ANTIQUE FREAK
Wendy Goldberg knows a thing or two about throwing a party, and how to make any occasion a memorable one. She lived up to her reputation at this year’s Los Angeles Antiques Show Gala Preview to benefit the Cedars-Sinai’s Women’s Guild.
The Barker Hanger in Santa Monica was transformed into an elegant, flower-filled garden with Goldberg, a string quartet and trays of champagne to greet Malibu mavens, magnates and movers and shakers as they arrived.
Inside, there were rows and rows of exquisite antiques featuring $350 million in fine European and American furniture, porcelain, jewelry, textiles and silver.
Among those eyeing the collection were local sculptor Robert Graham and California’s First Lady, Sharon Davis, as well as high-profile celebs like Barbara Streisand, Steve Martin, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, James Coburn and Jaclyn Smith.
The event took in more than $500,000 for patient care, medical programs and biomedical research. “This is a great way for us to raise money,” Goldberg explained. “You can only go to so many dinners and so many premieres. It’s really an innovative way for people to enjoy themselves and help us out at the same time.”
MONKEY BUSINESS
Malibu’s resident Bond man, actor and environmentalist Pierce Brosnan and partner Keeley Shaye-Smith were among a small group of animal-minded pals who welcomed the legendary Jane Goodall to town. The pair joined fellow locals like Ed Begley Jr. for a safari-themed dinner nestled among the trees in shady Rustic Canyon.
The group enjoyed sunset cocktails, calypso music and a gourmet feast, but the main attraction was Goodall, who shared stories of her extraordinary work on behalf of African chimpanzees.
She was quick to point out that people and chimps share a lot in common.
“They show emotions like happiness, sadness and despair–human characteristics, and there is not a sharp line dividing us from the animal kingdom.” But according to Goodall, the outlook for these amazing creatures is uncertain.
As one of the world’s leading authorities, she notes that 100 years ago, there were two million chimps. Today there are just 200,000 in all of Africa–a predicament she blames on global short-sightedness.
“In 67 years, we have destroyed so much of the world. So much has happened in terms of population growth, the imbalance between rich and poor. We need to encourage developing nations to want this valuable resource, instead of MTV.”
Her words stuck a chord with new parents like Pierce and Keely as Goodall called for urgent action.
“We must change. We must do it for our children and our grandchildren. We need to look them in the eye and say we did our best.”