INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Leslie McGuirk, celebrated for her creative children’s books and illustrations, is using a little of ingenuity to lure residents out of their own neighborhoods – hoping they will make the short drive to McKee Botanical Garden and see what they’ve been missing.
“I have a belief that a lot of people in Vero don’t even know about McKee,” said McGuirk, who recently joined the board of the nonprofit organization. She introduced a speaker concept as a way to entice visitors with an inexpensive summer event.
“Unless some people have a reason to come out for something not related to the garden they’re not going to come,” McGuirk says.
And come they did. Despite torrential rain, approximately 70 people braved an early evening thunderstorm Wednesday, venturing out to catch “Celebrity Conversations: An Evening with Lawrence Grobel.”
“We’ve got this great facility. Everything shouldn’t stop just because it’s summer,” said McGuirk. “It’s important to do some less expensive events; get the younger people in. They’re an investment in our future. There are a lot of younger people we’d like to get involved.”
Emily Trammel agreed, noting that while McKee has a wonderful roster of generous donors, “If the feet don’t hit the dirt, it’s not being utilized.”
Feet didn’t hit the dirt, or any of the rain-swept garden paths that night, but guests stayed dry and entertained, enjoying wine and cheese at the Garden Café and listening to Dave Wagner’s Dog House Jam Band while chatting under the covered walkways.
“It’s pretty even in the rain,” said John Brady, looking out over the lush foliage with wife Emilie. “It’s fantastic what they’ve done here. It’s really a beautiful place.”
Bart Heikes and Melissa Mittag were among quite a few of McGuirk’s friends who, despite having lived in Vero Beach for decades, were visiting McKee Botanical Garden for the first time. One glimpse and they were all eager to return.
“I’m trying to change the perception,” said McGuirk. “McKee is such an amazing location; it’s much more than just a garden.”
“Leslie is the best thing that has happened to McKee in the last year,” said Earl Morgan, McKee board president. “She is very creative and inventive and she comes to McKee with a whole lot of ideas.”
Lawrence Grobel, deemed “the Interviewer’s Interviewer” by Playboy Magazine, treated the audience to a view from the inside, with memories of interviews he conducted with the famous and the infamous for a host of publications. They were also given a rare glimpse of extracts from televised interviews he made for the Playboy Interviewer Series with Truman Capote, John Huston, Debbie Reynolds, Shelly Winters, Dudley Moore and Miles Davis.
Grobel’s first celebrity interview with Mae West kicked off a career that would have actors, musicians, authors and other household names sharing their innermost secrets; giving those of us on the outside an intimate glimpse into their celebrated lives.
An extended interview with Hugh Heffner led to turning point interviews with Barbara Streisand, and Marlon Brando, and furthered his reputation as a celebrated journalist.
Grobel would later write 11 books, some from material garnered at interviews conducted with Capote and Brando, the Huston family, James Michener, Montel Williams, Al Pacino and Robert Evans.
Answering a question from the audience, Grobel spoke of his extensive interview preparation process, becoming as familiar as possible with his subjects beforehand so that each session might develop into something unique.
Famous for his ability to snag even the most elusive names, Grobel indicated that part of the thrill was in the hunt – when asked if there were people he was most interested in interviewing, he smiled and said, “Those that don’t do interviews.”
Other events planned at McKee include a Customer Appreciation Day and Scarecrows in the Garden in October, and from Nov. 3 through April 30 Hans Godo Fräbel’s ethereal glass figurines return to McKee in a Fräbel Reimagined exhibition.
“They’re almost all new sculptures,” said Christine Hobart, McKee executive director, of the fanciful flora and fauna pieces and famed “Longfellow” figures. “They’re literally creating a whole new exhibition for us.”
Later events include Holidays at McKee and Night of Lights in December; a new Jungle Gardens Day in January; Bridge in the Garden, a Motorcar Exhibition celebrating 60 years of the Corvette and the Fräbel Gala in February; Rick Kelly as Artist in Residence in March; the annual Fairy Festival in April; and the Waterlily Celebration in June.
