When Mollie Donovan died a year ago, Westport mourned. A vibrant, creative and very bright woman was gone. On a more practical — and selfish — level, we worried that her many areas of expertise — arranging Westport Historical Society exhibits, for example, or hanging paintings for the Westport Schools Permanent Art Collection — would be lost forever too.
Mollie Donovan
Though Mollie was irreplaceable, she continues to give back to her favorite activities. The donations made in her name are one example. An event this Saturday (April 21, 7 p.m., Westport Playhouse Barn) is another.
The “Mollie Gala Art Auction” features 100 high-quality pieces. They come from local and regional artists — and as far as Barcelona. Westporters Leonard Fisher, Hardie Gramatky and Howard Munce are represented; so is Modesto Cuixart, who in 1959 was selected over Picasso as best painter at the São Paolo Bienal.
The auction is a fundraiser for the Westport Historical Society, one of Mollie’s many beloved organizations. There will be beautiful art, with silent and live bidding; music from a string quartet and pianist, and plenty of food and wine.
It’s a typical Mollie Donovan event: classy, artistic, and all for a good cause.
A year after she left us, she’s still helping her hometown out.
(Tickets are $60 until Friday, April 20; $65 at the door. Click here to purchase.)
Some of the art on sale at this Saturday's "Mollie Gala." Enjoying the scene is Kristan Peters-Hamlin, chairwoman of the event. (Photo/Larry Untermeyer)
Mollie was a great woman—please join us in honoring her this Saturday and help fund the naming of the Little Gallery at the Westport Historical Society.
Mollie is on the list of the 40 most influential people in Westport history and she deserves to be there. This is a great way to celebrate her legacy.