Press Release Adrienne Arsht Center celebrated 18th Anniversary Gala and honored three arts leaders with inaugural Arsht Awards - April 13, 2024

ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER CELEBRATED
18^TH ANNIVERSARY GALA AND
 HONORED THREE ARTS LEADERS WITH INAUGURAL ARSHT AWARDS

Arsht Awards honored arts education champion Marshall L. Davis, arts advocate Ruth W. Greenfield and philanthropist Adrienne Arsht

Community leaders and philanthropists united to raise $2 million for the Center’s arts education and community engagement programs

Miami, FL – April 19, 2024 – The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) proudly celebrated its 18th Anniversary Gala Ville Lumière City of Light on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Guests were immersed in a Parisian dream of pop-up musical vignettes, French culinary delights and an emotional surprise performance from nearly one dozen alumni of the Arsht Center’s education programs.

The inaugural Arsht Awards ceremony, which took place during the Gala, recognized three individuals who made significant contributions to the Arsht Center and the Miami cultural community at large. The honorees were Marshall L. Davis, Arsht Education Champion Award; Ruth W. Greenfield (posthumously), Parker Thomson Legacy Award; and Adrienne Arsht, Arsht Angel Award. 

Transporting guests to the romantic streets of Paris, the Arsht Center’s marquee philanthropic event united more than 300 community leaders in support of the Center’s mission-driven education and community engagement programs, which serve more than 100,00 annually. The event raised more than $2 million, including a $1 million gift from the Himan Brown Charitable Trust, which was announced at the Gala.

Adrienne Arsht, Founding Chairman of the Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation, served as the Gala’s Honorary Chair and the Gala Co-Chairs were Eric G. Johnson, Chairman, Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation Board & Holly Gaines and Richard C. Milstein, Chairman, Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Board & Eric Hankin.

Hosted on the Lynn Wolfson stage in the Dorothea Green Theater of the Ziff Ballet Opera House, the Arsht Center’s Gala  included vignette performances by Florida Grand Opera Studio Artists, Dimensions of Dance, French Horn Jazz Collective and Rhythm Street as well as a rousing dance and spoken word piece created for the Gala by young alumni of the Arsht Center’s Jazz Roots: Sound Check, AileyCamp Miami and Student Ambassadors programs. The evening also featured a culinary experience curated by executive chef Elgin Woodman of Constellation Culinary Group and a post-dinner stroll through Paris, complete with sketch artists, charming photo opps, a patisserie, dancing and, of course, Can Can performers. As the pièce de résistance, Broadway star Nic Rouleau serenaded Ms. Arsht with “La Vie en Rose.”

“The sustained generosity of the Arsht Center’s philanthropic circle is critical to the longevity and continued excellence of the Arsht Center’s inspiring, community-driven programs. It is inspiring to see the circle growing to ensure programs such as Jazz Roots Sound Check, Learning through the Arts and AileyCamp Miami can continue to transform lives right here in Miami,” said Gala Co-Chair and Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation Board Chairman Eric G. Johnson.

The Arsht Center’s 18th Anniversary Gala included Château de Versailles Virtuose sponsors - Adrienne Arsht; Eric G. Johnson and Holly Gaines; Martin and Melanie Kirschner; Opéra Garnier Ensemble sponsors - Dr. Kimberly Green and Green Family Foundation Trust; Lisa and Benjamin Leon III; Y. David and Cheryl Scharf; Lucille Zanghi and James Dow; Montmartre Maestro sponsors Antonio L. “Tony” and Conchi Argiz and BDO; Trish and Dan Bell.

The evening was also generously supported by Akerman, BACARDĺ, Bank of America, Gérard Bertrand, Goldman Sachs, Greenberg Traurig, TD Bank, The Miami Herald and World Red Eye. A full list of individual and corporate supporters can be found at arshtcenter.org.

@ArshtCenter              #ArshtCenter

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Additional fees may apply. Visit arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

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AboutUs

Set in the heart of downtown Miami, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is committed to welcoming and connecting ALL people to the arts, to the Arsht Center and to each other. Our stages are alive year-round with artists from around the world, innovative programming from our resident companies and local arts partners, free community events that reflect Miami’s unique identity and arts education experiences for thousands of Miami children each year.

 Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has been recognized as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area, a leader in programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity, a host venue for historic events and Miami’s hub for arts education.

Each year, we serve more than 60,000 young learners and offer more than 100 culturally diverse and inclusive education programs — many enhanced by the Arsht Center’s relationship with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, local teaching artists and Miami-based arts organizations.

The Arsht Center is also a home stage for three resident companies — Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony — and a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage. Our 300+ events each year include the Center’s Signature Series of classical, jazz, Broadway, local theater and much more. We present a robust series of touring Broadway musicals direct from New York, the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival and an award-winning Miami-based theater program. In addition, our Family Fest, Free Gospel Sundays, CommuniTEA LGBTQ+ celebration and Heritage Fest are among dozens of free events that bring together people from all corners of our community. For more information, visit arshtcenter.org.