Museum ball returns record $600K

The 61st annual Museum Ball took place Saturday, May 6, at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Co-chairs Beth and Scott Adams, Tracey and Rich Bielen, Tricia and Mark Drew welcomed more than 400 guests for the fundraising event, which returned a record-breaking $600,000. 

Inspired by landscape paintings from the Birmingham Museum of Art’s collection, the evening’s theme was Southern Splendor, and the museum’s galleries were transformed into lush, elegant dining spaces embellished by floral arrangements of magnolias, gardenias and hydrangea and decorated with silver accents and delicate porcelain table settings. 

Alex and Jill Garmon of A.G. Events designed and produced the Ball’s decor. 

Chef James Boyce and his staff from Galley and Garden treated guests to a four-course menu of Southern cuisine that included a gulf jumbo lump crab cocktail, stuffed quail, a main dish of braised Angus beef short rib with classic sides of collards, grits, deviled eggs, field pea succotash and peach bread pudding. 

All were masterfully paired with wines that included Steelhead pinot noir, Felino chardonnay and Gloria Ferrer blanc de noir.

After dinner, guests were invited to the outdoor terrace for dancing with entertainment by the Surround Sound Band. 

Beth and Scott Adams; Tracey and Rich Bielin; Emily and Bill Bowron; Elizabeth and Tom Broughton; Tricia and Mark Drew; Beverly and Stan Erdreich; Scott and Annie Goldberg; Wyona and Tom Hamby; Nyah and John Hudson; Rupa and David Kitchens; Margaret Livingston; Lisa and Craft O’Neal; Elizabeth and Andrew Pharo; Dora and Sanjay Singh; Nancy and Ray Watts; and Mallie and Jay Whatley were in attendance.

– Submitted by Cate McCusker.