Stars will converge at the Kimmel Center next week for an annual awards gala that honors artists whose work goes far beyond the screen or stage.
The 2011 Marian Anderson Award Gala will be held at 8:30 p.m. May 10 at Kimmel’s Verizon Hall, 260 S. Broad St., honoring the humanitarian efforts of actor Mia Farrow.
The award dates to 1989, created at the behest of then-Mayor Ed Rendell, and came to life under the direction of openly gay founding executive director Patrick Moran.
Moran said Rendell envisioned the award as the artistic counterpart to the Liberty Medal, which honors international leaders in the fight for democracy, a feat Moran said has been accomplished.
Throughout the past decade, the award — named for the pioneering Philadelphia singer and civil-rights activist — has been given to figures like Harry Belafonte, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, Sidney Poitier and Oprah Winfrey.
“I think one of the things that’s helped this grow so much has been the people who’ve agreed to accept the award. Each one has added another layer of prestige,” Moran said. “And we’re not only honoring these extraordinary individuals for their roles in shaping society for the better, but every time we hold this gala, we recall the dynamic career of Marian Anderson.”
Proceeds from the event benefit the Marian Anderson grant programs that are distributed throughout the year to support young artists, totaling $25,000 annually.
“We work to make sure young artists are supported in their most vulnerable years,” Moran explained. “This is a time when most kids who are living in homes where they might have financial challenges may have to give up their art for one reason or another. So this program doesn’t necessarily seek to develop artists; we just work to make sure that young people don’t have to give up the opportunity to study their art until they know for sure what they want to do. We don’t want financial challenges to be the reason they stop pursuing their passions.”
Moran himself has long been involved in the arts world, having grown up in a family that recognized the value of cultural performances.
“Very early on, I spent a lot of time in cultural institutions and was lucky enough to go to some great performances — music, dance — and these things showed me, even when I was young, that they made life richer. Those live performances had an attraction for me that the television just didn’t; I think it’s just that a performance or a concert is a much more dynamic experience,” he said.
As a child, Moran said, he was impressed by the galas held at The Metropolitan Opera in New York City that featured an array of performing artists in one comprehensive exhibition.
Throughout his career, Moran has held numerous development positions in area nonprofit arts agencies, but always kept the MET gala model in the back of his mind. He put it to practice with the launch of the Marian Anderson Awards Gala.
Since its founding, the gala has included performances by artists Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie and, this year, will feature Carly Simon, recent Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding and opera star Angela Brown, along with host and dance legend Judith Jamison and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Over the last decade, the connection between artistic and humanitarian endeavors has evolved.
Moran said artists are increasingly expected to align themselves with a charitable cause, but the Marian Anderson Award has recognized many celebrities who’ve taken up that work independently.
“To be without some type of charity is now really seen as bad form, but when we started there was really only a small group of people doing this work on their own initiative,” Moran said. “We gave the award to Liz Taylor one year, and she was really the first person of stature to speak out against AIDS when nobody else was doing so. People told her it’d be career-harming but she didn’t give a damn. The same is true when Gregory Peck won; even to this day, anything having to do with gun control people think is too controversial, but he took it upon himself to take a stand and speak out against gun violence. These people could just be having a fun life, enjoying their fame and their wealth, but instead they’re working to give a voice to vulnerable populations.”
Farrow is no exception — the actor and former model is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nation’s Children’s Fund and has visited Africa more than a dozen times in the past several years, focusing her humanitarian efforts on the war-ravaged Darfur region.
She’s documented her experiences in publications around the world and has worked at length to press for enhanced humanitarian aid to the area.
“The world has known about this crisis for years but little attention has been given to it,” Moran said. “She has insisted that the world turn around and see what’s happening there. It’s that kind of courage and leadership that this award seeks to honor.”
Tickets to the gala and pre-event dinner vary and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999 or visiting www.philorch.org.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].