BY: SARAH RAVITS

Contemporary Arts Center hosts SweetArts 2008, “Paper, Scissors, Rockstar.”

Tony Ciaccio and Donna Santiago Ernest Collins and Dawn Collins

Screaming fans with notepads greeted partygoers by asking for their autographs at the SweetArts fundraiser for the Contemporary Arts Center; they were giving guests the star treatment for the themed “Paper, Scissors, Rockstar” soiree. And it was certainly deserved, as it was the first year that the SweetArts fundraiser was able to return to New Orleans. (Since Hurricane Katrina, it had been held in New York.)
 Clad in rock star attire, partygoers dined on a host of culinary treats from restaurants including Herbsaint, Cochon, 7 on Fulton, New Orleans Ice Cream Co., K-Pauls and more. Complimentary beverages were served from 360 Vodka, Bonterra Vineyards, Republic Beverage and Coolbrew Coffee.

Guests enjoyed the ultimate “arts & sass playground” of interactive fun, which allowed them to perform in front of cameras with their own Rock Band™.
 During the honorees’ reception, sultry cabaret singer Anais St. John performed; later, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews rocked with his band, Orleans Avenue, and kept people dancing until midnight.

The party, which was co-chaired by Alexa Georges and Bennett Davis, was also an opportunity for the CAC and other Gulf Coast institutions to thank the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.; The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; The Getty Foundation; The Joan Mitchell Foundation; The Lord and Taylor/2007 SweetArts Katrina Fund; and the Louisiana CulturalEconomy Foundation, for their help in recovery and response to Hurricane Katrina.