ArtsWestchester Announces 2014 Gala Honorees
Westchester Medical Center & Robert Wiener, Chairman of MAXX Properties, to be Honored at November 22 Event
White Plains, NY (October 31, 2014) – ArtsWestchester, the county’s oldest and most-influential organization dedicated to artists and cultural organizations, later this month will honor two steadfast supporters of the arts, the organization announced today.
ArtsWestchester will honor Robert Wiener, Chairman of MAXX Properties, and Westchester Medical Center’s Healing Arts Program at the organization’s annual gala at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22. The event, to be held at 900 King Street in Rye Brook, will also jump start ArtsWestchester’s 50th Anniversary, which will consist of a year-long celebration of the arts.
The theme for the gala is “When it All Began” and will include live music and dancing. The festive space will include imagery and music from the likes of Janis Joplin, Star Trek, Woodstock, Rolling Stones, Andy Warhol and the best of the 1960s.
“As ArtsWestchester approaches its 50th anniversary year in 2015, the gala is one way to gather friends and supporters who believe in the value of the arts in society,” says ArtsWestchester CEO Janet Langsam. “This year, we look forward to celebrating our two honorees as we reflect on the Arts Council’s beginnings in 1965.”
The honorees are as follows:
• The individual 2014 ArtsWestchester honoree is Robert Wiener, Chairman of MAXX Properties. An exemplary supporter of the arts and leader on ArtsWestchester’s Board of Trustees, Wiener is particularly passionate about providing access to the arts for children throughout Westchester County. A grandfather to 16, Wiener wants young people to have quality arts education experiences because he understands the arts boost academic performance and inspire creative thinking. He also knows that the arts have enormous and positive impact on thousands of low-to-moderate income children in Westchester County who are in need of the “springboard” that arts enrichment can provide.
• The corporate 2014 ArtsWestchester honoree is Westchester Medical Center. A longtime advocate for a place for the arts in patient health and well-being, Westchester Medical Center’s vision for its Healing Arts Program is to employ integrative arts therapies and complimentary healing practices to enhance the health and well-being of patients, family members, visitors and caregivers at Westchester Medical Center. Elements of their innovative program include art and music therapy, visual art, performing art, nutritional counseling, Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, aromatherapy and massage.
The gala will kick off a year-long celebration of ArtsWestchester and the role that the organization has played in Westchester County during the last 50 years. Some initiatives that will be launched include recognizing 50 artists of extraordinary merit through the 50 for 50 Initiative campaign; mounting a countywide Beyond NYC: A Festival of New Work in Westchester recognizing 50 Westchester artists; developing 50 new Arts & Business Partnerships by 2015; providing 50 new Artist Residencies in the neediest schools by 2015; securing funding for Challenge for the Arts, which provides matching grants to cultural organizations; and launching a five-year Campaign for the Arts beginning in 2015.
All gala proceeds will benefit the programs and services of ArtsWestchester. Table sponsorships, tickets, and journal ads are available at www.artswestchester.org/gala. A high-tech silent auction will allow people to bid electronically on exciting prizes, from luxurious vacations to sports memorabilia and beautiful jewelry. For more information on this year’s gala, visit www.artswestchester.org/gala or contact Ann Fabrizio at afabrizio@artswestchester.org. Silent Auction bidding runs from now until the night of the gala at www.biddingforgood.com/artswauction.
The Gala Dinner is being co-chaired by Betty Himmel and Bob Roth, members of ArtsWestchester’s Board of Trustees.
“This gala is the single most important fundraising event of the year for our organization,” says Himmel. “The funds raised at this year’s gala support the arts in our community year-round, by bringing artists into our classrooms, exhibitions into our galleries, performances in our theaters, and tourists into our cities and towns.”
“The arts not only boost the local economy, they provide opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged youngsters, to learn new skills and achieve academic success,” says Roth, who is also a principal with John Meyer Consulting.