By DANA BISBEE
In Salem, so-called “Black Friday” came with an antique patina.
For 34 years, the Peabody Essex Museum has observed the start of the holiday shopping season there with a weekend antiques show.
It opened Friday with a private preview party that gave sponsors a first crack at the art and antiques from 28 international dealers assembled by show manager Christine Vining.
“What I love about the museum is that it does for Salem what the founders did,” said event chair Elizabeth Mitchell Hunt, attending with husband Kevin Hunt. “It brings the world to Salem.”
She actually did reach out to the world for program book advertising. For the first time, dealers from Canada, England and Hong Kong bought ad space.
Also for the first time, the show had a presenting sponsor, Ira Porsche in Danvers. Thus two modern works of art – a 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster and a new Carerra 4S Targa – were parked in the lobby on antique carpets.
“It was a great philanthropic opportunity for us,” said Ira’s general manager David Hazlett, attending with wife Leslie. “More important, we were married in this room 10 years ago.”
It was also the most modern of the annual antiques shows, with Art Deco accessories in a booth from former Bostonian Akin Kolawole, now a North Carolina dealer.
“The young buyers like Art Deco and modern,” he said.
Antique shoppers on this Black Friday included Boston’s Union Oyster House owner and Honorary Consul General of Thailand Joe Milano and wife Jill of Lynnfield, Nicola Zymba and Ailish Hayes of Marblehead, and Natalie Gardiner and John Hambright of Newton.
Money raised supports the museum’s educational programs and public outreach.
The 34th annual Peabody Essex Museum Antiques Show concludes today. The show runs from 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
Grow up
The Boston Medical Center’s Grow Clinic for Children is up and running this year thanks to “Food for Thought,” a benefit dinner Monday night at Rialto, chef Jody Adams’ restaurant at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square.
The clinic treats babies diagnosed with “failure to thrive,” a condition caused by malnutrition.
“Shame on us if we can’t feed the people in this country,” said Ted Cutler, who co-founded the event 13 years ago with wife Joan Cutler of Boston and Joan and Steve Belkin of Weston.
Cutler presented clinic director Dr. Deborah Frank with a check for $582,000, which comprises most of the clinic’s annual budget. Steve Belkin raised another half million dollars in pledges during the dinner.
The pledges support an endowment for the clinic’s Demonstration Kitchen, where professional chefs like Adams teach parents how to buy and prepare healthy food. The clinic also feeds 50,000 people a year through its own food bank.
The 167 dinner guests were serenaded by a choir of 15 children being treated at the clinic. Anthony Allison, a 13-year-old graduate of the program, spoke.
WCVB-TV (Ch. 5) anchor and health reporter Heather Unruh, attending with husband Nick Little, was emcee. Guests included Boston Mayor Tom Menino and wife Angela, Boston Medical Center president Elaine Ullian, Greater Boston Food Bank chair Vicary Graham and president Catherine D’Amato, From Cradles to Crayons founder Lynn Margehrio, Lynne and Gary Smith of Wellesley and Eileen and Bruce Price of Natick.
“Doctors like me who treat malnourished children would like to stop,” said Frank, who founded the clinic 22 years ago.
“I understand how people can be passionate about Nintendo, PlayStation and football,” she said. “This is not the trendiest cause around. But because of this event, we have doubled the number of kids we can take and have become a model for other grow clinics around the country.”
BOX: SOCIAL CALENDAR
Wednesday
** Boston Choice Awards. Boston Park Plaza Hotel. 6 p.m. $25. 617- 457-2404. www.bostonchoiceawards.com.
** Cheers for Children party and auction. Hampshire House. 5:30 p.m. $35. 617-227-9605. www.cheersboston.com.
Thursday
** Jane Doe Has Many Faces, a benefit for Jane Doe, Inc. Algonquin Club. 6 p.m. $100. 617-557-1807. www.janedoe.org.
Friday
** Velvet Party benefits the Wang Center. At the Wang Theater. 6:30 p.m. $350. 617-532-1220.
** Santa Claus Anonymous’ 20th annual Snow Ball. Park Plaza Hotel. 9 p.m. $65; $75 at the door. 617-333-0327. www.scaboston.org.
ANNUAL ANTIQUES SHOW OPENING
CAPTION: NICOLA SYMBA AND AILISH HAYES
CAPTION: DAVID AND LESLIE HAZLETT
CAPTION: ELIZABETH MITCHELL AND KEVIN HUNT
FOOD FOR THOUGHT DINNER
CAPTION: HEATHER UNRUH AND NICK LITTLE
CAPTION: TED AND JOAN CUTLER
CAPTION: JOAN AND STEVE BELKIN
STAFF PHOTOS BY DANA BISBEE
(c) 2006 Boston Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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