Our 2023 An Evening With Benefit on Friday, May 12th was a red carpet event featuring craft cocktails on the Plaza followed by a beautiful dinner and the Connecticut premiere of an award-winning film.
Guests joined writer and director Bill Muench, composer Todd Hobin, and “The Artist” herself, Pat Musick, for a stellar evening celebrating the impacts and intersections of art and astronomy, two timeless signatures of our charge and Mission.
Following craft cocktails alfresco on the Plaza, we elevated the classic Dinner and a Movie duo to new heights. Guests enjoyed an unforgettable curated menu prepared by Chef Robin Selden and her culinary team from Marcia Selden Catering just moments before we dimmed the lights for the Connecticut premiere of the award-winning documentary The Artist & The Astronaut in our Farmhouse, which was transformed for the occasion as never before.
An unlikely love story between civil rights activist and artist Pat Musick and Apollo astronaut Jerry Carr highlights the simple connections in life that make us all human. Pat and Jerry would grow up in the same neighborhood and go to the same schools. Pat would travel thousands of miles and Jerry, millions, before they would eventually meet each other in Houston, Texas.
This very special film tells their story as they participate in some of the most historic moments in human history. It is filled with never before seen footage of the early space pioneers, and documents their journey as they combine their talents to render some of the most enduring art installations in America. The Artist & the Astronaut proves that curiosity, perseverance, and empathy for others are powerful agents of change in even the most uncertain of times.
The Evening's Chef & Emcee
Award-winning Chef Robin Selden of Stamford’s own Marcia Selden Catering is no stranger to our Benefit Dinner: Last year, she was hand-picked specifically by Chef Geoffrey Zakarian to cook his featured meal. She is a Managing Partner and the Executive Chef of Marcia Selden Catering, an acclaimed local family-run business.
The evening's program was be emceed by Colin Cosell. Colin has lent his voice and production skills to everything from local stations to professional stadiums, but it's the connection he makes beyond the booth with the fans in the stands, that sets him apart. Beyond his career as an announcer, he's also an accomplished voiceover artist, a professional emcee for live events, a trained singer, as well as a writer and producer. Since getting his start in radio at age 19, his career has spanned four decades
![Robin Selden Headshot 2020[27]](https://www.stamfordmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Robin-Selden-Headshot-202027-scaled-portrait.jpg)
Managing Partner & Executive Chef
Marcia Selden Catering
Emcee
An Evening With 2023
Event Sponsors
Proceeds from An Evening with the Artist & The Astronaut support the growth, reach, and scope of the SM&NC’s renowned educational programming in the natural sciences, and enable us to increase the number of lifelong learners we serve on-site and in classrooms throughout the community.
Sky Lab
Harry Day
Marsha Kaiser Shendell
Mission Control
Lunar Eclipse
Stephen Cohen & Lynn Villency Cohen
As the SM&NC’s largest annual fundraiser, proceeds directly support the rapid growth and development of our educational and cultural programming.
The Stamford Museum & Nature Center is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of art and popular culture, the natural and agricultural sciences, and history. The Museum is a vital cultural and educational resources for the community, and a focal point for family activity, lifelong learning, and inspiration.