Art collector Martha Maalouf, resident of the tony Buckhead high rise that many celebs call home in Atlanta, hosts a luxurious unveiling soiree for her latest Ann Bailey painting.
Mardi Gras was markedly quiet due to Covid pandemic restrictions in February 2021, but one historic American town apparently had a daring street parade, complete with revelers and a Second Line Band. . . Or such is the story of art!
This year, artist Ann Bailey actually invented a Roswell, GA Mardi Gras parade on canvas, and included collector Maalouf and friends once she had purchased the piece to benefit the Voila Foundation 501C3 charity. Maalouf postponed receiving delivery of the artwork until pandemic worries subsided, and last week invited friends to a sumptuous wine and cheese reception to view her newest collected painting.
Bailey describes her Mardi Gras painting as “Not quite Live Event Painting this year, but rooted in life – from the French Quarter-ish buildings in downtown Roswell to the post-Christmas hanging globes, which I changed to Mardi Gras green and purple.” She adds, “And maybe there’s never been a Mardi Gras parade on historic Canton Street, but maybe now there should be!”
Live event and wedding painter Ann Bailey at art unveiling, Atlanta.
Bailey is a well known event and live wedding painter as well as a portrait painter, and her earlier New Legends of Atlanta portrait series resurfaced recently when her portrait of Ryan Seacrest aired unexpectedly on CBS TV’s “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” Now, unveiling the 2021 Mardi Gras Parade painting, Bailey was delighted to see Maalouf ‘s friends’ excitement at viewing the painting and their portraits in person.
Says Bailey, “It’s always fun to show people how they look in my event paintings – and this time, it was completely surprising for all of them because I added them on a street in Carnival masks and they’d not even been there. They loved it!”
Meanwhile, Maalouf and friends spent the summer evening enjoying her second Ann Bailey art acquisition and noshing in the “Dungeon,” the celebrated underground wine cellar at Park Place, a very cool labyrinth that may or may not have been designed by another glamorous resident… Sir Elton himself!
