More than 350 guests gathered in New York City in celebration of 2013 honorees Dakota Fanning, B.B. King, John and Mary Pappajohn, Joel Shapiro, Alberto Carvalho

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

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Americans for the Arts, the leading organization for advancing the arts and arts education in the US, celebrated the 2013 National Arts Awards on Monday, October 21, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, raising more than $800,000 in support of the arts and arts education. Hosted during National Arts and Humanities month, the black-tie event was chaired by Maria Bell alongside co‐chairs Sarah Arison, Edythe and Eli Broad, Carolyn Powers, Julie and Edward J. Minskoff, as well as Theodor Dalenson, Americans for the Arts Board member, and his wife Isabella Dalenson.

More than 350 of the nation’s top opinion leaders from the communities of art, culture, business and philanthropy, gathered to recognize the importance of the arts nationwide, and to pay tribute to six honorees: legendary blues musician, B.B. King; John and Mary Pappajohn, longtime supporters of the Arts as well as social service, educational and medical programs; Dakota Fanning, film actress; Joel Shapiro, American sculptor renowned for his dynamic works of simple shapes as well as his involvement with arts in embassies and commitment to cultural exchange; and Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of Miami‐Dade County Public Schools and recognized expert on school reform and using the arts as a tool to help boost student enrollment and achievement.       

The evening began with an elegant cocktail hour featuring art work by renowned visual artist Will Cotton. Dinner featured a 3‐course meal as well as presentations of the awards, video tributes to the honorees, and a musical performance by YoungArts alumni led by musical director Kate Davis. Director of The Museum of Modern Art Glenn Lowry presented the Outstanding Contributions to the Arts Award to Joel Shapiro, followed by the presentation of the Arts Education Award to Alberto Carvalho by Sarah Arison, president of the Arison Arts Foundation. Jeff Fleming, director of the Des Moines Art Center, paid tribute to John and Mary Pappajohn as the recipients of the Eli and Edythe Broad Award for Philanthropy in the Arts Award. Film director Kelly Reichardt honored Dakota Fanning with the Bell Family Foundation Young Artist Award, and Grammy Award‐winning blues  musician and National Medal of Arts honoree Buddy Guy presented B.B. King with the Isabella and Theodor Dalenson Lifetime Achievement Award.

More than 350 guests and cultural leaders attended, including:

Visual Artists: Sante D’Orazio, Todd Eberle, Susan Meiselas, Ellen Phelan, and Walter Robinson, Hunt Slonem, Frank Stella and Christopher Wool; Film Industry Directors and Producers: Georgia Archer, Rachel Boynton, Jon Brewer, Natalie Difford, Anthony Dominici, Ethan McSweeney, Rick Rosenthal, Anish Savjani and Steve Shainberg; Actors: Nancy Anderson and Philip Dalenson; Writers: Jean Korelitz and Paul Muldoon; Business/Philanthropy: Sam Bonnier, Craig and Deborah Cogut, Dorothy Berwin and Dominique Levy, and Edward J. and Julie Minskoff; Dancers: Graham Lustig and Yvonne Marceau; Theatre Director Abel López; National Arts Leaders: Paul Lehr, Virginia McEnerney andTom Cochran; Interior Designer Anna-Johanna Bonnier; Musicians: Antony Genn; and Collectors, Dealers, and Art World Luminaries: Douglas Baxter, Ted and Isabella Dalenson, Jeffrey  Deitch, Richard Edwards, Justine Koons, Phillipe Vergne, Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy, and Al and Gail Engelberg.

Guests walked away from the evening with individually boxed Sprinkles cupcakes topped with the Americans for the Arts logo.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.