A Ver-million Turnout For IS183's Annual Gala

Rachel Louchen reports from Lenox. Many parties request that guests dress to impress, but for the attendees who come out every year for the annual IS183 costume gala, impressionable and outrageous are often one and the same. It's the only party where you can find a Teletubby dancing with someone wearing a giant papier mâché head. A sizable portion of the county turned out to support the Berkshires’ nonprofit community art school on Saturday, April 12. This year's theme, The Vermilion Cotillion, bade attendees to dress in red, so guests showed up at the Eastover Resort wearing crimson suits, big ball gowns and elaborate masks and wigs. Festivities actually began at dinners hosted at private homes, farms or businesses. Then all headed to the party portion of the evening, where they entered a room filled with goods for the silent auction before heading onto the dance floor -- an art installation in itself, with projections of funky images that put guests in the mood to groove (not that they needed much coaxing). Drinks were poured, sweets from Chocolate Springs beckoned and attendees took pictures posing on the throne, a fitting perch for so many in regal attire. This was not an early night, as most guests danced far into the evening, many of them already excited for next year's celebration. Above, IS183 club member John Zutter, Brigitte Hughes and club member K.K. Zutter are studies in vermilion.

Studio Manager Ben Evans and Board of Directors Vice Chair Robin Seeley.

Committee member Laura Mitchell and Janet Crawford were two of the many guests in crimson ball gowns; Chris Demos and Kate Baisley of Shear Design with Tyler Simmons.

Kristen van Ginhoven and Executive Director Hope Sullivan; Shakespeare and Company's Heather Collis and Alexandra Lincoln.

Crispina ffrench and Megan Whilden were comfortable on the throne; Realtor Lisa Bouchard and Ed Ho of The Kinderhook Group.

The Olga Dunn Dance Company performed an original dance.

Realtor Marc Bachman and his wife, Carrie Bachman; Deb Ryan and Bill Ryan of Black Thumb Farms.

Supporter Jan O'Bryant and Maggie Mitchell, who participates in the art classes provided by IS183; A rare break from the dance floor for Tim Butterworth and Six Depot's Sascha Woolfe.

RI'sJake Levin and Silka Glanzman, a.k.a. The Butcher and The Baker, flank Susan Engel; Volunteer bartenders John Wendling and artist Maggie Mailer called the shots.