By Udo Salters
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation’s 20th anniversary at the 2015 Art For Life benefit took place on Saturday, July 18th,, 2015. This year’s honorees were Dave Chappelle, Michaela and Simon de Pury, Ava DuVernay, and featured artist Wangechi Mutu.
Art for Life is Russell Simmons’ annual fundraiser in the Hamptons, to support Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation (RPAF). RPAF is dedicated to providing inner city youth with significant exposure to the arts, as well as to supporting emerging artists with exhibition opportunities. To pull off a fundraiser like this you need major help, which came in the form of The Gold Sponsor Bombay Sapphire and Silver Sponsor Merrill Lynch.
The emcee for the event’s program was Soledad O’Brien and Fashion Queens’ Bevy Smith held down the red carpet for the fashionable arrivals. This year’s theme was the “Roaring Twenties.:
Honoree Dave Chappelle couldn’t help himself when with Russell Simmons at the step and repeat, he whipped out his cell phone for a quick selfie.
Sticking with the theme of the evening Russell Simmons’ nice and fashionista Angela Simmons, America’s Next Top Model Cycle 8 Winner Jaslene Gonzalez and Opra singer Radmila Lolly really stepped out in style.
Other supporters who turned out were Gayle King, Kevin Lilies, Sanya Richards-Ross, as well as reality tv stars LuAnn de Lesseps of RHONY, Cynthia Bailey of RHOA and Carla Stephens of Mother Funders among a host of other.
For more information about Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation’s ART FOR LIFE log on to http://artforlife.rushphilanthropic.org/
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