Mayor's Awards
for Arts & Culture Revived
After 10 Year Hiatus
Mayor Michael
R. Bloomberg, Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate Levin and
the Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission were joined recently
at Gracie Mansion by hundreds of members of the City's cultural
community to honor the 2004 recipients of the Mayor's Awards
for Arts & Culture. The City presented
the awards to individuals and organizations that have made
outstanding contributions to the cultural life of New York
City.
“The ceremony renews a proud tradition in
our City that was established in 1976,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The
Awards for Art & Culture are an excellent opportunity to
celebrate the central role that arts and culture play in the
life and well-being of our City. The arts are a vital component
of our diverse communities and transform our neighborhoods,
create jobs and give our City its distinctive character and
energy. I congratulate the award winners tonight and thank
the Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission for bringing these
awards back to life and helping us celebrate all that the arts
mean for New York City.”
“This awards ceremony marks an exciting moment
to recognize and celebrate the individual artists, organizations,
sponsors, and audiences who collectively make New York such
a livable, vibrant and world-class city,” said Commissioner
Levin.
This year's honorees include:
Jacques D'Amboise, the
founder of the National Dance Institute, is one of the finest
classical dancers of our time. In 1976, while still a principal
dancer with the New York City Ballet, he founded the National
Dance Institute, a non-profit organization that introduces
thousands of school children each year to the world of dance.
He has also served as Dean of Dance and a professor at SUNY
Purchase. D'Amboise has received numerous awards for
his contributions to arts education.
Charles Biasiny-Rivera, an
award-winning photographer, is Founding Member and Executive
Director of En Foco, a Bronx-based non-profit
photography organization. Since 1974, En Foco has
been providing support for photographers of African, Latino,
Asian, Native American and Pacific Islander heritage through
grant making, exhibition space, and the publication of the
photography journal Nueva Luz.
Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman are among the country's leading philanthropists, providing essential
guidance and support for non-profit organizations in the
arts and education. Many of the Cullmans' gifts have been
to New York City institutions—among them the American
Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Modern Art, the
New York Botanical Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
the New York Public Library (including the Library for the
Performing Arts), Thirteen WNET and Lincoln Center. A member
of the Academy of Arts and Science, Mr. Cullman serves as
chairman of Chess-in-the-Schools, a New York City public
school program serving 38,500 economically disadvantaged
children annually. His book, “Can't Take It With You—The
Art of Making and Giving Money,” was recently published
by John Wiley & Sons.
Gloria M. Guzman is
principal of Public School 150 in Queens, which welcomes
children from all over the world, many of whom are English
language learners. Guzman emphasizes arts education as a
way of engaging students and involving their parents. In
addition to providing a top-notch arts curriculum, she has
been credited with significantly improving students' reading
and math scores.
J.P.
Morgan Chase & Co., under the leadership of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William
B. Harrison, Jr., is one of New York's finest corporate citizens.
As a lender supportive of non-profit cultural initiatives,
the firm finances many projects critical to the City's creative
life. The firm's Foundation plays a major philanthropic role
in New York City as well as globally. In 2003, it provided
more than 4,700 grants totaling $85 million. Of that, almost
$10 million went to arts and culture organizations.
Joan Maynard,
founding member and Director Emeritus of the Society of Preservation
of Weeksville and Bedford Stuyvesant History, has led the
fight to preserve Weeksville, a 19th-century settlement in
Brooklyn, which was at one time the largest free African-American
community in the Northeast and home to the first African-American
Police Officer in New York City. Maynard, a Brooklyn-born
visual artist, became the Society's first executive director
in 1974, and served until 1999.
Jennifer Tipton is
well known for her groundbreaking work in lighting design
for dance, theater and opera. Unique in the breadth and scope
of her work, Tipton has advanced her art form by emphasizing
the three-dimensionality and emotional qualities of live
performance. A professor of lighting at the Yale School of
Drama since 1981, Tipton has been the recipient of nearly
every professional award in the field.
The Tribeca Film Festival,
co-founded in 2002 by Robert de Niro, Jane Rosenthal, Martin
Scorcese and Craig Hatkoff, celebrates and promotes New York
City as a center for major industry and independent filmmaking.
Attracting thousands of people and generating millions in
revenues for local businesses in a neighborhood hard-hit
by 9/11, the festival is poised to expand its impact with
year-round humanities programming and a theater initiative.
Craig Hatkoff accepted the award.#