Wine tasting and auction in Manhattan to benefit the Dorsky Museum

NEW PALTZ – The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at The State University of New York at New Paltz presents its third annual Fine Wine + Fine Art benefit auction on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Twenty Four Fifth Ballroom in Manhattan.

The event features a One Hour Wine Expert™ seminar with Kevin Zraly of Windows on the World Wine School, plus an auction of fine wines, destination vacations, and fine art from private collections. Guests at the June 1st event will also enjoy a selection of hors d’oeuvres and a Hudson Valley Table of cheeses, breads and fruit presented in the Twenty Four Fifth Ballroom. Chef John Novi of the Depuy Canal House will provide introductions to the Hudson Valley artisanal cheeses.

Kevin Zraly is a wine educator, the author of the best-selling “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course” book and is the recent winner of the 2011 James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. The Windows on the World Wine School established by Zraly has been named “The Best Wine School in New York City” by New York Magazine. Zraly is a 1974 graduate of SUNY New Paltz.

The event is co-chaired by Arthur Anderson and James Parrish. “I know that all those who attend will have a great time tasting wonderful wines and extraordinary food. They will have the opportunity to bid on rare wines and art from private collections,” says co-chair Anderson. “This is a truly creative way to help support the exhibition and programs at The Dorsky Museum and help kick off the museum’s tenth anniversary year celebration.”

Tickets are $150 per person or $1,350 for a table of ten. Information about the event and ticket purchases is available at www.newpaltz.edu/museum or (845) 257-3844. Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

Highlights of the silent and live auctions include bottles of three different Saint-Emilion Bordeaux in the 1990 vintage rated 98 by Robert Parker; large format bottles of Chateau Clinet, Chateau Tropling Mondot, and Silver Oak Alexander Valley and additional fine wines in single and multiple lots; destination vacations to Ticino, Switzerland, Windham, NY, and Upper Captiva Island, Florida: and artworks by Fernand Leger and Richard Hunt. To view auction lots, visit www.dorskymuseum.org.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, located at the State University of New York at New Paltz, is gaining recognition as a public showplace for exhibition, education and cultural scholarship about the Hudson Valley region’s art and artists from yesterday and today. With more than 9,000 square feet of exhibition space distributed over six galleries, The Dorsky Museum is one of the largest museums within the SUNY system.

Celebrating its Tenth Anniversary Year in 2011, The Dorsky Museum has presented over one hundred exhibitions, including commissions, collection-based projects, and in-depth studies of artists including Robert Morris, Alice Neel, Judy Pfaff, and Carolee Schneemann. This year’s exhibitions highlight The Dorsky’s focus on the art and artists of the Hudson Valley, a unique region that has served as a source of inspiration and nourished artistic creation and innovation since the time of the Hudson River School painters.

For more information about The Dorsky Museum and its programs, visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/museum, or call (845) 257-3844.