Fabulous… French… Over the top… Fun!

It was hard to choose just a few words to describe our latest opening over at the Portland Art Museum– which was such a blast to think out and implement!  We started with the theme of a fabulous Versailles promenade, sketched it all out, and then blew everyone’s minds with some new tricks and props- fabulous gold flower (power!) towers, pin-spotting on all of the tables, a fabulous fountain and tall topiaries- and an infusion of fabulous blossoms from local vendors like Peterkort Roses.  The room was surrounded by black velvet draperies from West Coast Drape to further create a feeling of being transported away to a Parisian wonderland. We even created a tableau of Francoise Boucher’s “Les Confidences Pastorales” using live models and sheep donated by Pendleton Woolen Mills.

Our biggest challenge to pulling off this fabulous event- “flipping” the room from the previous evening’s elaborate party for the world premiere of Coraline, with its multiple sets (down to a life-sized Pink Palace!) and the artisan workshops around the room taken from the Laika warehouses and recreated for the evening’s festivities (see photos of the premiere party, here and here),  The crew at the Art Museum had a bare 8 hours to re-set the room and painstakingly light each and every table, even as the decor crew from Vibrant descended to transform the room into a Parisian paradise.  We worked hard and fast, and the end results were well worth it!

The menu was to die for: cream of chanterelle soup with gruyere gougeres, roasted duck breast, wild rice risotto cakes, and fabulous Amelie cake from Pix Patisserie. We had some fun new hors d’ouevres as well- venison tartare and cucumber boxes with smoked salmon. The champagne flowed after dinner as the guests danced the night away.

 

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Shout Out

Evrim Icoz did a wonderful job of capturing the night’s festivities, didn’t he?