CRAFTING A LEGACY SPRING LUNCHEON | Benefiting Houston Center for Contemporary Craft

Houston Center for Contemporary Craft’s (HCCC) eighth annual Crafting a Legacy Spring Luncheon honored Ellen Susman, a woman who has made a global impact through the arts in service to her country as the former U.S. Department of State’s Director of Art in Embassies.

With a keen understanding of how art can transcend borders and foster dialogue, Susman guided the Art in Embassies program from 2013 – 2016, representing the U.S. to the world. HCCC and event chair Franci Neely were tremendously pleased to honor Susman for her leadership and dedication, while celebrating HCCC’s mission to advance education on the process, product, and history of craft.

More than 300 guests lunched on chilled poblano soup, pistachio-crusted salmon salad, and vanilla ice cream profiterole with berries and dark chocolate sauce. The program included a welcome by HCCC Executive Director, Perry Price, and an introduction of Susman by Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, Director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. After lunch, Price and Susman took the stage to discuss the many connections between cultural diplomacy and contemporary craft. (Knoll, Inc. generously provided a Mies van der Rohe side table and Barcelona chairs for the event.)

HCCC is a nonprofit visual arts center dedicated to advancing education about the process, product and history of craft. All proceeds benefited HCCC. Notable guests included: Ellen Susman (Honoree) & Steve Susman, Ambassador Edward Djerejian (Guest Speaker) & Francoise Djerejian, Franci Neely (Event Chair), Perry Price (HCCC Executive Director) & Rosemary Price, Edward Lane McCartney (HCCC Board President) & David Gooding, Sara Morgan (HCCC Founding President), Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen, Council Member Steve Le, Catherine Morgan, Anne Kinder, Kathrine McGovern, Phyllis Childress, Leslie & Brad Bucher, Tom Edens & Carla Cotropia, Michael & Mary Kay Poulos, Victoria & Marshal Lightman, Rania Daniel, Jereann Chaney, Yvonne Ziegler, Phoebe Tudor, Lucinda Loya, Karina Barbieri, Mady Kades, Barbara Paull, Barbara Marcus, Paula Arnold, Judy Nyquist, Tracye Wear, Carrin Patman & Jim Derrick, Melanie Lawson & John Guess, Jr., Joe Havel, Cindi Strauss, Frances Marzio, Clint Willour, Libbie Masterson, Ginni Mithoff, Joanna Wortham, Kathryn Rabinow, Rebecca Rabinow, Alison Weaver, Y. Ping Sun, Nancy Kinder, Cathy Brock, and Andrea White.