(Long Island, N.Y.) The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) was proud to announce that the 28th Annual Princess Grace Awards Gala took place on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at Cipriani located at 42nd Street in Manhattan. The Awards ceremony and Gala included the presentation of twenty one awards to emerging artists in theater, dance and film as well as the Prince Rainier III Award presented to Movie Star Denzel Washington and his lovely wife Pauletta Washington.
The 28th Annual Princess Grace Awards Gala was presented in the presence of Her Royal Highness Caroline Princess of Hanover. The evening was co-chaired by Bonnie Pfeifer Evans. Presenting Sponsor for the Gala is Hermès; Platinum Sponsors include: The Charles Evans Foundation and Noelle and Dick Wolf; and Crown Sponsor Lily Safra.
The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a not-for-profit publicly-supported foundation headquartered in Manhattan and was established more than twenty-five years ago by Prince Rainier III of Monaco in honor of his wife, movie star and Princess Grace Kelly. The foundation’s mission mirrors Princess Grace’s achievements in her lifetime. The foundation supports emerging artists in theater, dance and film through the awarding of scholarships, apprenticeships and fellowships.
Since its beginnings the foundation has bestowed more than six hundred fifty awards totaling more than $7 million in grants. This year, PGF-USA honored movie star Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta Washington with the Prince Rainier III Award in recognition of their outstanding careers and philanthropic endeavors. In addition to their distinguished professional accomplishments, Denzel and Pauletta Washington have been devoted to numerous philanthropic causes for more than twenty years. This is the first time a couple will share the Prince Rainier III Award honor which was inaugurated in 2005 by the PGF-USA board of trustees in recognition of the man who helped begin the foundation. This award is presented to eminent artists who have not only been highly successful in their careers but who have made significant humanitarian contributions to their fields.
More recent honorees include Mikhail Baryshnikov (2005), Twyla Tharp (2006), George Lucas (2007), Glenn Close (2008) and Mandy Patinkin (2009). These individuals have all received this honor which includes a grant of $25,000 to the philanthropic organization of their choice.
Past recipient of the Awards for theater, dance and film are eligible to win the Foundation’s Princess Grace Statue Award. This year, Tony Award-winning director Anna D. Shapiro was honored for her outstanding achievements.
Ms. Shapiro received her first Princess Grace Award in 1996 while working with Steppenwolf Theater Company. In addition to a $25,000 unrestricted cash gift, these awardees are presented with a bronze statuette of Princess Grace created by the Dutch artist Kees Verkade. To date, fifty-three artists have received this award.
Celebrated artist Alex Soldier, known for his mastery of fine jewelry and precious miniatures, has designed an object d’art to symbolize the Princess Grace Awards for the second year.
The Award symbolically combines the three art forms lauded by the Foundation: theater, dance, and film by using precious metals and jeweled Swarovski crystal accents. The sculpture is designed for each recipient to wear as a broach, a special reminder of their award for the world to see. The sculpture presented to the Prince Rainier III Award recipient is a larger version of the broach and demonstrates the interconnectedness between the art forms. The elegant gala began with cocktails, followed by an opening act featuring past Princess Grace Award winners in dance or choreography. The dance troupe performed a myriad of diverse dance styles, specially created for the 2010 Gala.
Supporters and guests enjoyed a three-course dinner catered by Cipriani 42nd Street. A special speech by Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Hanover following the Awards presentations and finally dancing to DJ Clockwork in the Chapel Room. At the Gala guests also had the opportunity to contribute to the foundation by bidding on an extensive collection of unique silent auction lots including travel packages, jewelry and accessories. All auction proceeds will benefit Princess Grace Awards to advance its mission of providing crucial support to emerging artists in America.
“We are extremely pleased to be honoring Denzel and Pauletta Washington, as well as Anna D. Shapiro, for their incredible professional achievements and for their dedication, inspiration and generosity to the community,” revealed John F. Lehman, Chairman of the Board of PGF-USA and Princess Grace’s cousin. “These honorees are the true embodiment of Princess Grace’s vision of giving back to the artistic community she loved so much. We are humbled and moved by their achievements.”
Each year, the Foundation presents the Princess Grace Awards to artists who show excellence and promise in the areas of theater, dance, and film. Students are eligible for scholarships while emerging artists working in companies qualify for apprenticeships and fellowships. A playwriting fellowship is available for individual artists, which includes a residency at New Dramatists in New York City, and the opportunity for representation and publication by Samuel French, Inc. In addition to these, the Foundation also gives honorable mention grants to applicants through Honoraria.
The 2010 Princess Grace Awards winners (listed below) represent 20 colleges, universities, and not-for-profit theater and dance companies throughout the United States. The Awards winners exemplify both classical and experimental artistic disciplines and, while still considered emerging talent, already show exceptional promise in their areas of expertise. The Foundation’s support assists their theater and dance studies, helps pay their artistic fees at non-profit theater and dance companies and helps support their thesis film projects. In addition to the Awards, the Princess Grace Foundation-USA extends general operating monies to companies hosting an Awards winner. The 2010 Princess Grace Awards winners are:
Theater and Playwriting
- Andrea Assaf – Theater Fellowship, Gant Gaither Theater Award, Pangea World Theater
- Charlotte Brathwaite – Theater Scholarship, George C. Wolfe Award, Yale School of Drama
- Shana Cooper – Theater Fellowship, Robert & Gloria Hausman Award, Oregon Shakespeare Festival
- Tom Gleeson – Theater Fellowship, Fabergé Theater Award, Arden Theatre Company
- Virginia Grise – Theater Apprenticeship, Pierre Cardin Theater Award, Playwrights’ Arena
- Adam Pinti – Theater Scholarship, Grace Le Vine Award, Arizona State University
- A. Rey Pamatmat – Playwriting Fellowship, New Dramatists Inc.
Dance and Choreography
- Kyle Abraham – Choreography Fellowship; Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp
- Craig Black – Dance Scholarship; The Julliard School-Dance Division
- Ashley Jackson – Dance Fellowship, Chris Hellman Dance Award; Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet
- Rachel M. Meyer – Dance Fellowship; Dominic Walsh Dance Project
- Andrea Parson – Dance Fellowship; Northwest Dance Project
- Brett Perry – Dance Fellowship; Trey McIntyre Project
- Victor Quijada – Choreography Fellowship; Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
- Andrew J. Wojtal – Dance Scholarship; California Institute of the Arts
Film
- Jessica Anne Bardsley – Film Graduate Scholarship; School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Mike Gibisser – Film Graduate Scholarship; University of Illinois, Chicago
- Laura Kraning – Film Graduate Scholarship, John H. Johnson Film Award; California Institute of the Arts
- Sara Newens – Film Graduate Scholarship; Stanford University
- Willie Williams – Film Graduate Scholarship; University of Southern California
Honoraria
- Lorianne Arden – Film Honorarium; Vassar College
- Chris Bryant – Film Honorarium; Chapman University
- Devan McGrath – Film Honorarium; Columbia College Chicago
- Javi Aitor Zubizaretta – Film Undergraduate Scholarship, Cary Grant Film Award; University of Notre Dame
2010 Special Project Awards and Works in Progress Residencies
Special Project Awards and Works in Progress Residencies at the Baryshnikov Arts Center are grants available to past Princess Grace Awards winners to show continued support. The 2010 Special Project Awards and Works in Progress Residencies are:
Special Project Awards
- Carlos Armesto
- John Fiege
- Michael John Garcés
- Zach Horton
- Kara Manning
- Benjamin Russell
- Uri Sands
- Works in Progress Residencies
- Jim Findlay
- Andrea Miller
- Chi-wang Yang
Denzel Washington is a two-time Academy Award-winning actor who recently made his return to Broadway where he appeared opposite Viola Davis in August Wilson’s “Fences,” earning him his first Tony Award. Mr. Washington’s accomplished artistic career spans more than 30 years. It includes numerous awards for acting and directing on both stage and screen. In 2004 Denzel Washington was honored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) for his years of support of the youth organization and was presented the Herbert Hoover Humanitarian Award, the highest honor the BGCA given to volunteers at the annual President’s Dinner. He has been a spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 1994.
Mr. Washington’s wife Pauletta Washington is an accomplished actress and musician whose undying passion for music started at an early age. Her education included the Julliard School in New York City. Beautiful as well as talented, Pauletta was the first African American to capture first runner-up in the Miss North Carolina Beauty Pageant. Pauletta’s generosity of spirit has led her to support numerous charities including The Brain Trust, Crystal Stairs and the Rape Center in Santa Monica. Pauletta has always taken a hands-on approach to any group she’s lent her name to, involving herself one hundred percent. As a result of Pauletta’s dedicated work on behalf of The Brain Trust, in 2004 The Pauletta and Denzel Family Gifted Scholars Program in Neuroscience was established at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. As recognition of her outstanding volunteerism, Pauletta has been honored by the Women in Film and by the California Governor’s Conference for Women. In May 2003 Pauletta was awarded the most prestigious “Mother of the Year” award from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Anna D. Shapiro is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama and the recipient of a 1996 Princess Grace Award. She has been affiliated with Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago since 1995. She has served as the original director of the New Plays Initiative, later joining the artistic staff as Resident Director, Associate Artist and, since 2005 is an Ensemble member.
Some of the celebrities that attended to give their support included: Recording Artist Ashanti, Broadway Producer Paul Canaan, Broadway Actress Viola Davis, Realty TV Star Sonja Morgan, Broadway Actress Tovah Feldshuh, Actor David Schwimmer and Emcee Maggie Rodriguez, “The Early Show” co-host.
For more information on how you can participate, support and contribute to The Princess Grace Foundation please visit www.pgfusa.com.
On Thursday, November 11, 2010 Long Islanders enjoyed a pre-holiday shopping experience at Saks Fifth Avenue at the Walt Whitman Mall.
There was a special Fur Fashion Presentation on the first floor with gorgeous models showcasing glamorous furs accompanied with chocolate cocktails and special treats followed by jewelry designs of Valentin Magro Trunk Show. Celebrity Jewelry Designer Valentin Magro made a special appearance to his loyal fans and clients.
Valentin Magro’s exquisite designer jewel collection is known for its unique and flowing designs as well as superb quality of material and workmanship. Nature is a predominant theme in his pieces featuring flowers, animals, leaves and objects from the sea. These incredible works of art are often created of carved materials such as coral, amber, turquoise, rock crystal and chalcedony. Beautiful gemstones and other exotic materials are paired with textured gold or platinum providing interest, dimension and movement to his jewelry brand.
In his youth, Valentin apprenticed under and worked for some of the world’s most highly recognized jewelers in New York including Tiffanys & Co., Harry Winston and David Webb before starting his own design house. Today he is well known for his successful custom design business as well as his repertoire of luxurious jewels.
Mr. Magro is willing to work with special clients to create their own vision and style from a classic diamond ring to an extravagant jewel embellished necklace.
For more information on Valentin Magro’s collection please visit www.valentinmagro.com and to shop for his exquisite jewels please visit www.saks.com/waltwhitman.
