Camera: Rob Ford cavorts with the city’s moneyed arts patrons at the Mayor’s Ball for the Arts
Camera: Rob Ford cavorts with the city’s moneyed arts patrons at the Mayor’s Ball for the Arts
By Peter Saltsman | October 16, 2012
By Peter Saltsman | 10/16/2012
By Peter Saltsman | Photography by George Pimentel
Metro Toronto Convention Centre, October 15. The Mayor’s Ball for the Arts, an annual black-tie fundraiser founded by Mel Lastman in 1998, had been on hiatus since 2002, until His Worship Rob Ford, of all mayors, revived it this year. Playing nice with the city’s moneyed arts patrons was a savvy pre-election move. But Ford’s handlers couldn’t keep a plebeian note out of the proceedings. Among the silent auction items was one dubbed the McMayor, which promised one Big Mac combo per month for a year. Apparently, Ford’s charm offensive worked: the burger deal was snapped up for $80, a chance to host the mayor for dinner sold for $6,000, and a 20-person cruise featuring the big fella went for $9,000. By night’s end, the event had hauled in $1 million—a cause for celebration among the arts community, not to mention an early and subtle shot across the bow to anyone considering a run for the top job in 2014.
176097 Wind Mobile’s boy wonder Anthony Lacavera (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera01-e1352518186107-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera01/ dec12camera01 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176098 Ballroom dancers Milda Gecaite and Nurlan Gallyamov (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera02-e1352518213826-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera02/ dec12camera02 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176099 Councillor/label salesman Doug Ford (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera03-e1352518238911-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera03.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera03/ dec12camera03 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176100 Couture critic Jeanne Beker (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera04-e1352518258675-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera04/ dec12camera04 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176101 Choreographer Jojo, graffiti instructor Fly Lady Di and ballerino Kevin Fraser (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera05-e1352518282200-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera05/ dec12camera05 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176102 Ford’s Richelieu, Mark Towhey (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera06-e1352518299900-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera06/ dec12camera06 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176103 Common Sense revolutionary Mike Harris (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera07-e1352518320445-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera07.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera07/ dec12camera07 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176104 Soulpepper patriarch Albert Schultz (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera08-e1352518338208-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera08/ dec12camera08 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)
176105 Mayor Ford and Miss Jamaica Chantal Zaky (Image: George Pimentel) Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture Camera: Rob Ford, Culture Vulture https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera09-e1352518357662-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dec12Camera09.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-mayors-ball-for-the-arts/slide/dec12camera09/ dec12camera09 0 0
(Image: George Pimentel)