2023 YoungArts Miami Gala

WHAT: On Saturday, January 28, 2023, YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists, welcomed more than 250 guests and raised $800K at the organization’s annual Miami Gala presented by Prada. The evening recognized architect Germane Barnes with the Arison Award, given annually to individuals who, like the Arison family, have had a significant influence on the development of young American artists. The evening brought together artists, influential community leaders and philanthropists for a celebratory night of artistry, dining and dancing.

During the event Jon Paul Pérez announced the 2023 recipient of the Jorge M. Pérez Award, Cornelius Tulloch, a Miami-based interdisciplinary artist and designer, and a 2016 YoungArts award winner in Design Arts and Visual Arts and a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. First established in 2018, the award honors a YoungArts Visual Arts award winner who has succeeded in strengthening their community through artistic endeavors with a $25,000 unrestricted award.

The Miami Gala featured performances by Uriel Ramirez (2015 YoungArts Winner in Dance), Anton Kot (2019, 2020, 2021 YoungArts Winner in Jazz), Alice Blumenfeld (2008 YoungArts Winner in Dance & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts), Marjan Naderi (2020 YoungArts Winner in Writing), Peter Eom (2013 YoungArts Winner in Classical Music) and Tariq Al-Sabir (2011 YoungArts Winner in Voice) under the artistic direction of acclaimed musician, conductor and co-founder and artistic director of Nu Deco Ensemble Jacomo Bairos (1994 YoungArts Winner in Classical Music), who was also the emcee for the evening.

The evening was designed by one of the world’s premiere event designers, Raúl Àvila. A titan in special event production, Raúl Àvila has a distinguished and respected list of benefits, most notably he oversees the décor design for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Annual Costume Institute Gala since 2007, alongside American Vogue’s Anna Wintour. For this special evening Àvila created a sophisticated tropical paradise filled with Miami native ferns, ratan table scapes and pops of pink coordinating with one of YoungArts signature colors.

WHO: The annual Miami Gala was hosted by co-chairs Sarah Arison and Thomas Wilhelm, and Jill Braufman and Daniel Nir. 

YoungArts Trustees in attendance were Sarah Arison, Doug Blush, Hampton Carney, Natalie Diggins, Jonathan Flack, Danielle Garno, Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Michi Jigarjian, Rich Kohan, Steve Marks, Lauren Matthiesen, Michael McElroy, Joan Morgan, Glenda Pedroso and Maurice Zarmati.

Additional notable attendees were Chanel Iman and Davon Godchaux, Tracey and Chloe Berkowitz, Jeff Davis and Michael Miller, Florent Bonadei, Raul Avila, Tarin and Andrew Teno, Robert Wennett and Mario Cader-Frech, Randi Wolfson and Chris Adamo, Daniel Lewis, Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear.

Artists and cultural leaders included Robert Chambers, Juan Jose Cielo, Silvia Cubina, Naomi Fisher, Nadege Green, Howard Herring, Loni Johnson, Cathy Leff, Karelle Levy, Kathryn and Dan Mikesell, Debra Scholl, Franklin Sirmans and Jasmine Wahi.

WHERE:

WHEN:

Saturday, January 28, 2023

EVENT IMAGES CAN BE FOUND HERE.

About YoungArts
Established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison, YoungArts identifies exceptional young artists, amplifies their potential, and invests in their lifelong creative freedom. YoungArts provides space, funding, mentorship, professional development and community throughout artists’ careers. Entrance into this prestigious organization starts with a highly competitive application for talented artists ages 15–18, or grades 10–12, in the United States that is judged by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. 

For more information, visit youngarts.org, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter.