Nearly 700 guests gathered on Wednesday evening at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers to honor one of America’s most dedicated and energetic art and education benefactors, Dorothy Lichtenstein, widow of famed artist Roy Lichtenstein at the annual Stars of Stony Brook University Gala.
This years gala raised a record-breaking 7.1 million dollars in support of student scholarships and a featured academic program of excellence. Dorothy Lichtenstein has been Stony Brook Foundation, Inc. Trustee since 2008, and personally donated 5 million dollars.
The evening started with a cocktail hour at sunset featuring delicious passed hors-d’oeuvres featuring crispy duck wontons and freshly baked flatbread. Guests were treated to a live jazz ensemble and scenic views of the Hudson River.
During the gala, Dorothy was saluted by luminaries in the arts and media led by CBS newswoman Jane Pauley and her husband, Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who created special art for the Gala invitation and program.
“For well over a decade, Dorothy has helped foster the creativity of a new generation of fine artists, writers, filmmakers and cultural thinkers, ones who are going on from Stony Brook to make our world a fuller, more vibrant place,” said Richard Gelfond, ‘76, Chair of the Stony Brook Foundation and Gala Co-Chair. “Dorothy quietly leads by example, and has been the true hero of the Stony Brook Southampton arts program story.”
“There are a lot of people coming into the program who wouldn’t normally have access to these kinds of classes, professionals, and equipment,” said Christine Vachon, noted Hollywood Film Producer and Artistic Director of Stony Brook’s film programs. “It’s allowing them to get their stories out there, and that’s really thanks to Dorothy.”
Academy Award-winning actress Mercedes Ruehl concurred stating: “This film program is first class, competitive with Columbia and NYU. And through it alone, Dorothy is leaving a large footprint on the culture of our times.”
“We’d be nowhere without Dorothy Lichtenstein, we offer her the greatest thanks for her support,” said actor and Long Island native Alec Baldwin, who has conducted master classes at Stony Brook Southampton Theater Conferences.
Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. noted: “It’s a privilege to have the enduring passion, vision, and support of Dorothy Lichtenstein. Not only for championing the arts here at Stony Brook, but also for partnering with us in other priority areas such as scholarships and the important work we’re doing in Madagascar and Kenya. Dorothy is the prime example of a strong and growing number of leaders who are dedicated to Stony Brook University’s noble mission.”
-Sia Battle