Ms. Kennard has also informed us that our generous donation will also provide the funding to establish a Day Care Center for at risk children as well as complement the already generous donations of the Porter Art Gallery by providing additional Big Bear Lake Camp for the Arts scholarships. This program offers a wonderfully unique and enriching camp experience for children and young adults who have interest in literature, music, performing and or fine arts. Please help me in congratulating Ms. Tina Kennard with a round of applause.”

Once the applause ended Peggy continued with the last of the presentations.
“Now it is my pleasure and my honor to introduce the first annual Special Joint Award from both the Peabody and Wentworth Foundations which tonight will be presented to the California Arts Center. Accepting on their behalf please congratulate Ms. Bette Porter, the Executive Chairperson presiding over the Board of Directors. In her two-year tenure she’s been revered as the ‘golden child’ of the art world for cultivating relationships that have resulted in securing the consignment of Provocations, the Allan Noble Show, Laurie Pappos’ A group of Seven’ and the works of Julia Sher amongst others.

Most recently she’s persuaded Ms. Allyn Barnes to end her twenty-year seclusion to make her work public again, and had the foresight to assign the only curator that could do it justice. Not only do we have the privilege to view this most amazing collection but we also get to see it as curated by Ms. Barnes’ own beautiful and talented daughter Alyson Cabot. Please join me in congratulating Ms. Bette Porter with a round of applause and also a special welcome to both Ms. Barnes and Ms. Cabot as our esteemed guests this evening.”

There was a round of applause as Allyn Barnes and Alyson Cabot stood briefly to be acknowledged. Tina caught Alyson’s eye as she looked at the audience and they smiled shyly at each other. Tina had noticed the beautiful redhead with the green eyes sitting at Bette’s table earlier but they hadn’t yet been introduced. As Alice would say Alyson was definitely moving the dial on her built-in gaydar. Tina found herself stealing glances at the attractive young woman throughout the evening and every now and then she would catch Alyson looking back with an enigmatic smile.