Jenny Block joins the crowd celebrating the grand opening of Desiree Asher’s
La Scène des Artistes (Photos courtesy of La Scène des Artistes
It started with a Zoom call. But the whole experience feels like a dream. A longtime friend of my wife’s (who had quickly became a friend of mine), asked me to jump on a Zoom call. Her name is Desiree Asher.
A lifetime philanthropist, Asher and I had crossed paths at many an HRC Galas and often when I went to New York where she then lived. During COVID, she relocated to St. Bart’s to weather the storm, with no end date in sight.
But recently, that end date came into view. She decided to move to Cannes, France, and open an art gallery: La Scène des Artistes. But La Scène des Artistes was not going to be just any gallery.
It was to be a gallery, studio and accelerator connecting historically under-represented and non-traditional creatives with the art curious and the art confident, “building a new way to art, on a stage rooted in transparency, authenticity and respect,” Desiree told me on our Zoom.
Her goal was accessibility and representation for artists and for buyers. And she had already signed a variety of artists from around the world, including Roméo Mignot Hodges, Brandon Lilibridge, Destiney Powell, Dustin SLIMER Cavazos, Emmanuel Signorino, Kevin Von Holtermann, Matthew Centeno, Miles Glynn, MOTOMICHI, Mr. Milk, Nathan David French, Rachel Berkowitz, Sandra Chi and Thomas Spoerndle.
“I love it,” I told her. I thought we were going to continue our conversation by exchanging funny stories and filling one another in on the years since we had seen one another.
But she had something else all-together in mind. She asked me if I would write about each of the artists for the gallery’s website and attend the opening to witness what she was building.
How could a girl possibly say no to Cannes?!
It was so much fun — and a welcome challenge — to interview and write about each of the remarkable artists — the stories, the work, the joy, the trauma. … The lives.
Finally, it was time to head to Cannes for the opening of La Scène des Artistes. I stayed the first night at the Mondrian Cannes. It could not have been any more dreamy. I sat on my balcony, overlooking the sea and put the final touches on the artist bios.
I lounged on a sofa on the lawn in the shade of the a umbrella, sipping a cappuccino and tearing perfect bites from my pain au chocolat. I ate wildly delicious sushi at their in-house restaurant, Mr. Nakamoto. I wedged my toes into the sand while enjoying an Aperol spritz and pommes frites at their beach club.
In other words, it was the most magnificent stay — from the gorgeous and perfectly appointed property and rooms to the top-notch staff.
It was then time to check in to Hotel Le Gray d’Albion just down the way. A simpler property, it is still an equally stellar spot to call home for a week. My balcony overlooked the city, and I took advantage of enjoying the view with my morning espresso and writing time every morning.
It was steps from La Croisette and from all sorts of shopping and restaurants, from Celine to Mango, from simple cafes to 5-star fine dining. The staff was out of this world and being there truly felt like a home away from home in so many ways.
Friday night was the artist and media preview at La Scène des Artistes and, I admit, my eyes welled up with tears the moment I walked in. The space is almost as inviting as the Asher herself.
The walls were filled with the work by the very artists I had been talking to and writing about. And Asher and her crew, as she calls everyone connected with the gallery, were deliciously — and rightfully — giddy.
The next night was the grand affair — the official opening night. As the hour approached, invited guests lined up on the red carpet leading to the entrance. A garage style door emblazoned with graffiti style art was raised and the fantastical affair began.
More than 250 people attended the packed opening. Mademoiselle Caviar served caviar as she walked through crowds. Drag queens Milena B Rose, NAKAÏA, and Darcy mingled and danced and posed for photos. French delicacies were passed around and well-known South of France DJ Greenhigh had guests and artists alike dancing by night’s end.
As the opening drew to a close, artists and close friends of the gallery were discreetly whisked away to the truly fabulous Il Grande at Palm Beach for the after party before making their way to the impossible-to-get-into Cannes club Medusa on the same property.
“The opening was part celebration, part circus. A room full of artists, collectors, neighbors and complete strangers all connecting through art, conversation, music, chaos, glamour and curiosity,” Asher said. “What started as an idea turned into exactly the kind of energy I came to Cannes to build: open, joyful, welcoming and completely unapologetic. Cannes showed up for La Scène des Artistes in a major way.”
I stayed in Cannes for a few more days. I met all sorts of amazing people, including gay filmmaker, producer and director Duy Huynh who is working on a stunning new LGBTQ+ film titled Finding Theo. This Lion meets Call Me by Your Name, story set in Vietnam, is equal parts heartbreaking and life affirming.
It’s been a few weeks since I returned home, and I can’t stop thinking about Cannes or about dreamers like Asher and Huynh who are making things happen, inciting change and keeping art alive. It makes a storyteller like me want to keep weaving words, sharing stories and cultivating change.