Wilsey and I are 30 minutes into an hour-long conversation, and I couldnt agree with her more. Soon I too succumbed to the valleys charms and convinced my dad that he needed to hire me. It is fuchsia with a purple bow. }); Traina has his own Napa vineyard . The difference is that the world is so much more complicated. } My sisters and I each found our creative passions early in life. On the lifestyle front, her duties also including writing about cannabis culture for The Chronicle and its cannabis website, www.GreenState.com website. Since then, the Trainas have made plenty of their own memories at the estate. In August 2016, Trump came to the Bay Area for fundraisers at private homes in Napa and on the Peninsula. The Koons egg in Dede Wilseys collection. Also Known As: Diane Dow Buchanan, Diane B. Wilsey, Dede Buchanan Wilsey, Dede. // Signup submission How San Francisco's Wealthiest Families Launched Kamala Harris In 1980, she married dairy millionaire Wilsey, who had recently divorced his third wife, Pat Montandon. Since then, Dede has built a formidable collection of Impressionist art, and has continued to help the de Young and its sister museum the Legion of Honor grow their own. function setCookie(cname, cvalue, expMinutes, prefix) { "Yes, it's set in San Francisco, and those of us who've lived here a long time know many of the characters and wonder how they'll feel about different parts of the book, but it's a universal story," said Elaine Petrocelli, co- owner of Book Passage in Corte Madera. I dont go to lunch with people or ladies Well, really any lunch. The car looks like something out of a movie, Wilsey explains. Penguin Press has already devoted considerable energy to a pre-publicity tour with independent booksellers, which are generally intended to garner favorable word of mouth that can build and propel a book to higher visibility in chain stores across the country. var cookieSettings = { And I love the fact that its a constant learning experience and then you work with wonderful people., Wilsey has just finished her latest project with the museums. Dede Wilsey Is Co-Hosting a Trump Fundraiser In San Francisco - SFist }, clearInterval(initOuibounce); Feature Stories, News, One On One, Philanthropy. function initNewsletterSignup() { + 'Signup failed. My mother-in-law, here with my daughter Delphina, is known for philanthropy, her collectors eye, and, in Napa Valley, her vineyards in Rutherford surrounded by gardens and a miniature train station. It was great because hes now the ambassador and my father was ambassador to Austria, also. Dede Wilsey. Then Montandon became hostess of a TV show, where she caught Al Wilsey's eye. . The festival attracts over 10,000 guests each season. $('body').on( 'click', '.close-signup', function(){ But its not just milestones that make the house special; its also everyday moments. By the time the company was sold, a few years ago, I was its longest-serving employee. Website design by Compass Marketing, website development by StoryWorkz. For me it has always been the peoplea tapestry of interwoven multigenerational tribes made up of families, farmers, field-workers, wine- makers, chefs, and creative talent of all sorts. var head = document.head An event at a residence in San Francisco included Magowan, prominent GOP donor DeDe Wilsey, real estate investor Carole McNeil, and Napa Valley socialites Elizabeth and Clarke Swanson. Now living in Los Angeles, she's writing her own memoir. + '' } There was a very nice dealer who we knew in London. FIESTA Da de los Muertos celebrates life with music, dancing, art, and flowers. Contributing to the causes she believes in is her job and one that she takes very seriously. Diane (Dede) Wilsey relinquished the title of C.E.O. Penguin Press would not allow Sean Wilsey to grant interviews before the book's release. .done(function(data, textStatus, jqXHR) { Al Wilsey, meanwhile, married Dede, who coolly co-opted Pat's position in San Francisco society, took over Pat's Napa Valley weekend dream house, and turned suddenly against Sean, hardening . Old, young, every ethnic group. function getCookie(cname, prefix) { setNewsletterCookie('recentlyShown', 1); The longtime supporter of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco on the Caillebotte that got away and the pleasures of pet portraiture. So Id like to have a live one. .fail(function(jqXHR, textStatus){ Sean Wilsey writes that his father was too busy with his new family -- Dede and her sons, Trevor and Todd Traina -- and building a fortune with his Wilsey Bennett Co., a dairy business that manufactured edible oils, margarines and foil-wrapped butter pats, to pay attention to him. Wilseys pride, admiration, and love for her family are evident and strong. I always intended to collaborate with my youngest sister, the photographer Claiborne Swanson Frank, on the project. + ' @media (max-width: 575px){ #ouibounce-modal {display:none !important;} }' } I think everyone makes mistakes in the heat of the passion of buying something. Reading between the lines, a reader could glean that rich people have problems, just like everyone else, but have the money to solve their troubles differently -- sending problem children out of their lives, in hopes that someone else can fix them. (function defernl() { In San Francisco, its unapologetic old-world glamour; in Oakville, its the perfect combo of chintz and prints, totally comfortable without ever sacrificing style.. Mother of Sean Wilsey. Although her role as a member of the board has her at the museum several days of the week, she looks at the de Young with childlike wonder. Its a museum picture and it really belongs in a museum. My ten-year-old grandson thinks its so cool. * Generic setCookie() method, used by setNewsletterCookie(). + '
' Its as if shes seeing it for the first time. So, whats the difference? Ive had two husbands die and then that person. Kandinsky is not something I would normally buy, either. Napa Valley Festival del Sole was founded by San Francisco Bay Area attorney and arts manager Richard Walker and IMG Artists Chairman Barrett Wissman. + '' I always regretted not buying it. As a child I knew I wanted to do what my grandfather [Robert] and father [Tim] did. She is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. I tried my hand in the vineyards and the cellar but found my niche in marketing. Best Western - WWD Son of Pat Montandon and the late Al Wilsey, stepson of Dede Wilsey. }) callback: function() { $9 million dollars for Caillebotte?! Dede Wilsey Is the Defiant Socialite - The New York Times The new Mission Bay hospital complex will include: a 183-bed UCSF Children's Hospital to replace inpatient . It is both an honor and a source of ongoing wonder to see all the ways that art makes us think, brings us joy, and makes the world a better place., Dana Johnson, Nimbus Arts Co-Founder and Board President, In any discussion about Napa Valley culture, the first two words that invariably come up are wine and food. But theres a third dimension to the region- the arts- that has been steadily expanding in scope and inspiring residents and visitors to enjoy and embrace their creative side. S.F. socialite Dede Wilsey joins YIMBYs in big housing fight. Here's Their May engagement was followed in August by a garden wedding for 400 in the tiny Napa town of Oakville. $form.find('.errors').children().hide(); He's a very complicated character who had a complicated childhood and turned it around. } else { Stepbrothers of Sean Wilsey. setTimeout(function(){ Its not random. }, Following her mother Ruth Buchanan's death, Dede Wilsey purchased the house in March 2020. + '<\/style>' if (jQuery(window).width() > 619) { When I first arrived at the French Laundry, Napa Valleys iconic images of vineyard-latticed hills dotted with chateaus and bountiful farms and orchards resonated with me. if (generalSettings.loadFontAwesome) { The home was built in the 1860s by H.W. Her first husband was steamship executive John Traina, whom she met in her hometown of Washington, D.C. // Append ouibounce to page An interior designer and event wizard, Ken Fulk first visited the valley in 1994, and says We came to Napa on our very first trip to California. As happens with some memoirs, author and subject appear to be in two polarized camps, with Wilsey's friends protecting him and his stepmothers' friends protectively closing ranks around her. slideInModal('Up'); Its popularity led a group of local leaders to imagine a festival that would define Napa Valley as a cultural destination. The residency featured concerts, family programs, and events that generated support for local youth charities. var c = ca[i]; A writer and filmmaker (Golden Globe for, By Alexis Traina. As Herb Caen used to say, 'There's nothing older than yesterday's news.' UCSF Medical Center Names Dede Wilsey to Lead New Philanthropic Effort This story appears in the November 2017 issue of Town & Country. Well, Im sure there are several and Im sure I have sold them by now. When he did return home periodically in the 1980s, his mother threw him out of the house; his father's patience wears thin. William Van Meter in Partnership With Royal Salute Scotch Whisky. if (!$modal.length) { $.each(a, function () { $(function() { In fact, we planned a big outdoor christening, but it rainedand it never rains in Napa. The quick-thinking couple cleared out all the furniture in the seldom-used formal parlor to allow about 60 guests to gather inside for the ceremony. What was your first purchase (and how much did you pay for it)? }); 2023 Artnet Worldwide Corporation. What work do you have hanging above your sofa? Thanks to generous support from Dede Wilsey, the festival brings some of the world's finest classical and contemporary dancers and dance companies to the Napa Valley, often for the first time. Theres nothing I love more than sitting in the passenger seat with him driving, going nowhere fast. map, photo credits | site by tmarks | dev by, 2023 nimbus arts tax ID: 27-1503762, Galbraith, Mayor of St. Helena and Supporter, Continued Support from Napa County Art and Culture Advisory Committee, Benefits of Artmaking on Mental & Emotional Health, Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co.s Nimbus Creativity Blend, CL 1 Foundations in Clay: Hand Building and Wheel Throwing Techniques, PD 1-2 High School Master Artists Open Studio. But though they threatened to give up on him, his mother, Montandon, and his father continued to support him financially, ever trying to find a new school that would set him straight. Europe's Most Luxurious Train Rolls Again! } She is the chairman emeritus of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. function slideInModal(upOrDown) { .removeClass('slideOutDown slideOutUp') About Festival Napa Valley A Glorious Beginning Spoiled-Childhood and Memoir Both Dede Wilsey is a San Francisco socialite, Republican donor and philanthropist, and the widow of San Francisco businessman Al Wilsey. var ctx = this; Giovanni Antonio Canal, Il Canaletto, Entrance to the Grand Canal looking East, with Santa Maria della Salute at right. + 'Thank you for subscribing!' I believe in the power of art to inspire and connect us. Do memoirists -- especially those with dark secrets to tell -- necessarily do so for revenge? I bought a Koons egg. There was a sham wedding to trial lawyer Melvin Belli (who'd represented Jack Ruby) in a Shinto ceremony in Japan that was annulled after 36 days; Montandon wanted the marriage to be official, but Belli refused to have it legally recorded. Dede Wilsey. Crabb, a Napa Valley pioneer who founded the To Kalon winery. var $form = $(formElement); His parents, he writes, were so narcissistic they didn't have time to nurture him. Picking up where Robert Mondavi left off, the Harlan family has completely rewritten the playbook of American wine. We have such diversity in our exhibitions, and its a learning experience every time we open an exhibition. If they want to join, fine., Wilseys been trying to make San Francisco a better place since she first came here over 40 years ago. }, var $modal = $('#ouibounce-modal'); + '<\/div>' I just bought a new dog picture. if (window.jQuery) { As my temporary unemployment began, I knew I wanted to use my free time to tell the story of the valley, and to do it in a way that would illuminate the fact that life here is no longer centered exclusively on wine. link.type = 'text/css'; The dining-room table belonged to my great-grandmother, as did the sideboard next to it, and [the nearby] secretary belonged to my mother., Though theres no denying his familys pedigree, Trevor cant help but make fun of some of the houses inherited features: It reminds me of that great comment by Marella Agnellimade after the socialite toured Sid and Mercedes Bass apartment in New Yorkwhen she said, It will take her another lifetime to understand wicker! Theres nothing more WASP-y than lattice and wicker. })(); artnet and our partners use cookies to provide features on our sites and applications to improve your online experience, including for analysis of site usage, traffic measurement, and for advertising and content management. // dataType: 'json', But as luck would have it she was deep into pregnancy with her second child, and a grueling four-week shoot for the book was out of the question. if (!found) { Diane "Dede" Wilsey. Along the way, theatrical and visual arts experiences expanded into . $modal[0], { + '<\/div>' Dede Wilsey, who grew up going to her family's newport home, beaulieu, photographed with her son todd // Init - Anything you want to happen onLoad (usually event bindings) + '<\/div>' The festival underwent a major rebranding in 2016, changing its name to Festival Napa Valley. You learn all about what that art is and that artist. "I had a dirt bike and loved exploring the mountainside on it." '