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.
