art Director of Fritz Gallery. The juxtaposition of the event’s theme, to artist Helmut Koller’s lifelike animal masterpieces that are on display, transformed the space into a private snowy jungle.

One of the evening’s highlights was captured through a photo-contest, where each table of guests, posed their best sunny smiles with glasses that were generously donated by Cindy Hussey, Founder and Creative Director of Velvet Eyewear.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will directly serve towards AFB’s first step in building a new educational focus to support The Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt. Over the last 34 years that the not-for-profit organization has been active, one of AFB’s biggest projects includes fundraising over $2 million dollars to support the Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt’s 10-year renovation project that concluded in 2017.

Today, AFB continues its mission to support the Museum by launching the joint Blérancourt Fellowship to create opportunities for the upcoming young talents interested in Franco-American arts and education, and by supporting women leaders and philanthropists like Anne Morgan, founder of the Museum. In November 2018, AFB announced its first recipient of the Anne Morgan Women of Courage Award to Rita Wilson.

Franck Laverdin and Dorothea de la Houssaye have been responsible for introducing a new and dynamic group to its changing demographic of patrons.

For additional images featured in SHINY SHOT of Palm Beach Daily and coverage of story click here
For our story in New York Social Diary click here and in New York Lifestyles Magazine click here