Party, Party! Is That All Those Art People Do?

OH, THOSE PARTY PEOPLE: In town for the splashy Seattle Art Museum gala, a California woman was a guest at two pre-gala parties, one at the home of Marvel Stewart (Marvel on Madison) and another "possibly" at the home of Virginia and Bagley Wright. (It was. But you know, you sort of lose track of the hosts when it's party, party, party.)

In the Stewart entryway was an elegant lavatory (a basin for washing) - a precursor of things to come.

In the entry to the Wright home was a free-standing urinal, a sculpture by a New York artist.

Surprised, the guest asked another if this sort of entryway art created - uh, in the spirit of nature calling - "a Seattle trend."

The guest added she did not get close enough to the piece to see if it was signed, or "just a urinal."

TRENDS OR NOT . . : Another guest at the SAM gala lost two diamonds during the affair. A bus boy retrieved one but couldn't find the other. As she told him: "Oh, well. It doesn't matter."

AND THEN . . : There was the speech by Sherman Lee, formerly the SAM associate director under museum founder Dr. Richard E. Fuller. He made a few disparaging remarks about the museum exterior and advised the crowd to "never mind" the outside.

Following him at the podium: museum architect Robert Venturi.

THE PARTY AFTER . . : Then there was the party after the party at the Pioneer Square apartment of architect Jim and Katherine Olson. The little hand-drawn invitations with the "Bob Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, Jim Olson, Rich Sundberg hope you can come . . .," were among the most sought after in town.

The Olson/Sundberg firm designed the interiors of the SAM permanent galleries. And the Olsons' apartment - with its immense Jeffrey Bishop mural and trio of Nancy Mee glass pieces - was a tribute to the mix of art and architecture.

About 100 or so folks gathered for the party. Peggy Zafarana of the architectural firm was out on the balcony subtly admiring an exceptionally attractive guest.

When the opportunity arose, she told him he looked like someone famous.

He was Ion Vorres, director of the Peania Museum, Attica, Greece, a wealthy businessman and art collector with South African connections. He was a guest of John and Anne Hauberg.

AND NOW, THE KERRY-JOHN STORY: When we left the co-anchors, Kerry Brock and John Seigenthaler, several months back they had announced their intentions to marry. Now having done so last month, they are back from their Virgin Islands honeymoon, their Seattle Yacht Club reception for 110 AND a stop in Nashville for a reception for 700, featuring John's side of the family, Dolores and John Sr. presiding.

The elder Seigenthaler started USA Today and is chairman emeritus of The Tennessean. He also once was a chief Justice Department aide to Bobby Kennedy. So the heavyweights of the political and publishing realm turned out.

According to Kerry: "I stood in a receiving line for 2 1/2 hours until I had tendinitis in my right hand. All these people knew John and his family. There was Chief Justice So and So and Congressman So and So and Ambassador So and So. Finally, I said, `Ambassador to what?' "

BP REVISITED: In About Town, Jan. 26., I told you that the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel's Cynthia Whitney Ward had special BP antennae that make it possible for her to suddenly appear at your table and recite your name.

So I checked it out again to see if I could catch her off guard. Sure enough, she arrived at my table with general manager Peter Martin and presented both me and my lunch companion with special pins inscribed with "BP." She says she's sending them to all the BPs sighted in the Jan. 26 column.

AND MORE BP'S . . : They're out there and you're calling in the sightings. One letter writer nominated Mother Teresa as a BP. (I agree, but I don't think the outfit will ever catch on in the fashion world.)

Jennifer Cells Russell reported a recent (KING 5) Jean Enersen sighting. Jennifer says, "Jean was running Green Lake all revved up in red."

Ruth Hill, proprietor of John Doyle Bishop, nominated the 5 Spot on Queen Anne Hill as a place for BP sightings.

"I saw Kerry Brock there but not with all the makeup. But I never stare. Everybody goes there grubby and in their jeans and ski jackets. At least it might have been Kerry Brock."

Restaurateur Mark Mitchell listed so many BP sightings at Sharky's Beach Bar and Eatery - he owns the place - that he wins the hotly contested BP Consciousness Award of the week. (I'm not sure what it is, but I'll think of something.)

Among them: Call it converging weather masses, KING 5's Jeff Renner with KOMO's Steve Pool.

Also seen at the restaurant at different times during the last few weeks (nevertheless call it stranger than fiction) - the grunge rock group Alice in Chains, Queensryche bassist Eddie Jackson and . . .Barry Manilow.

MORE SIGHTINGS AND HEARTTHROBS: Gorgeous Kym Nyyssela, of KOMO's promo staff, was apparently mistaken as Scott Baio's (alias Chachi, Charles, etc.) S.O. the other day.

KOMO took Baio, who was in town for "Northwest Afternoon," to lunch at Cucina! Cucina! All was quiet until check-out time when a man approached the party and asked, "Is that Scott Baio? My girlfriend is too embarrassed to ask for his autograph."

The Baio sighting confirmed, the woman apologized to Nyyssela, "I'm sure you have this happen all the time."

About Town by Nancy Bartley appears Sunday and Monday in the Scene section of The Times.