slideInModal('Up'); 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 . See our Privacy Policy for more information about cookies. Although I was incredibly intimidated by the thought of interviewing San Franciscos reigning queen of philanthropy, any fears melted away within seconds of meeting her. if (paywallPagesRegex.test(window.location.pathname)) { "A fact checker from the New Yorker called the other day, and every fact they checked with me was wrong," she said. checkCookies(); Dede Wilsey, born Diane Dow Buchanan, was the great-granddaughter of the founder of Dow Chemical Co. She's sitting in an armchair in her Napa Valley homethe place where she is most happyher 10-year old Maltese at her feet. So, whats the difference? To find out if you are eligible for an Artnet News Pro group subscription, } With inspiring education programs for youth and seniors, tuition-free summer academies for vocalists and instrumentalists, and scholarships for talented students, Festival Napa Valley plays a vital part in creating a thriving, healthy, and engaged community, fulfilling its mission to bring the arts to all. In October, she funded the museums acquisition of Canalettos Venice, the Grand Canal looking East with Santa Maria della Salute. Dec 5, 2022. + '
' The Interview: The Joy of Generosity. Its like having a mini-course every time we have a new exhibition. I bought a [Mary] Cassatta woman with a baby. function getCookie(cname, prefix) { And I typically react when I see something and it touches me. } There were two choices: Be without one museum or rebuild it. Sean Wilsey was Al Wilsey's third son, from his third marriage. The 475-page memoir, to be published by Penguin Press, has it all, from sex, drugs and marital infidelity to famous names, lavish parties and conspicuous consumption. closedSignupBar: { Right now we have, Social Media Management for Interior Designers, Social Media Management for Real Estate Developers, Gettys Throw Star-Studded Poker Night For AmfAR, Faena Debuts Newest ShowSamsara Cabaret At Faena Theatre, Blossoms Rare: Haute Livings Exclusive Editorial Featuring, Chasing The Sun: Haute Livings Exclusive Editorial, Le Grand Ball of Time: Haute Livings Exclusive Editorial, Braman Miamis Mike Rodriguez On The Power Of, Gucci Taps Its 90s Archives For The Fall/Winter 2023, Inside Jenny Cipolettis Glamorous Baby Dior Baby, From Naomi Campbell To Sadie Sink: Inside Alexander, New York City Welcomes Haute Leaders For The First Time. Which works or artists are you hoping to add to your collection this year? Weekends in Oakville are generally spent sans guests and are passed mostly outsideby the pool or on the tennis courtsin the company of the Trainas two children, Johnny and Delphina, and their Jack Russell terrier, Honey. return numDays * 24 * 60; Wilsey is referring to her elder son, Trevor Traina, who moved to Vienna earlier this year to become the United States Ambassador. I asked them to tell their Napa Valley stories and to describe the places, things, and experiences they love about the valley. As tough as he was on his parents and stepmother, he was also tough on himself. while (c.charAt(0)==' ') { + '<\/div>' After about 10 years, I wasnt sad anymore and I had lot of paintings. I was there with John Buchanan, our director at the time. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. if (generalSettings.loadFontAwesome) { The first dog picture was commissioned for my Jack Russell, Melissa, and my first Maltese, Serena. } Presumably, when the press tour begins, Wilsey, who is married, has a son and lives in New York, will explain the motivation for the book, whose release roughly coincides with the final stages of completion of the new de Young. A national book-signing tour is scheduled to follow. googletag.pubads().setTargeting("width", w), googletag.pubads().setTargeting("height", h), 1 == isnewsletter && googletag.pubads().setTargeting("isfirstpage", ['Y', pagetypeforce] ) + 'Signup failed. "It's not a gossipy tell-all, it's a coming-of-age story about a child surviving a life of conspicuous consumption," Maupin said in a telephone interview from New York, where a film based on his latest novel, "The Night Listener," is being filmed with Robin Williams and Toni Collette. She is the granddaughter of Herbert . Maupin doesn't think so. if (!o[this.name].push) { William Van Meter in Partnership With Royal Salute Scotch Whisky, Newlyweds can now register for exclusive honeymoon stays and experiences at 23 of Auberge Resorts Collections luxury hotels and resorts worldwide More, With two movies out this winter, the actress and producer Salma Hayek Pinault is at the top of her game More, The star of A Beautiful Noise, which just opened at the Broadhurst Theatre, is a big Neil Diamond fan More, The writer and actor makes his Broadway debut in his just-opened play Aint No Mo More, After flying high in the hit sequel Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell stars in the new film Devotion, out now More, It's not enough to just be smart. But hating Dede Wilsey, a San Francisco socialite and philanthropist, is the most enjoyable part of a memoir that is at once an effective coming-of-age tale, a touching love letter to aging parents, and a comic romp through . Thanks to generous support from Dede Wilsey, the festival brings some of the world's finest classical and contemporary dancers and dance companies to the Napa Valley, often for the first time. // of subscribing, or managing their account Ahhhh. Married four times. It was held, fittingly enough, in the de Young Museum's central court . }; Steel and Traina split up in 1995. Its as if shes seeing it for the first time. 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. $form.find('.invalid-email').show().siblings().hide(); In his book, 34-year-old Sean Wilsey blames his stepmother for the breakup of his parents' marriage, and, in part, for his spiral into delinquency. In my bathroom, I have dog portraits and Chinese export porcelain. //hide form fields and show thank-you message She was a part of the search committee that found the new director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), the umbrella that oversees both the de Young and the Legion of Honor. Says, Bill, pictured here with Deborah, Ultimately were building a culture around wine and hospitality that we all hope will last for generations. Neil Became a Teachers Assistant for these classes and about 5 years ago started to teach the classes himself. (function defernl() { Kandinsky is not something I would normally buy, either. isnewsletter = pagetypeurl.includes("?page_1"); Or that rich people have cliques, just like everyone else, but because so few people are so very rich, the pool of friends and prospective spouses is small, making for lots of interconnected relationships. // don't show it on paywall-related pages where the user might be in the process That's the most powerful kind of memoir. Despondent about her divorce from Al Wilsey, she urged her 11-year-old son to jump with her to their deaths from their penthouse at 999 Green St. "That'd show your dad," Wilsey recalled her saying, in the book. Governed by a dedicated board of prominent vintners and local leaders, the Festival enriches the heart and soul of Napa Valley through its diverse programs. function setCookie(cname, cvalue, expMinutes, prefix) { She was a part of the search committee that found the new director of the, Another thing she loves about the museums? head.appendChild(link); + '
' William Van Meter in Partnership With Royal Salute Scotch Whisky. + '
' to the new director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco but kept her place as board leader. $(function() { if ($modal.hasClass('slideInDown')) return; She is the widow of Alfred Wilsey, who . She is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. /** I always regretted not buying it. }) I opened the French Laundry to celebrate the work of the farmers, fishermen, winemakers, foragers, and other purveyors who work directly with the land of this beautiful place. } But she didn't handle stress well. Soon I too succumbed to the valleys charms and convinced my dad that he needed to hire me. A screen grab from Wednesday, August 21, shows the award for Dede Wilsey still includes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's name on Shanti's website. By Carol Hyman. var expirationMinutes = settings.expiration_minutes; the San Francisco Fine Art Museums nabbed it. "There hasn't been a wicked stepmother like that since 'Cinderella.' + '<\/div>' Trevor said to me, Mom, you have to sit here. 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. It was just magical. And she relishes the process that comes with each new exhibit. You cant tell the difference. // Submit the form The museum is still being very well run. prefix = 'artnet_newsletter_'; I was absolutely miserable. "I love that quality in anybody because I think you have to be brave to tell the truth in life," Montandon said. function closeSignupBar() { I dont go to lunch with people or ladies Well, really any lunch. Image courtesy Christies. } "In any discussion about Napa Valley culture, the first two words that invariably come up are "wine" and "food." . Iwas just visiting my one son who lives in Austria, now, she mentions casually. His mother, philanthropist Dede Wilsey, is the powerhouse behind the 2005 reopening of the de Young Museum, the Herzog & de Meuron-designed fine arts temple. Its important for my children and my grandchildren to see whats become of the world and work to make it better. I think everyone makes mistakes in the heat of the passion of buying something. View ALL 9 Photos. Her maternal great-grandfather, Herbert Henry Dow, was the founder of Dow Chemical. }); Then Montandon became hostess of a TV show, where she caught Al Wilsey's eye. //exdays*24*60*60 Model, TV hostess, society columnist and author. In 1980, she married dairy millionaire Wilsey, who had recently divorced his third wife, Pat Montandon. Old, young, every ethnic group. It never ceases to amaze me.. I cant imagine having nothing to do but lie there and read a book. var i = cookieNames.length, There . I always intended to collaborate with my youngest sister, the photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, on the project. + '
' 707-963-0278 f She raised $3.2 million for the Immaculate Conception Academy, and she led fundraising that bankrolled $16.6 million for Grace Cathedral. I actually really love it, but it is just not very practical. In fact, doing so is something of a family tradition. + 'Thank you for subscribing!' We really didnt want it to leave San Francisco. The author of "Oh the Glory of It All." We have such diversity in our exhibitions, and its a learning experience every time we open an exhibition. And the thing is, we come from wicker. (Well, almost. And was this book written for revenge? Nimbus Arts . Theres nothing I love more than sitting in the passenger seat with him driving, going nowhere fast. addCss('https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.7.0/css/font-awesome.min.css'); We love living as much as we can outdoors, Alexis says. // ------------------------------------------------------------------- Their imaginative approach is consistently fun, educational and innovative. Some of the trees are 130 years old. }, By continuing to use our sites and applications, you agree to our use of cookies. As an adult, he began to stand up to what he describes as her verbal put-downs. And that is a marvelous position to be in. if(valid){ '