Fundraiser Supports Stony Brook's Study Center at the Former Home and Studio of Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner and the University's Student Scholarship Fund
STONY BROOK, N.Y., March
9, 2012 -- Stony Brook University's 2012 "Stars of Stony Brook" Gala will honor actor-writer-director and
four-time Academy Award nominee Ed Harris
and The Pollock-Krasner Foundation on Wednesday,
April 25 at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City.
"This will be one of the most exciting and meaningful events of the year-long
celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Pollock's birth," states Richard L. Gelfond , CEO of IMAX Corporation,
Chairman of the Stony Brook Foundation Board of Trustees and Co-Chair with James H. Simons of the Stars of Stony Brook Gala. "With
Ed's passion and star-power, this gala that will not only refocus attention and
support for the legacy of this pioneering modern artist but, as always, provide
funds to help many students in-need realize their academic goals."
Ed Harris has been one of America's busiest and
in-demand actor-writers-directors since his career-breaking, Academy Award
nominated supporting acting role as astronaut John
Glenn in 1983's The Right Stuff. In 2000, Harris made his cinema
directing debut with Pollock, in which he also starred as visionary
painter Jackson Pollock, a role that earned him an
Academy Award nomination in the Best Actor category. Harris received two
additional Best Supporting Actor nominations for The Truman Show (1998)
and The Hours (2002). Harris has directed a number of theater
productions and maintained an active stage acting career, most notably a
starring role in the production of Neil LaBute's
one-man play Wrecks, in New York and Los Angeles, where he won the LA Drama Critics Circle
Award for Best Actor. Since 1983, Harris has been married to actress Amy Madigan.
Harris will next be seen portraying 2008 Republican Presidential
candidate, Senator John McCain, in HBO's
Game Change premiering March 10. Harris is also now back on the
stage, along with his actress wife Amy Madigan, for
the world premiere of Beth Henley's The
Jacksonian at the Geffen Playhouse in Los
Angeles.
"We are truly honored and privileged to be recognizing Ed Harris and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation at the Stars
of Stony Brook Gala," said Stony Brook President Samuel L.
Stanley Jr., M.D. "It is especially motivating that the Pollock-Krasner
Foundation has generously offered a $1 million
matching gift challenge grant that ensures the preservation of the
Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center."
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation was established in 1985 as the legacy of Lee Krasner (1908-1984), a leading abstract expressionist
painter and the widow of Jackson Pollock. The
Foundation's mission is to aid artists of recognizable merit worldwide who
demonstrate financial need. Krasner's legacy in the Foundation's creation is
significant, helping to stabilize and strengthen the careers and personal lives
of artists. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded 3,652 grants
totaling more than $55.6 million to artists in 72
countries. It has also provided funds for general operations and scholarly
programs to the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center.
The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center was established under the terms of
Lee Krasner Pollock's will. She instructed her
executors to deed the property to a charitable institution. She envisioned it as
"a public museum and library," to show the setting in which she and Jackson
created many of their works, and as a place for the study of modern American
art, especially the eastern Long Island art
community. In 1987 the property was deeded to the Stony Brook Foundation, a
private, non-profit affiliate of Stony Brook
University.
In preparation for interpreting the house and studio as the artists'
living and working environment, it was learned that a new surface had been
applied to the studio floor in 1953, during a major renovation in which the
building was winterized. When that covering was removed, the original
floorboards were found to be intact, complete with the remnants of Pollock's
most famous poured paintings, including Autumn Rhythm (Metropolitan
Museum of Art), Convergence (Albright-Knox Art
Gallery), Blue Poles (National Gallery of Australia) and Lavender Mist (National Gallery,
Washington DC). The museum was opened to the
public in June 1988. For more information, visit www.pkhouse.org.
The Stars of Stony Brook Gala begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30 PM at Chelsea Piers, followed by dinner at 7:30 PM. To reserve tickets, inquire about sponsorship, or
for more information, call 212.245.6570, ext. 15 or email tamaral@eventassociatesinc.com.
About the Stony Brook Foundation
The Stony Brook Foundation is a
not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1965 as the University's
sole repository for philanthropic contributions from individuals, corporations,
foundations, and other organizations in support of Stony Brook University. The
Foundation administers the University's scholarship funds. Every dollar donated
for scholarships goes directly to scholarships—no administrative fee is charged
on scholarship accounts. For more information about contributing to our
scholarship funds or creating an endowed named undergraduate scholarship or
graduate fellowship, please call the Advancement Office at (631) 632-6300 or
visit www.stonybrook.edu/foundation.
SOURCE Stony Brook Foundation
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