The dinner – Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Changemakers from the worlds of film, music, philanthropy, business, fashion, and the visual arts assembled at Cipriani 42nd Street on Tuesday evening to celebrate the legacy of iconic photographer Gordon Parks and to honor visionaries in art and social justice.
“Style is a way of saying who we are — and for Gordon Parks, it was always about more than fashion. It was about identity, dignity, and resistance.” Robin Givhan
Cocktail Hour – Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
This award honors the memory of the renowned photographer and artist who died in 2006. Parks described his work as the “common search for a better life and a better world.”
Each year, the Gordon Parks Foundation Award is given to individuals who have enriched our lives in ways that reflect Parks’ ideas and goals by using creative means to inspire the next generation.
Honoree Bethann Hardison – Photo Marilyn Kirschner
The Gordon Parks Patron of the Arts Award recognizes and celebrates individuals who deeply appreciate the arts. Recipients receive this special recognition for supporting and promoting artistic creativity in the visual arts, film, literature, or performing arts.
Honoree Ambassador Andrew Young and his wife, Carolyn – Photo Marilyn Kirschner
This year’s honorees, a diverse group representing various fields, include the legendary model and activist Bethann Hardison (who just announced the formation of the Bethann Haridson Foundation to advance young t,alent), acclaimed contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, Chief Content Officer Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director of Vogue Anna Wintour, and politician, minister, and civil rights leader Ambassador Andrew Young, who was U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mayor of Atlanta, and a U.S. Congressman.
Along with the honorees, the evening also acknowledged two celebrated artists and members of Gordon Parks’s circle, Mikki Ferrill and LeRoy Henderson, along with this year’s Gordon Parks Foundation Art Fellows, interdisciplinary artist and educator Derek Fordjour, and photo-based artist and feminist activist Scheherazade Tillet.
Alex Soros, Maxwell Osborne – Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
The list of high-profile Co-Chairs included Alex Soros and Huma Abedin, Judy and Leonard Lauder, Alicia Keys and Kasseem Dean, Sarah Arison, Kathryn and Ken Chenault, Anderson Cooper, Tonya and Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and Christine Taylor.
Ozwald Boateng, Colman Domingo – Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
There was an abundance of talent and star power everywhere you looked. Presenters included actor, playwright, and director Colman Domingo; fashion designer & author Aurora James; model and actor Tyson Beckford; and Jeanne-Moutoussamy-Ashe, photographer, activist, and wife of Arthur Ashe, the late great tennis icon.
Dynasty Ogun, Soull Ogun – Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
There wasn’t a formal dress code; it was more about expressing your style and celebrating the event’s themes than following a strict rule. On Tuesday night, there was a little bit of everything, but there was more than a smattering of dapper-looking dandies.
Andra Day, the Grammy Award-winning, multi-talented singer, songwriter, and actress, performed at this year’s gala looking quite debonaire in a black tuxedo, starched white shirt, and bow tie. There was a special musical interlude by The Roots’ Dave Guy.
Gayle King and Christopher John Rogers – Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Among the notable attendees were Peter W. Kunhardt Jr., Executive Director of The Gordon Parks Foundation; Michael Stipe; Deborah Roberts; Leslie Odom Jr.; Robin Givhan; Ozwald Boateng; Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele; Maxwell Osborne; Dapper Dan; Ari Melber; Coreen Simpson, Wendy and Tonne Goodman; Christopher John Rogers; Gayle King; Breanna Stewart; and Annie Leibovitz, who was the 2012 honoree.
Auctioneer Kimberly Pirtle, Associate Vice President, Sotheby’s – Photo by Marilyn Kirschner
Along with the awards presentation during dinner, Kimberly Pirtle, Associate Vice President of Sotheby’s Collectors Group, presided over an auction. The auction featured nine iconic photographs Gordon Parks took, all displayed on the wall in the reception area during cocktails. The auction was a resounding success, raising about $900 K between the auction and paddle.
“Hopefully, the number will increase, and we will get to $1M,” says Kimberly, the subject of a recent profile I wrote for LOOKONLINE. Pirtle never fails to command the room with her savoir-faire, abundance of confidence, and great personal style. Coincidentally, Kimberly and I are neighbors. We live on the same floor.
