UPFRONT
Russian Heritage Winter Ball
John and Margo Catsimatidis, owners of Red Apple Group, which is
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist was thanked for attending the Russian
Heritage Winter Ball in St. Petersburg by John and Margo
Catsimatidis and their son John Catsimatidis Jr.
International Miniature Art Exhibit
Nancy and David Bilheimer were selected
to receive the Dunedin Fine Art Center’s
Sterling Society’s Patron of the Arts Award
in recognition of their commitment to the
art center.
Bilheimers Chosen as
Patron of the Arts
38 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2020
JILLIAN NELSON
At the Miniature Art Society of
Florida’s Awards Brunch that was
held at Bon Appétit Restaurant in
Dunedin, awards were presented to
the winning artists of the group’s
45th annual International Miniature
Art Show. The show’s exhibit of
meticulously created tiny works of
art was chaired by Lynnette Vaughan,
judged by Tarpon Springs artist
Markissia Touliatos and attended
by world famous English artist/
author William Mundy. The exhibit
was held this year at the Dunedin
Fine Art Center, featuring more than
600 works by artists from 31 states
and eight countries. It is a show that
is filled with great art and is held in
our area every year. Next year’s show
will be at the Leepa-Rattner Museum
of Art in Tarpon Springs. 9
Kathy Pollak, Miniature Art Society of Florida
president, Kay Petryszak, Miniature Artists of
America president, and George Ann Bissett, Dunedin
Fine Art Center president and CEO, welcomed artists
and guests to MASF’s Awards Brunch.
GRAM
building a world-class condominium/hotel and retail development
in the 400 block of Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg,
once again helped host the Russian Heritage Winter Ball at the
St. Petersburg Yacht Club. The late Tatiana Vondersaar, Margo’s
mother, founded Russian Heritage Inc. after the blockbuster “Treasure
of the Czars” exhibition at the Florida International Museum in 1996.
The organization continues to support Russian students coming to
America and American students traveling to Russia. This annual
grand gala dinner first began two decades ago and features music,
dancing and the celebration of Russian traditional culture.
Value the Past/Dream the Future,”
the 13th annual Founders Luncheon
of the Dunedin Fine Art Center’s
Sterling Society was held at Bon Appétit
Restaurant overlooking St. Joseph
Sound in Dunedin, where Nancy and
David Bilheimer were the Patron of the
Arts Award honorees. The award was
presented to the Bilheimers by Sterling
Society President Sara Kessinger and
Sallie Parks, co-chairs of the Founders
Luncheon. This prestigious award has
previous been given to community
leaders and artists such as Christopher
Still, Gail Gamble, Brooke Allison and
John Hubbard. The Sterling Society
provides financial and other support
to the Dunedin Fine Art Center.
UT President Ron Vaughn
Celebrates Anniversary
Renée Vaughn has been a remarkable
partner for her husband Ron while he has
transformed The University of Tampa to the
success that it is.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Ron
Vaughn as president of The University of
Tampa, a dinner was held at the Vaughn
Center, where Jim Ferman, past chairman
of the university’s board of trustees,
welcomed guests to this testimonial of
Vaughn’s accomplishments. He took the
university to an astonishing level over 25
years that could not have been envisioned.
The best part of the evening was when
Vaughn assured everyone that he still had
more to do and was not retiring.
“
GRAM
GRAM