Every year since 1940, the Philadelphia Art Alliance has celebrated cultural life in Philadelphia by honoring individuals whose contributions to arts and culture have been outstanding. In 2012, Carole Haas Gravagno will receive the Award of Merit from the Board of Directors in recognition of her outstanding contributions and leadership in Philadelphia’s cultural landscape. We are also pleased to award our Medal of Achievement to Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake, founders of KieranTimberlake Architecture Firm, in honor of their 27-year history as a leading international design firm. This year, we will present the President’s Award to David Revere McFadden, Chief Curator at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City, for his visionary leadership in the fields of craft and design, and his guidance during the PAA’s recent curatorial transition.
The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception, hosted by Restaurant Associates in their newly renovated restaurant, The Rittenhouse Tavern, and the galleries of the Philadelphia Art Alliance. We will then move across Rittenhouse Square to the Rittenhouse Hotel where dinner, followed by a lively party, will be held in the Ballroom.
Evening Schedule:
6:00 PM: Cocktail Reception at the Philadelphia Art Alliance
Catered by Restaurant Associates
8:00 PM: Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Rittenhouse Hotel
220 West Rittenhouse Square
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About our honorees:
The Award of Merit is presented to an outstanding Philadelphian who has been an innovator, achiever, or contributor to an artistic field. This year’s award goes to Carole Haas Gravagno for her commitment to education and the arts in the greater Philadelphia area.
Carole Haas Gravagno, a compassionate advocate for youth and a friend of the arts, has strengthened Philadelphia's artistic and educational resources by sharing her expertise and generously contributing her time and talent to dozens of nonprofit organizations over the past 25 years. Carole currently serves on the boards of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Arden Theatre Company, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and The Please Touch Museum. Her past commitments include Art in City Hall, the National Liberty Museum, Settlement Music School, and Strings for Schools. Carole has personally reached out to help open doors of opportunity for young people in the region, transforming lives by providing access to art and encouraging them to invest in their own development.
The Medal of Achievement was established in 1940 to honor individuals who have become distinguished in their chosen field or have actively contributed to the growth and development of the arts. The 2012 Medal of Achievement goes to Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake, co-founders of KieranTimberlake architecture firm.
KieranTimberlake espouses a philosophy of sustainable design, collaborative design, and in-depth research. They are innovators in prefabrication, new technologies, and integrating architecture with the actual activities to take place in the buildings they design, especially using "teaching" design elements in schools. Their interest in products and craft led them to team up with DuPont to develop Smartwrap, a laminated polymer film that can support thin interstitial films, including photovoltaics, OLEDs, polarizing or UV screens, etc.
Founded in 1984 in Philadelphia by Stephen Kieran and James Timberlake, the firm is comprised of fifty-four professionals committed to the highest quality in design and client service. KieranTimberlake has received over one hundred design citations including the 2008 Architecture Firm Award, the highest honor bestowed on a firm by the American Institute of Architects, and the 2010 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. KieranTimberlake is currently involved in the design of the new Embassy of the United States in London, The re-design of Philadelphia City Hall's Dilworth Plaza, a new Meeting House and Arts Center at Sidwell Friends School and the master facility plan for Rodeph Shalom Synagogue in Philadelphia.
The President’s Award is presented to an advocate of the arts whose work has advanced scholarship, raised public awareness, and expanded our understanding and appreciation of the decorative arts. The inaugural award is presented to David Revere McFadden, William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator at the Museum of Arts + Design in New York City.
David Revere McFadden has organized more than one hundred exhibitions on decorative arts, design and craft, covering developments from the ancient world to the present day. Exhibitions highlighting important and sometimes overlooked areas of design include tiles, keys and locks, pottery and porcelain, glass and silver. Previously, he served for two years as Executive Director of the Millicent Rogers Museum of Northern New Mexico in Taos, New Mexico. From 1978 to 1995, McFadden served as Curator of Decorative Arts and Assistant Director for Collections and Research at Cooper–Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
McFadden has published more than 90 books, articles, catalogues, and reviews worldwide, and has delivered more than 200 lectures and papers to national and international audiences. He has spoken at such cultural institutions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the École du Louvre in Paris. For his work in cultural affairs, McFadden has been named Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland (1984); Knight Commander of the Order of the Polar Star of Sweden by King Gustaf VI (1988); and Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Republic of France (1989).
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