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YoungArts Honored Actor Robert Redford, Visual Artist Doug
Aitken and Arts Administrator
Robert L. Lynch
at An Affair of the Arts Performance and Gala January 14,
2012
National organization celebrates artistic achievements and
leadership in the arts
MIAMI, FL (January
16, 2012) – On Saturday, January 14, 2012
YoungArts honored actor, director, activist and founder
of Sundance Institute+ Film Festival Robert Redford
with the Arison Award; visual artist and 1986 YoungArts
winner Doug Aitken with the Alumni Award; and arts
administrator Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of
Americans for the Arts, with the YoungArts Leadership Award,
at the historic Gusman Center for the Performing Arts and
the J.W. Marriott Marquis Hotel at An Affair of the Arts
Performance and Gala. The event raised nearly
$1,000,000 to support student artists on both a regional and
national level, with gala leadership graciously provided by
Honorary Gala Chairs Micky and Madeleine Arison, and J.W.
“Bill” and Donna Marriott, Jr. SunTrust was the event’s
presenting sponsor with additional support by MIAMI
Magazine, GREY GOOSE® Vodka and The Collection.
The gala evening
brought together more than 800 guests, including prominent
artists, community leaders, philanthropists and celebrities
to celebrate the 2012 national YoungArts winners and the
organization’s legacy of supporting artists at critical
junctures in their lives. Notable guests included Robert
and Bylle Redford; Debi Mazar; Jacques d’Amboise; Bill T.
Jones; Bruce Weber and Nan Bush; Lin Arison; Sarah Arison;
J.W. “Bill” and Donna Marriott, Jr.; Rocco and Debby
Landesman; Michael M. Kaiser; Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón; Jorge
Luis and Marile Lopez; Angelica
Maria, Angelica Vale and Otto Padrón; Shelly Berg;
Facundo and Elizabeth Bacardi; Alberto and Maria Carvalho;
Nicole Henry; and, Doug Aitken and Gemma Ponsa
Salvador, among others.
YoungArts,
the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement
in the Arts (NFAA) recognizes and supports America’s most
talented 17-18 year olds in the visual, literary and
performing arts. The organization’s mission is to identify
emerging artists and assist them at critical junctures in
their educational and professional development, and to raise
the appreciation for, and support of, the arts in American
society.
The dazzling evening
began with a VIP reception at The Historic Alfred I. Dupont
Building and performances by the 2012 YoungArts finalists,
and was followed by a spectacular show at the Gusman Center
by select YoungArts Alumni, including X Factor
finalist Marcus Canty. Following the performance, guests
were transported to the J.W. Marriott Marquis for a cocktail
reception, silent auction featuring specialty wines,
exclusive travel packages, and jewelry and a variety of
luxury items and experiences. The
J.W. Marriott Marquis ballroom was transformed into a lush
red oasis with dramatic touches of black linens and
more than 15,000 red roses. WowFactor Marketing Group
provided event management.
About
YoungArts:
YoungArts is the core
program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the
Arts (NFAA). The organization’s mission is to identify
emerging artists, provide educational enrichment and
assistance in their pursuit of the arts, and to raise the
appreciation for and support of the arts in American
society. Dedicated to inspiring and nurturing young artists,
NFAA was founded in 1981 by businessman and visionary, the
late Ted Arison, and his wife Lin. The YoungArts program
identifies the next generation of emerging artists and
contributes to the cultural vitality of the nation by
investing in the artistic development of thousands of gifted
artists in nine disciplines in the visual, literary and
performing arts. At the request of The Commission on
Presidential Scholars, which is appointed by the President
of the United States, NFAA serves as the exclusive
nominating agency for the U.S. Presidential Scholars in the
Arts.
The YoungArts program has
honored over 16,000 young artists with more than $6 million
in monetary awards and more than $100 million in college
scholarship opportunities. Alumni go on to become leading
professionals in their fields. Alumni include actresses
Vanessa Williams and Kerry Washington, four-time Tony Award
nominee Raúl Esparza, Executive Director of American Ballet
Theatre Rachel Moore, recording artists Nicki Minaj and
Chris Young, musician Jennifer Koh, choreographer Desmond
Richardson, and internationally acclaimed multimedia artist
Doug Aitken.
For more information about
YoungArts, visit
www.youngarts.org .
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