March 26, 2020

10th Annual Independent Woman Luncheon

Left: Centerpiece by Cornelia Park. Upper middle: Howard and Ellen Katz with Ellen's daughter Zibby and her husband, Kyle Owens. Lower middle: Priscilla Nicholas, Libby Cohen and Charlene Berge-Blum. Right: Lisa Portigal and Raquel McPherson

Phoenix Art Museum celebrated the 10^th anniversary of the Independent Woman Luncheon on March 2. The sold-out event honored Ellen Katz, the inaugural IWL chair and founder of the event. Celebrity interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard entertained the more than 500 guests with slides of the many projects he has created for high-profile clients such as Cher, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Tommy Hilfiger. Bullard signed copies of his book Design & Decoration for guests who purchased it.

Katz, along with her husband, Howard, endowed funds in 2006 to support the construction of the 25,000-square-foot Ellen and Howard C. Katz Wing for Modern Art. In 2007, Ellen, who served as chair of the Museum’s board of trustees from 2007 to 2010 and is now honorary trustee, then created and chaired the inaugural pARTy, the Museum’s annual fall gala, at which she was honored in November 2019. The 10^th annual Independent Woman Luncheon also honored former IWL chairs from the past decade.

The luncheon celebrates members of the Valley’s design community as they come together each year to support the Museum’s exhibitions and education programs and create signature, one-o-a-kind centerpieces for the occasion. Guests bid on more than 50 custom tablescapes inspired by Bullard’s work and designed by local design firms.

This year’s event grossed nearly $350,000, with proceeds supporting exhibitions and education programs at Phoenix Art Museum. Lisa Portigal and Libby Cohen co-chaired the event. George Abrams, Molly Dalton and Katie Drost served on the committee, with Matthew Boland as honorary committee advisor.

HAUTE EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY PHOENIX ART MUSEUM