Its very relaxing, watching her enjoying her book. Blacksmithing and blade smithing classes followed, and he found his passion. Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson. Festival Napa Valley celebrates musics unmatched power to enrich, uplift and inspire. "My parents always had friends around and there was a lot of entertaining, and summer was . Another thing she loves about the museums? var a = this.serializeArray(); init: function (formElement, onSuccess) { var $email = $form.find('.signup-email'); In 2016 she contributed to more than 380 different charities. A naturally gracious hostess, Wilsey has an uncanny ability to make anyone feel comfortable. UCSF Medical Center has named Diane "Dede" Wilsey to lead the philanthropic effort on behalf of UCSF Medical Center's new state-of-the art clinical facility planned for construction at Mission Bay. "What's impressive is the degree to which he acknowledges the good and the bad in both sets of parents," Maupin said. The festival underwent a major rebranding in 2016, changing its name to Festival Napa Valley. * Generic setCookie() method, used by setNewsletterCookie(). googletag.pubads().setTargeting("width", w), googletag.pubads().setTargeting("height", h), 1 == isnewsletter && googletag.pubads().setTargeting("isfirstpage", ['Y', pagetypeforce] ) 88. He did drugs, got in fights at boarding school, stole money and even took his uncle's gun, at one point. Nimbus responded by providing community mosaic events, which they do so incredibly well. She is the granddaughter of Herbert . Dede Wilsey has been a supporter of the de Young Museum in San Francisco since 1998, but she only began collecting art for herself a few years later, when she was looking for a place to put her energy after the death of her husband, dairy and real-estate tycoon Al Wilsey. But the little girl is so cute that I couldnt resist her. JDK-8141210 : Very slow loading of JavaScript file with recent JDK Top Image: Carlo Mondavi is equal parts entrepreneur, winemaker, and goodwill ambassador. if (!onSuccess) { Now theyre reinventing the narrative of wineand doing a good job at it. Nimbus Arts 649 Main Street St. Helena, CA 94574 map. She is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. } All Rights Reserved.var w = Math.max(document.documentElement.clientWidth, window.innerWidth || 0), To find out if you are eligible for an Artnet News Pro group subscription, And living in a house like this, you realize that a great big kitchen and a great big porch are really where you want to be., For his part, Trevor adds that even the houses indoor living can feel somewhat alfresco: I joke that were camping here, because we have 18th-century wallpaper. Though they both grew up in high-style households, Trevor says, were very casual and we arent at all fancy here., Trevor and Alexis are undoubtedly the chicest couple I know, says design impresario Ken Fulk, a close friend. 2023 Napa Valley Festival Association, a nonprofit public benefit corporation. // =================================================================== The dining-room table belonged to my great-grandmother, as did the sideboard next to it, and [the nearby] secretary belonged to my mother., Though theres no denying his familys pedigree, Trevor cant help but make fun of some of the houses inherited features: It reminds me of that great comment by Marella Agnellimade after the socialite toured Sid and Mercedes Bass apartment in New Yorkwhen she said, It will take her another lifetime to understand wicker! Theres nothing more WASP-y than lattice and wicker. + '<\/div>' The catalyst was the Russian National Orchestras annual summer residency in Northern California, starting in 1999. "We'll teach him a lesson together." link.href = fileName; By year two, the festival added the free Bouchaine Vineyards-sponsored Young Artists concerts and the Dede Wilsey Dance Series. $modal.show(); The car looks like something out of a movie, Wilsey explains. So when a chance to team up with Town & Country presented itself later on, we leaped at the opportunity and set out to capture the Napa Valley we love. Traina was nominated by President Trump and approved by the Senate, before he moved his wife, Alexis Swanson Traina, and two children, to Europe. // don't show it on paywall-related pages where the user might be in the process We have such diversity in our exhibitions, and its a learning experience every time we open an exhibition. + '<\/style>' And that is a marvelous position to be in. Tax ID 26-4008029. We are bound to one another by the kind of esprit de corps that comes with the pursuit of magicmagic in the vineyards, on the table, at the drawing board. loadFontAwesome: false Dede Wilsey, born Diane Dow Buchanan, was the great-granddaughter of the founder of Dow Chemical Co. head.appendChild(link); Share. A socialite makes peace - The Mercury News Wilseys pride, admiration, and love for her family are evident and strong. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. + '
' But this could have happened to a kid anywhere. Sean Wilsey's charming manner, the quality of his writing and his connection to McSweeney's will lend an already compelling story some extra cachet, booksellers said, as will the bird's-eye view into the lifestyles of the rich, if not famous. } I knew the house prior to the fire, and I was so crazy for it, says Alexis, who moved from Florida with her family to the region in the mid-1980s. The drive from San Francisco to the Napa Valley takes only a little more than an hour, . // Show signup failure error and hide other errors He never found exactly what he was looking for, so back in 2015, he and his wife enrolled in a blacksmithing class through The School of Visual Arts in Brooklyn, NY, to learn how to make hand forged knifes. 707-963-0278 f Wilsey and I are 30 minutes into an hour-long conversation, and I . + '<\/div>' }; Festival Napa Valley introduces audiences to the beauty, artistry and joy of dance through this innovative series. December 5, 2022. There is an energetic, youthfulness to Wilsey and when she speaks, her tone is both excited and astute. Todd Traina is a film producer. Nonetheless, "we've had a good relationship," she said of Sean, "especially once he came back from the school in Italy, once he was happier with himself. I just hope it went to a good home. This is a family home; its very comfortable and familiar., The decor is an assemblage of styles, though most are heirlooms and antiques set in place by Trevors mother. "I had a dirt bike and loved exploring the mountainside on it." Do memoirists -- especially those with dark secrets to tell -- necessarily do so for revenge? Dede Wilsey's House in Napa, CA (Google Maps) (#3) Napa, California (CA), US. She said she would like to take us to somebodys house and show us a fabulous painting. Al Wilsey, meanwhile, married Dede, who coolly co-opted Pat's position in San Francisco society, took over Pat's Napa Valley weekend dream house, and turned suddenly against Sean, hardening . It is loaned to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis. if (!$modal.length) { I think everyone makes mistakes in the heat of the passion of buying something. My ten-year-old grandson thinks its so cool. var ctx = this; On the lifestyle front, her duties also including writing about cannabis culture for The Chronicle and its cannabis website, www.GreenState.com website. Ive had two husbands die and then that person. We spend our weekends tinkering with old cars. However, she has never seen herself as one and doesnt want to come across as frivolous. The Traina clan pulled out all the stops for their biennial Fourth of July barn dance held at the family's Napa Valley vineyard. And the thing is, we come from wicker. (Well, almost. Maupin doesn't think so. But Harry de Wildt, a fixture on the San Francisco society scene for 38 years, was simultaneously curious about and dismissive of the memoir. When they rebuilt it, they modernized it and reworked some of the space. He writes that Dede Traina was his mother's best friend and suggests his father had been involved with her romantically for some time before his breakup with Montandon. I said, About how much?. // Focus on the email input box Iwas just visiting my one son who lives in Austria, now, she mentions casually. As Herb Caen used to say, 'There's nothing older than yesterday's news.' if(valid){ Everybody you can imagine. We really didnt want it to leave San Francisco. Since then, Dede has built a formidable collection of Impressionist art, and has continued to help the de Young and its sister museum the Legion of Honor grow their own. Arriving at their historic, Victorian-style Oakville home, its easy to understand why the pairknown for their notable art collection, philanthropy and omnipresence on the San Francisco social scenepack up their kids almost every weekend and head here to unwind. I wondered if wed live near Lorenzo Lamas. I bought a Koons egg. Trevor's father, the late John Traina, was a winegrower and vintner in the Napa Valley for many years. I thought if I buy another one, then I would feel better. She remains a prominent figure in the artistic and cultural spheres of San Francisco, spearheading the rebuilding of the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, as well as the establishment of numerous trusts for organizations such as the San Francisco Ballet. the San Francisco Fine Art Museums nabbed it. Shortly after our conversation, FAMSF announced that the former director, Max Hollein, would be replaced by Thomas P. Campbell, who was the director of New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2009 to 2017. The old house had less room, but was very charming., Even with its updates, the Napa Valley getaway is a far cry from the couples primary residence, in Pacific Heights. ctx.customSerializer(); email: /^([a-zA-Z0-9_\.\-])+\@(([a-zA-Z0-9\-])+\. } else { After her marriage to Al Wilsey went south, Montandon went East -- to Egypt, the Vatican and Russia -- with a children's brigade advocating world peace. She is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. I loved that painting. Everything in the Gettys house was just so special. } The picture was of a house, a villa. } }, break; Feature Stories, News, One On One, Philanthropy. It was just magical. And she relishes the process that comes with each new exhibit. Dede Wilsey's House in Napa, CA (Google Maps) (#2) ", A Clean, Well-Lighted Place for Books has already lined up Wilsey for an appearance in May. contact. Shes sitting in an armchair in her Napa Valley homethe place where she is most happyher 10-year old Maltese at her feet. Her bid for $57, 000 a month was rejected in court, and the judge advised her to get a job. In 1980, she married dairy millionaire Wilsey, who had recently divorced his third wife, Pat Montandon. In my bathroom, I have dog portraits and Chinese export porcelain. Hair and makeup by Sherrie Long (Molly Chappellet and Thomas Keller) and Bianca Rubi (all others). } 'slideOutDown': 'slideOutUp' ); After it was damaged by the 1989 earthquake, Wilsey single-handedly raised the necessary funds to build a new museum. I dont go to lunch with people or ladies Well, really any lunch. And I typically react when I see something and it touches me. I have been told by friends that people think that Im intimidating and I thought it was the funniest thing Ive ever heard, Dede Wilsey says. Everything awesome about summer in Napa Valley can be traced back to a glass of rosepeople sip it like water here. Diane (Dede) Wilsey relinquished the title of C.E.O. + '