GAIL ROSS 
THE BAL AFRICAN 50H ANNIVERSARY AT THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS

The Detroit Institute of Arts is home to some of the richest art and culture in the nation. On Saturday June 15th Gail Ross, one of Detroit’s most respected business leaders and this year’s Chairperson at the 50th anniversary of the Bal African allowed us to step into her life. The event honors the Friends of African and African American Art with special keynote speaker Danny Glover. We documented Gail on her busy day to see the event come to life.

PREP TIME
In the process of following Gail and filming her day it is easy to see how age is just a number. She is a woman who is clearly embracing aging with grace. The day began with her arrival at the DIA to converse with her event planners to ensure that everything was running smoothly during setup. From there we went to her home where she prepared herself for the event.

As Gail got ready the marvelously entertaining celebrity makeup artist George McKenney arrived to put on her makeup for the evening. His humorous disposition was a terrific complement for the “girls-get-ready-time” festivities. One of her close friends, Dr. Shari Maxwell, also stopped by to get ready for the night. Jacqui Martin arrived shortly after to style Gail’s hair.

THE MAIN EVENT
As our chairperson welcomed guests and played host to one of Hollywood’s greats Danny Glover, the VIP guests were treated to cocktails, hor d’oeuvres, a living art display and a chance to have their photo taken with Danny. The night lived up to its theme of “The Whole World is a Stage…The Art of Performance,” as the guests were treated to a rare performance by Carmen DeLavallade. She is an 82 year old celebrated dancer from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s original company.

The keynote address by Danny Glover, an accomplished actor, producer, director and political activist, embodied the pride and spirit of Detroit as well as the DIA. A collector of African Art he made it very clear through his impassioned statements that as Detroiters we must always cherish and respect the rare collections that grace the walls and corridors of the Detroit Institute of Arts. In his estimation it is not just one of the finest collections in the Midwest or the country, but of the world.

It was an honor to be part of such a jubilant evening at the DIA. In an evening filled with living art, fencing, interpretive dance and a celebrity keynote address it was truly a night to remember.

For Gail Ross, the night was a success. You get the feeling after spending a day with her that success is something that she has become accustomed to. She handled everything calm and collectively like the cool woman that she is.

We are certain that we will see more of Gail and her friends as we continue our work on The Embrace of Aging: The Female Perspective.

Check out the website for more information on the entire series.
http://embraceofaging.com/