Ragdale Ring Gala Celebrates History

Submitted to Patch

The third annual Ragdale Ring Gala took place at the artist retreat in Lake Forest on Saturday, June 13 and celebrated the Belle Epoque period during which Ragdale’s founding architect Howard Van Doren Shaw lived and worked.

The garden party featured the first viewing of “Shaw Town,” the contemporary performance space inspired by Shaw’s original 1912 open-air theater. The evening’s program announced the inaugural Lucien Lagrange Prize for the 2015 Ragdale Ring offered to the architectural collaborative, Design With Company, whose design was selected in this year’s international competition.

Guests, many in creative period attire, enjoyed interacting with the people of Shaw Town, an eclectic cast of characters, including stiltwalkers, aerial performers, balladeers and a fire dancer. The artist-made “steampunk” accessories, inventive tastings by George Jewell Catering and animated live auction contributed to the evening’s success. The 175 people attending showed enthusiastic support for the new “Ragdale in the Schools” program to support regional teachers and their students.

The Ragdale Ring Gala was co-chaired by Marci and Ron Holzer, Melanie and S. Michael Rummel with support from a committee of Board Trustees and “Props and Drops” artists affiliated with Western Kentucky University.

Approximately $100,000 was raised to support The Ragdale Foundation, the non-profit artists’ residency that provides time and space to over 150 writers and artists each year to pursue their creative work in an uninterrupted environment.

Photo by William Hartman

Ron and Marci Holzer, Gala co-chairs, Highland Park & Walker Johnson (center) Chicago