Art Expert Fay Gold Rings in 90

On April 2, outrageous art doyenne Fay Gold was fêted in honor of her 90th birthday.

“My mom changed the face of contemporary art in the South; and I focused on the party reflecting her trailblazing contribution,” said Gold’s daughter, Amy (Ames), who served as party planner. “I wanted it to be elegant and classy, yet risky and risqué, just like the birthday girl!”

Fay Gold with cast of characters and Joann Truffleman.

The birthday girl wore one of Badgley Mischka’s famous ombré sequin dresses, with streaks of silver, gold and bronze. Her dress, she joked, matched the tablecloths.

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“I have arrested development, and that’s why I have no idea what age I am,” said Gold, when asked how she manages to look so fabulous. “That’s my message … don’t even think about it and it all goes away. But I have been through 90 rotations of the sun. How about that?”

Brent Starr as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring body paint and Brigitte Bidet as framed Mona Lisa.

Some 100 guests dined on individual charcuterie boards, grilled baguettes, honeycomb, fig jam, olives and grapes, along with pan-seared branzini, bursting tomatoes and capers and Potatoes Dauphinoise. For dessert, there was birthday cake surprise and petite miniature sweets.

The soiree was held at one of Atlanta’s best and most-hidden venues: builder-developer John Weiland’s WAREHOUSE, located on the Westside, which has no address or signage and is not open to the public. It houses some of Weiland’s highly valued art collection.

Jontavious Willis, a 26-year-old blues musician from Columbus, Ga., and protégé of five-time Grammy winning Keb’ Mo’, performed after dinner.

Gold, whose Buckhead condo was previously featured in the AJT’s Chai Style column in 2017 (“Good As Gold”), was born in 1932 in South Carolina. During World War II, she entertained troops in USO shows, which led her to show business.

In 1949, Gold appeared onscreen with Rita Moreno in the film “So Young So Bad.” In 1954, she married Donald Gold, who died in 2010. After moving to Atlanta from New York, Gold taught art in her backyard, opening the Fay Gold gallery in 1982. She raised three children and has four grandchildren.

Fay Gold’s daughter, Amy Fisher, crafted the party invitation in homage to a Robert Mapplethorpe photo.

A video tribute from The Temple’s Rabbi Peter Berg, wishing Gold longevity and to live “to 120,” was played the next morning at a family brunch. Friend Jack Kirker compared her to someone much younger, while family members praised Gold’s adventurous spirit as a troublemaker. References were made to one of her favorite artists, Basquiat.

What’s next for Gold? “Never retire. By learning and working, I stay involved in business so my brain won’t atrophy, and my smile will show my endurance,” she said.

Gold’s daughter Amy (right) planned the party. Here she posed with one of the more lively guests.

Gold’s Tips for Longevity and Beauty:
• Win the genetic lottery.
• Show your love; don’t hold back.
• Be an outgoing extrovert.
• Stay lean. Eat leafy greens.
• No carbs, caffeine or sugar.
• WALK.
• Be open to new experiences.
• Be grateful and amazing.