A Chelsea Evening

The Planning and Visual Education Partnership (PAVE) has announce that its annual New York dinner gala will be held on Dec. 5, 2002, at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, on West 23rd Street at the Hudson River.

The 2002 winners of PAVE's annual Student Design Competition will be announced, along with the winner of the annual Andrew Markopoulos Award.

In addition to an interior reminiscent of New York's days as a passenger shipping mecca, Chelsea Piers has the food and service of Abigail Kirsch, winner of the Silver Plate Award (the foodservice industry's “Oscar”), former president of Les Dames d'Escoffier International and New York, and vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Culinary Institute of America. She is also the author of several best-selling cookbooks.

Now celebrating its tenth year of supporting design students, the non-profit organization encourages students to study in the field of retail design, and planning and visual merchandising. PAVE holds the gala to raise donations in support of its annual competition, which is held in November, challenging students to design a store concept. Cash scholarships are awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners, as well as Honorable Mention. PAVE awards more than $11,000 a year to winning design students. The annual gala is the organization's major fund-raiser, with proceeds earmarked for scholarships.

Individual seats are available at $500 per seat, and 10-seat tables may be purchased for $5000. For information, contact Dawn Verseman, PAVE's administrative assistant, at 314-645-0701, write to the PAVE administrative offices at 3368 A Oxford Ave., St. Louis, MO, 63143, or e-mail paveoffice@aol.com. A PAVE web site can be found at www.vmsd.com/pave or at www.gmgdesigninc.com/PAVE.htm.