Out & About: Westmoreland Museum pairs food, drink with 'Artful Evening'

Taking food or drink into a museum gallery is a major taboo. Imagine sticky fingerprints left on a priceless piece of art.

Rules were broken Saturday during An Artful Evening at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg.

The event underscored that artwork comes in many forms — whether hanging on a wall, placed on a pedestal or served in a glass or on a plate.

Guests first took a journey through the galleries, stopping at six tasting stations where a libation was paired with a light bite and a piece of art. Progressing from light to bold, the stations featured:

• Brut Rose from Schramsberg Vineyards in California, brie with fig jam and the John F. Francis 1858 oil, “Still Life with Fruit and Wine”

• Roserock Chardonnay by Drouhin of Oregon, Swiss tortellini with herb oil and the David Gilmour Blythe circa-1850s oil, “The Wine Taster”

• Wayne Gretzky #99 Ice Cask Premium Canadian Whiskey, aged smoked Gouda and the William S. Reynolds 1889 oil, “Still Life with Newspaper, Book and Whiskey Jug”

• Noah’s Mill Kentucky bourbon, smoked salmon mousse on rye and lead crystal whiskey decanters, maker and date unknown

• Marqués de Toro 2016 Finca la Moura Mencía, a Spanish wine, pork rillete on toast point and the Marsden Hartley 1923 lithograph on paper, “Grapes”

• Williamsburg Winery’s Adagio, dark chocolate-dipped fresh cherry and Mario Joseph Korbel’s 1917 bronze, “Andante (Dancing Girls).”

Following the tasting hour, guests moved to the Cantilever Gallery, currently between major exhibitions, where tables were set for a formal dinner. Entree choices included top sirloin, Atlantic cold-water sustainable cod or vegetable tower in creamy polenta.

The museum’s Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO Anne Kraybill offered a welcome and introduced new Curator of American Art Jeremiah William McCarthy.

McCarthy joined the museum staff in April, relocating from New York City, where he held curatorial and educational positions at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The National Academy of Design and other institutions.

Seen during the evening: Laura Gutnick and Dan Bogesdorfer, Jim and Suzy Broadhurst, Scott and Pam Kroh, Russ and Ellen Swank, Andrew Swank, Diana Janetta, Janie Belden, Pat Condo and Jan Taylor-Condo, Jerry and Teri Bowes, Kate Dillon, Allie Hickman, Barbara Ferrier, Tom and Karen Kohut, Greg Murman, Paul and Diane Nickoloff, David and Lisa Paplauckas, Barry and Jo Ellen Numerick, TJ and Robin Reisdorf, Rebecca Sexton, Virginia McCracken Stump, Bob Errett, Annie Urban and David Steimer, Danny Diveley and Bill and Laura Joos.