Jackson Browne is to headline a special charity concert this Wednesday, May 12.
One of Los Angeles’ many unique entrepreneurial organizations is ICEF Public Schools, a charter school organization of 15 high performing schools serving over 4,000 K-12 students in South LA. ICEF students receive a high quality college preparatory education that has produced an astounding graduation rate of 100%, compared to the area public schools’ 41 percent dropout rate. The Success Through the Arts Foundation, co-founded by Jackson Browne, focuses its efforts on using the arts to help young people realize their full potential by creating an environment where students of all ages who have been traditionally underserved by the public schools, can learn to appreciate and produce music and art.
On Wed., May 12, ICEF and Success Through the Arts Foundation will honor two of their most devoted boosters, singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, and advocate for higher quality public education and ICEF’s co-founder and Chairman of the Board Stephen Smith, at a star studded gala at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, presented by Citi and sponsored by The Seaport Group.
“No single artist has done more for arts education and public education in general for more years than Jackson Browne,” say Michael Piscal, ICEF’s co-founder and CEO, and Fernando Pullum, board member of Success Through the Arts Foundation.
“Stephen Smith has helped pioneer and fund an education revolution and in the process gave birth to the ‘education entrepreneur’,” the duo added.
Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Ben Harper and Keb' Mo' will perform at the event.
The second annual gala’s blue ribbon committee includes Monty Python’s Eric Idle, former Warner Bros. Television president, Jamie Kellner, and past honoree Rickey Minor, the longtime musical director of American Idol.
Inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2004) and the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame (2007), Jackson Browne has combined a career in music with an interest in human rights and environmental justice. He has also performed for a number of communities in their effort to provide quality arts and music in the schools.
Steve Smith is a well-known investment banker and co-founder of the Seaport Group, an investment banking firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, FL, and Miami, FL. He was formerly an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and served on the board of Catholic Big Brothers in Los Angeles.
For gala information and tickets, go online at www.icefla.org or www.staff.org or call (310) 216-4722.
