BOSTON, April 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Boston Arts Academy Foundation (BAA Foundation) will host its annual BAA Honors celebration and signature fundraising event on Saturday, May 1, 2021 to support Boston Arts Academy (BAA), the city's only public high school for the visual and performing arts. BAA Honors will celebrate BAA's diverse, talented and successful students; feature student performances; and recognize prominent Honorees for their meaningful contributions to the community. The event will broadcast live on NECN at 7:00 p.m., on NBC10 Boston at 7:30 p.m. immediately following the Kentucky Derby, and stream live on the NECN and NBC10 Boston websites.
The 2021 BAA Honorees are: Ernie Boch Jr., president and CEO, Subaru of New England; Ruth Carter, Academy Award-winning film and television costume designer; David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox legend, Fox Sports Major League Baseball analyst and commentator; Eve S. Rounds, passionate dance advocate and champion of the arts; Scott Wilson and Scott Butler, founding directors, Wilson Butler Architects; and Steve Samuels, chairman and principal, Samuels & Associates, a real estate development firm. Sandra Gordon, founding president of Boston Arts Academy Foundation (1999) and Trustee Emerita of Boston Arts Academy and BAA Foundation, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. The event co-chairs are Sue Brady Hartigan, Boston's veteran on-air radio personality, and Lee Michael Kennedy, president and CEO, Lee Kennedy Co., a construction management firm. Latoyia Edwards, NBC10 Boston and NECN morning news anchor, will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.
"BAA Honors celebrates the countless accomplishments of our honorees, students, alumni and teachers, who, combined, uplift the soul of our community," said Boston Arts Academy Foundation President Denella Clark. "The creative energy of the Honors evening embodies a unifying passion for the arts and education – and this year, in partnership with NBC10 Boston and NECN, thousands of viewers will have the opportunity to share in that passion and connect with our community of remarkable students, alumni, and supporters."
"Community is at the forefront of all that we do across all of our platforms on NBCU Boston," said Chris Wayland, President & General Manager of the NBCUniversal Boston Owned Properties & Regional Sports Networks. "We celebrate the BAA Honorees and their outstanding commitment to arts and education, especially during a time when unity is so crucial to our culture's progress."
BAA Honors 2021 is vital to providing ample opportunities and resources for BAA's students and all event proceeds will support the school. The annual event is BAA Foundation's largest single source of unrestricted giving for the school with a $1 million goal for May 2021. BAA Honors also will feature an online auction with fine art, jewelry, vacation getaways, exclusive opportunities from local and BIPOC-owned businesses, student and alumni work, and other exciting experiences. Visit http://www.baahonors2021.givesmart.com beginning on April 15.
2021 BAA Honorees:
- Music – Ernie Boch Jr.: renowned business leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. A musician himself, he founded the charitable foundation Music Drives Us, a nonprofit organization that funds musical opportunities for the underserved throughout New England.
- TV/Film – David Ortiz: Fox Sports MLB analyst and commentator, offering uniquely engaging content as a television producer and documentarian, and continuing to make an impact through humanitarian work in children's health care.
- Fashion – Ruth Carter: the first African American to win an Oscar for best costume design and a trailblazer who has paved the way in the arts for young artists, impacting the world of fashion and costume design.
- Dance – Eve S. Rounds: honored for her impactful leadership on the Boston Arts Academy Foundation Board of Directors and BAA Board of Trustees, her commitment to dance, training and performance, and her passion in keeping arts and arts education vibrant and relevant in Boston.
- Visual Arts – Scott Wilson, AIA and Scott Butler, AIA: noted for award-winning architectural work for arts and entertainment that balances the art and science of their craft to push the boundaries of technology and shape the spirit and soul of the new BAA facility in The Fenway students need and deserve.
- Civic Responsibility – Steve Samuels: a positive leader in the Boston community whose ambitious work reimagined The Fenway neighborhood, demonstrating his desire to create an inviting live/work/play atmosphere that not only enhances the streetscape and skyline, but also celebrates art, education and culture. As a leading producer of independent films, television, theater and audio, he has been a driving force in the creative industry.
NBC10 Boston, NECN, NBC Sports Boston and Telemundo Boston will serve as the official 2021 multimedia and broadcast partners for BAA and BAA Honors.
Sponsorships include a variety of event benefits, high visibility and goodwill, and partnership opportunities that help to close opportunity gaps for BAA's diverse and talented students. 2021 sponsors include (as of April 14, 2021) Avid, Boger Family Foundation/Amy and Joshua Boger, Cambridge Trust Company, Commonwealth Plumbing Corp., Eastern Bank, Elkus Manfredi Architects, EOS Foundation, Ernie Boch Jr., Eve S. Rounds and Jonathan Rounds, Gaston Electrical, Greenwood Industries, Inc., Goulston & Storrs, Jerry Wheelock and Elizabeth Wood, Jiaming International, Julie and Dominic Visconsi, Lee Kennedy Co., Linda and Michael Frieze, Dr. Lisa and Andy Sussman, Live Nation, Manganaro Northeast, LLC, Marcia Walsh and Eric Block, Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Mass General Brigham, NBC10/NECN/Telemundo Boston, Neiman Marcus, PCA, Inc., Red Sox Foundation, Richard Rudman and Karen Greenberg, M.D., Rockland Trust Bank, Royal Caribbean, Samuels & Associates, Scape USA, Select Demo Services, LLC and Select Paint & Finishes, LLC, Sunrise Erectors, Inc., Susan and Bob Schechter, TG Gallagher, The Castle Group, The Lewis Family, TJX, Vertex, and Walter & Shuffain PC.
"Our local corporate community is essential to supporting our students and our future workforce," said Clark. "We rely on and are forever grateful for the ongoing financial contributions of our sponsors that help us provide lifechanging opportunities to Boston's youth."
You can find more information on BAA Honors 2021, including ticket and sponsorship information here: https://bostonartsacademy.org/baahonors/.
About Boston Arts Academy Foundation
Established in 1999, the BAA Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization that raises essential funds from private philanthropic sources to augment the BAA school budget. The BAA Foundation helps bridge the gap between the school's annual allocation from the Boston Public Schools and the true cost of a high-quality education that is both arts-intensive and college preparatory.
Through the six-year, comprehensive Building Our Future campaign, the BAA Foundation is raising $32 million to augment BAA's school budget and ensure long-term sustainability. The campaign includes raising $10 million to bring the BAA Foundation endowment to $13.5 million and securing $15.5 million in operating reserves. The endowment and reserves support what makes BAA unique, including expanded programming, the Health and Wellness Program, STEAM (STEM+Art), and funding for the arts. The endowment will support college scholarships for graduating seniors. The campaign supports BAA Foundation's Annual Fund, which raises $5,000 per student each year. Building Our Future ensures that as BAA's student body grows, students can become successful artists, scholars, and citizens.
About Boston Arts Academy
Founded in 1998 as the city's only public high school for the visual and performing arts, Boston Arts Academy (BAA) has distinguished itself among urban public high schools as a leader in innovative and effective student-centered education. Consistently recognized locally and nationally for its achievements, BAA exemplifies the power of an arts-rich education and many BAA graduates have found success in college through the arts. In fact, for the past six straight years, at least 97 percent of BAA graduates have been accepted to college, with most being first-generation college attendees. BAA's dynamic program prepares graduates to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, collaborators, and creators. Students come from all 23 Boston neighborhoods to receive the formal arts training and academic instruction that will make them Boston's next generation of artists and cultural leaders.
In spring 2022, Boston Arts Academy will begin to welcome students to its first purpose-built, state-of-the-art school building directly across from Fenway Park. Among many highlights, the building will include new and much-needed enhanced theatres, career center, academic classrooms, dance studios, music practice rooms and fashion technology studios and workspace. When Boston Arts Academy opens its new school building, the number of students enrolled will increase to 500, and eventually grow over the years.
Media Contact
Amanda Albert, The Castle Group, +1 6173379521, [email protected]
Laura Alpert, Boston Arts Academy Foundation, 617-513-3601, [email protected]
SOURCE Boston Arts Academy
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