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First Lady Hosts Luncheon to Benefit the Tennessee Residence

Interior Design Plans and New China Pattern to be Unveiled

3/22/2007

First First Lady Andrea Conte will host “The First Lady’s Luncheon” on the lawn of The Tennessee Residence Thursday, April 19, to benefit the Restoration and Preservation of The Tennessee Residence. 

During the luncheon, the décor renderings and the interior design plans for the restored Tennessee Residence will be unveiled.  A new china pattern, a handmade dining room chair design and a model of the new outdoor sculpture will be displayed at the luncheon. The event will also feature a silent auction which will include memorabilia donated by Governor Bredesen and First Lady Conte, artwork and jewelry provided by Tennessee artists, and invitations for tea and a tour of the restored Residence with the First Lady.

“As we near the completion of Phase I of the project to restore Tennessee’s Residence, I’m pleased to share the interior design plans for the home with supporters of the restoration,” said Conte.  “It is important that Tennessee have an executive residence that illustrates the grandeur, beauty and integrity of Tennessee to its visitors, and I know our restored Tennessee Residence will do just that. This home is an important part of our state’s history and its future, and I look forward sharing the latest progress of the restoration with guests of The First Lady’s Luncheon.”

Marianne Byrd of Nashville serves as chair of the First Lady’s Luncheon, and is working with a committee including more than 20 women from across the state who are dedicated to the restoration of the Tennessee Residence.

“The interior design for the Residence has been a great collective effort from so many talented people, and we are excited to share the designs that Tennesseans will enjoy for decades to come,” said Byrd.  “This is the first glimpse the public will have of what the restored Tennessee Residence will be like, and this committee has dedicated many hours to ensure the event is a success.”

Shirley Horowitz, president and owner of Davishire Interiors in Nashville, has been working with the Office of the First Lady on the interior design plans of the restored residence with the goal of creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for its guests.  Fabric samples and other depictions of the interior design plans will be on display at the luncheon.

The new Tennessee Residence china pattern is from Pickard China, a 100-year old company that serves as the only manufacturer of fine china made exclusively in the United States. Pickard is ranked among the finest in the world and has been selected to produce china services for various heads of state, the United Nations, Air Force One, Camp David and many Governors’ residences across the country, including South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana, among others.

Tennessee artist Shelley Snow was commissioned by the Tennessee Residence Foundation to paint an image of the Tennessee State Flower, the Purple Iris, to be imprinted on the official Tennessee Residence china. Her work has won national awards including The Southern Watercolor Award for Excellence and the Southern Watercolor Five Year Award.  

Luncheon attendees will also have the opportunity to view one of the hand-made dining room chairs that will be used in the renovated Tennessee Residence. Chairmaker Curtis Buchanan of Jonesborough, Tenn., will be on hand to display one of the chairs and discuss the style and techniques used to create the one-of-a-kind piece.

A rendering of the outdoor sculpture being created by Sherri Warner Hunter of Bell Buckle, Tenn., will also be on display at the luncheon. Hunter received funds from the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2004 to create the outdoor sculpture, “In the Presence of Presents,” to honor supporters of the Tennessee Residence restoration.

Governor Bredesen and First Lady Conte announced a long-range plan for restoring and preserving the Tennessee Residence in November 2003. Phase I of the restoration, the residence, is scheduled to be complete in July 2007. Design is underway for additional phases of the restoration.

The Tennessee Residence, originally referred to as “Far Hills” because of its beautiful view, was built in 1929 by the William Ridley Wills family, and was purchased by the state of Tennessee following the death of Mr. Wills in 1949.  The third and only remaining Governor’s Residence in the state, it has hosted numerous events and celebrities during its 58 years as the Tennessee Residence.  The house has been visited by such famous people as the Reverend Billy Graham, Elvis Presley, President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, President and Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson, President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, and numerous governors and royalty from around the world.

Open to the public, the luncheon will take place on the lawn of the Tennessee Residence from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.  Tickets to the event are $250. Seating is limited, and reservations will be accepted in order of receipt.  All proceeds from ticket sales will go to The Tennessee Residence Foundation to fund the interior design of the completed Tennessee Residence restoration. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the Office of the First Lady at (615) 741-7846.