Social: CAPO gets in the right mood

Arriane Culnane with Tony Magee at Madame Yip's restaurant.

by Norma Allen

A girl in a brilliant red jacket, the Chinese colour of happiness and well-being, welcomed guests to Madame Yip’s restaurant in Dickson on Wednesday.

It was Shanghai Susie, better known as Jane Magnus, setting the scene for the launch of this year’s CAPO auction and ball. With the theme East meets West, the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation plans to re-create the opulent days of Shanghai and Singapore in the 1920s and ‘30s.

CAPO’s president, Susie Beaver, said that Old Parliament House has been chosen to suit the period, and members were already seeking auction items for the ball in August.

Jane Magnus, in Chinese costume for the
launch of CAPO 1996, with Wayne Williams
and Susie Beaver, CAPO's president.

CAPO will auction the items and distribute the proceeds to Canberra’s artists.

One of last year’s recipients, Katherine Harrington, was at Wednesday’s launch, telling of her new workshop equipment, purchased with her scholarship of $600. Katherine is a silver and goldsmith and is preparing for an end-of-year exhibition at Beaver Galleries. She is creating table settings in international styles for the show.

Danny Yip brought out the platters of Chinese dainties, Tony Magee showed off his Hard Rock Cafe Beijing shirt, Terry Weber and Wayne Williams mingled with Helen Morrison; and David and Romilly Madew, Robert and Fay Goddard, Lyn Cummings, Hugh Stowell, Sally McDonald, Ken Roberts and Monica Dean were there.

First published in The Canberra Times, April 15 1996