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(New York, NY – November 22, 2013)
More than 250 of New York’s crème de la crème packed the
Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Performing Arts on
Thursday night to raise a glass and toast The Indo-American
Arts Council’s 15th anniversary and celebrate the
non-profit organization’s numerous contributions of Indian
performing, visual and literary arts to New York City’s
diverse cultural landscape. The IAAC honoured three
outstanding Indian-Americans, author Salman Rushdie,
filmmaker Mira Nair and Dr. Manjula Bansal,
for their commitment and contributions to the global
artistic community. Headlining the entertainment at the
event was Oscar-winning duo: singer/songwriter/composer
Paul Williams (Oscar winner with Barbara Streisand for
“Evergreen”) with pianist/composer Kenny Ascher,
of “Rainbow Connection” (from The Muppet Movie) fame.
Additionally, Exclusively.In presented a breath-taking
runway show featuring the creativity of iconic Delhi-based
designer Manish Arora through his “Indian” collection.
The emcee for the evening was comedian Dan Nainan,
and some of the celebrities who presented awards and walked
the red carpet included: chef and author Madhur Jaffrey,
actor Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), writer and
filmmaker Sabrina Dhawan, actor Sakina Jaffrey
(House of Cards), author, screenwriter,
producer Tracey Jackson,
Ambassador Manjeev Puri, actors Reshma Shetty
(Royal Pains) and Manu Narayan, just to name a
few.
IAAC is the first and only Indian Arts
Council in the United States representing all of the
artistic disciplines, including theatre, dance, music, film,
folk arts, literature and fashion. The IAAC pioneered the
first annual Indian theatre, film, dance and playwright
festivals in the country, as well as an annual travelling
exhibition of contemporary Indian art. The IAAC’s programs
attract packed audiences and amazing media coverage –
ethnic, mainstream and international outlets such as The
New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, Variety, New
York Daily News, NY1, CNN IBN, and Huffington Post,
just to name a few.
“IAAC
has been the perfect platform for nourishing and promoting
Indian heritage, through the medium of performing arts, in
our adopted homeland – the U.S.,” said Dr. Manjula Bansal,
one of the honorees at the gala. “The IAAC has done
invaluable work in creating a showcase for Indian Americans
in many art forms. I'm delighted to have been a supporter
from the earliest days,” said author and IAAC supporter
Salman Rushdie. "Love and salaams to dynamic Aroon and
the IAAC for bringing us our cinema for 15 years.
Woo Hoo!" exclaims Mira Nair whose film Monsoon
Wedding closed the first IAAC film festival.
About The Indo-American Arts Council:
The Indo-American Arts Council is a registered 501(c)3
not-for-profit, secular service and resource arts
organization charged with the mission of promoting and
building the awareness, creation, production, exhibition,
publication and performance of Indian and cross-cultural art
forms in North America. It is passionate about showcasing,
celebrating and building an awareness of artists and
artistic disciplines of Indian origin in the performing,
literary, visual and folk arts. For further information
please visit
www.iaac.us.
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