Press Room

MUSEUM OF ARTS & DESIGN HONORS FRANK DOROFF, NADJA SWAROVSKI, ELLA FONTANALS-CISNEROSAND MARCEL WANDERS AT ITS14TH ANNUAL VISIONARIES! AWARDS GALA

Early corporate supporters Include Nicole Miller, Ralph Lauren, Diane von Furstenberg, Liz Claiborne, Target, Hugo Boss, Bloomingdale’s, Chanel and Swarovski

New York, NY (November 1, 2007)

The Museum of Arts & Design will honor as 2007 Visionaries! Frank Doroff, senior executive vice president and general merchandise manager for Bloomingdale's; Nadja Swarovski, vice president of international communications for Swarovski Crystal; philanthropist and entrepreneur Ella Fontanals-Cisneros; and internationally renowned Dutch designer Marcel Wanders. The 2007 Visionaries! epitomize innovation and excellence in their respective fields.

MAD's Visionaries! awards annually celebrate exceptional, culturally engaged corporate executives as well as extraordinary artists and designers who have advanced the fields of art, craft and design. The 14th annual gala benefit will take place on Wednesday, November 14, at Pier Sixty, at 23rd Street and West Side Highway, New York City. The evening begins with cocktails and the silent auction at 6:30 p.m. The dinner program will commence at 7:45 p.m. followed by the awards presentation and live auction. Live and silent auctions will feature important works of art, travel and dining packages and various luxury items.

The Museum, the country’s leading institution dedicated to art, craft and design, is delighted to pay tribute to these Visionaries!’ outstanding achievements—which are closely allied with its mission to celebrate all the arts—as it enters the final stages of construction on its new home at 2 Columbus Circle and plans its grand opening there in September 2008.

Each year, more than 700 guests include artists, designers and noted corporate and civic leaders. This year, early purchasers of tables include Nicole Miller, Diane von Furstenberg, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Liz Claiborne, Hugo Boss, Bloomingdale’s, Adidas, St. John, Chanel, Swarovski, Theory, Guess?, Elie Tahari and Target.

The event is the Museum’s most important annual fundraiser and helps underwrite exhibitions and educational programs. Visionaries! 2006—MAD’s largest benefit event ever—was a tremendous success and raised a record $1.5 million.

Event co-chairs: Jerome A. Chazen, the Museum’s chairman emeritus, Barbara Tober, chairman of the MAD Board of Trustees, and Michael Gould, chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale’s.

HONOREES
Corporate Honoree
Frank Doroff and Bloomingdale’s business acumen, originality and innovation in the retail industry as well as commitment to serving communities and enriching the lives of millions of children, students and families, epitomize the humanistic and cultural vitality of contemporary craft expression.

Visionary! Award: Designer
Nadja Swarovski, through her leadership and shrewd marketing, has taken Swarovski Crystal to the forefront of fashion and jewelry design, redefining the company’s image by relentlessly pushing Swarovski into the realms of celebrity and fashion.

Visionary! Award: Collector and Philanthropist
Ella Fontanals-Cisneros, through her generosity, vision and dynamism, has made a significant impact on the Miami arts scene as well as cultural organizations around the globe.

Visionary! Award: Artist
Marcel Wanders’ unique vision has consistently pushed the boundaries of experimentation with materials and processes; he has come to be known as one of the most inspiring powerhouses of multi-disciplinary design active today.





Past Visionaries!:

--Designers Ron Arad; Michael Graves, Geoffrey Beene, Todd Oldham and Lella and Massimo Vignelli, Jack Lenor Larsen

--Architectural Digest editor Paige Rense; Tiffany design director John Loring; Neiman Marcus president and CEO Burton M. Tansky; Paul R. Charron of Liz Claiborne, Inc., developer Kenneth A. Himmel; entertaining guru Martha Stewart.

--Artists Toshiko Takaezu; Ruth Duckworth; Lino Tagliapietra; Dale Chihuly, Wendell Castle, Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, Harvey Littleton, Sam Maloof, William Morris, Lenore Tawney, Bertil Vallien, Olga de Amaral, and the late, renowned ceramic artist Peter Voulkos

--Dancer-choreographer Bill T. Jones; Guy LaLiberte of Cirque de Soleil

--Songwriter Cy Coleman

--Costume designer and Broadway and film director Julie Taymor

--Philanthropist and entrepreneur Alfred Taubman; philanthropist and collector Henry Luce III; corporate philanthropist Philip Morris

Tickets
Event sponsorship: $50,000 and above

Tables:
Underwriter at $25,000,
Benefactor at $15,000,
Supporter at $10,000

Individual Ticket(s): $1,000

For tickets or more information, please call

Stephanie Lang, 212.956.3535 x 129.