IAAC To Celebrate 20th Anniversary Gala In New York On May 6

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The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) will celebrate its 20th anniversary Gala Benefit on Sunday, May 6, 2018, onboard the Cornocopia Majesty,one of New York City’s luxury yachts.

IAAC is a registered 501(c) 3 not-for-profit, secular service and resource arts organization, passionately dedicated to showcasing, promoting and building an awareness of Indian sub-continental performing, visual and literary arts.

Eminent personalities from the art, film, fashion, academia, corporate, medical and entertainment industries will gather at Pier 81 to celebrate this special occasion. Salman Rushdie, Mira Nair, Madhur Jaffrey, Aasif Mandvi, the Consul General of India in New York Sandeep Chakravorty and the Indian Ambassador to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin, will be among the invited guests for the event, according to a press release by IAAC.

IAAC (www.iaac.us) was founded by four individuals: the late Gopal Raju (then Editor, India Abroad), Talat Ansari (Senior Partner, Kelly, Drye & Warren), Jonathan Hollander (Artistic Director, Battery Dance Company), and Aroon Shivdasani (Executive and Artistic Director, IAAC).

For well over a decade, Hollander has built and maintained a busy cultural bridge between India and the U.S. He has choreographed over 75 works, performed in theaters and festivals across continents. In 1982, he created the Downtown Dance Festival (now renamed Battery Dance Festival) which is known to have become New York City’s longest-running dance festival.

Ansari is a partner in the firm’s New York office and chair of the India practice group. He focuses his practice on corporate and commercial transactions, infrastructure projects, and international litigation and arbitration. He has 37 years of experience representing India-based industrial, servicing and trading companies.

Shivdasani sits on several artistic and social Boards, on the Advisory Boards of several other art and charity organizations, and has been on the juries of the Emmys, beauty contests, grants, art, film, dance and theatre contests. She has received Outstanding Citizen awards as well as honor and appreciation awards from several organizations for her passionate work for artists and the community. On January 4, 2015, Aroon was named one of the top 20 Global Indian Women by The Economic Times.

IAAC pioneered a movement that gave birth to myriad Indian arts organizations that have sprouted up all over the United States, in every artistic discipline.

“In 1998 Indian artists were invisible, unknown and unappreciated in North America. For well over 20 years, we have blazed a trail promoting, showcasing and building an awareness, in North America, of the hitherto invisible arts of India through presentations of Indian film, dance, art, music, theatre, literature & fashion. The IAAC has also raised money and awareness of social causes, natural disasters and other issues – such as the Latur & Bhuj earthquakes, the Tsunami, communal violence in India, 9/11 here in the US, gender equality, women’s rights and more, all thru artistic presentations.” said Shivdasani, in a statement.

The gala, which commences at 6 p.m., will be held onboard the Cornocopia Majesty, with a lavish waterfront setting. The yacht will sail around Manhattan while guests dine, dance and enjoy the spectacular entertainment on board with Master of Ceremonies Sree Sreenivasan.

The event offers guests a live jazz band by the Metrocard Jazz Society band, a photo exhibit of IAAC archival images from 1998 through today, video footage from 20 years of IAAC, cocktails, scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, gourmet dinner and dancing, according to the press release.

Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in an exciting live auction for hand-picked auction items. Adding to the excitement is a spectacular fashion show, and a dance performance by Battery Dance Company, creating a truly unique experience to celebrate the work done by IAAC for two decades.

For a sneak peak at some of the items up for bid this year, check out: http://www.iaac.us/20th- AnniversaryGala/auction.htm For tickets, go to: https://goo.gl/vNKRNd

Tables of 10 at the gala range in value from $5,000 to $25,000, and individual tickets are available for $500.