On June 1, 2011, the Gordon Parks Foundation will host the Gordon Parks Awards Dinner and Auction at Gotham Hall in New York City. The foundation will honor five individuals who embody his artistic passion and vision, each at the pinnacle of creativity, in the fields of film, fashion, media and art: Karl Lagerfeld, Photographer; Spike Lee, Director…… Sir Ken Robinson, Author/Educator; Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post Media Group; and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Director of Fashion, Lincoln Center. The evening will include a live and silent auction featuring photographs by Peter Beard, Chuck Close, Richard Gere, Herb Ritts, Ed Ruscha, Mark Seliger, Andy Warhol, Bruce Weber, Carrie Mae Weems and Harlem photographers James Van Der Zee and Gordon Parks. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Gordon Parks Foundation.
The foundation is named in honor of Gordon Parks, who was one of the seminal figures of twentieth century photography. A humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice, he left behind a body of work that documents many of the most important aspects of American culture from the early 1940s up until his death in 2006, with a focus on race relations, poverty, Civil Rights, and urban life. In addition, Parks was also a celebrated composer, author, and filmmaker who interacted with many of the most prominent people of his era—from politicians and artists to celebrities and athletes.
He continued working right up until his death in 2006, winning innumerable awards, including the National Medal of Arts in 1988, and over fifty honorary doctorates. The core of his accomplishments, however, remains his photography; the scope, quality, and enduring national significance of which is reflected throughout the Collection.
The Foundation permanently preserves the work of Gordon Parks and other artists, making it available to the public through exhibitions, books, and electronic media, and supports artistic and educational activities in which he had an interest during his lifetime.
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