Held May 11 at the New York Marriott Marquis, the evening will begin with a cocktail reception at 6 PM followed by dinner and a tribute at 7:15 PM.
The Medal of Honor is the highest award given by the Actors Fund, a 133-year-old non-profit human services organization serving people in performing arts and entertainment.
"During [Bloomberg's] tenure as Mayor, New York City was the largest single funder of non-profit arts and culture in the United States, allocating $1.8 billion to support programming and over $3 billion for construction projects in the five boroughs," press notes state. "Major capital initiatives included the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District, the Queens Museum of Art expansion, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' redevelopment, and the Pershing Square Signature Center.
"The City prioritized the development of affordable rehearsal and studio space, and hosted nearly 500 temporary public art projects in communities across the five boroughs, including The Gates, The New York City Waterfalls and Make Music New York; in addition to increasing the City's permanent Percent for Art portfolio of commissions by 30 percent. The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, which launched a 'Made in NY' marketing credit for the film and television industry, spurred a $2 billion growth in film, theater, television and commercial production in New York City. During the Bloomberg administration, creative sector employment grew to include over 220,000 New Yorkers and helped the City reach record tourism levels, surpassing 54 million visitors in 2013."
"The Actors Fund does incredible work to support professionals in the performing arts, and it plays such an important role in New York City, the entertainment capital of the world," Bloomberg said in a statement. "The arts create jobs for New Yorkers, uplift and inspire audiences and viewers, and help make this the most exciting city on earth. As someone who cares deeply about helping the arts and artists thrive, and as someone who once sang a duet of 'Impossible Dream' onstage with Fund chairman Brian Stokes Mitchell (the audience survived, thanks to Brian), it's an honor to be recognized by the organization." "Mike Bloomberg's work as a business leader, philanthropist and as Mayor has helped New York City's most treasured arts organizations thrive and, often, survive," Brian Stokes Mitchell, Actors Fund chairman, added. "His national focus includes helping The Actors Fund create a vision for more affordable housing in Los Angeles, and this is just one way he's working to empower artists everywhere."
Bloomberg has also appeared as himself in several "Made in NY" television and film productions, including "The Good Wife," "Gossip Girl" and "A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa."
Tickets to the gala are available by calling (212) 627-1000, emailing [email protected]. Visit actorsfund.org/Gala2015 for more information.
