Marin Magazine - May 2010

Best-selling author Elizabeth Gilbert attracted a crowd of more than 500 to the Dominican University of California for a spring lecture series. Gilbert was on a national book tour to promote Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage.

Marinites celebrated Nancy Svendsen's documentary-in-progress, The Glass Ceiling, which tells the story of the first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest.

Film buffs descended on the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center the California Film Institute for Oscar Night America, an Academy Awards live-feed telecast as a fundraiser for their education programs.

With almost 30 years in the Bay Area, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra held its annual gala and auction at the St.Regis Hotel. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the orchestra’s many artistic initiatives and education programs.

Recently, the Marin History Museum celebrated Ross residents John and Maria Pitcairn, who donated a violin painted and signed by The Jefferson Airplane’s Grace Slick and an electric guitar signed by all members of the Rolling Stones. The pieces will become part of the collection for the museum’s Marin Rocks exhibition scheduled to open this fall in downtown San Rafael.

At Sak's Fifth Avenue in San Francisco, Tod's creative director Derek Lam hosted an afternoon tea to benefit the Orangutan Foundation International. Later that night, Lam and Connie Nielsen chatted at a dinner at Foreign Cinema in honor of the designer.

More than 150 people dusted off their '80s attire to celebrate Hotel Diva's 25th birthday. Guests danced to jams by DJ Trevor Simpson, while sipping on specialty SKYY Vodka cocktails handcrafted by the owners of Rye bar, Michael David Wines, Trumer Pils and Bagrationi sparkling wine.

Big Brothers Big Sisters hosted a kick-off reception for the 100 Bigs in 100 Days campaign. The group has 200 kids waiting for a Big Brother or Sister and they are looking for volunteers! This year the campaign is held in honor of the 2010 Heart of Marin award winners Edward Kaufman and John and Mille Barrett who received the Volunteer of the Year award.

At Family Service Agency of Marin's 65th anniversary, 350 guests were entertained with a Doctor Zhivago’s Winter Castle theme. The evening included dancers and musicians from Ballet Russe, four-foot Faberge eggs, Russian balalaika players and more. The event raised $100,000 for the agency’s mental health, education, and support services that help 5,000 at-risk Marin children and families each year.