From left to right: Derrick Adams, MTV's Sway, Tangie Murray, Danny Simmons and Honrees: Sonja Okun, Franklin Sirmans and Beverly Bond

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
2009 GOLD RUSH AWARDS/RECAP

February 11, 2009 - New York, NY - Rush Galleries in conjunction Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation's hosted it first Gold Rush Awards, a multi-media fundraising event and cocktail party, honoring outstanding individuals in the arts for establishing groundbreaking community arts programs or projects that embody social awareness and engagement, brought out an eclectic crowd of art enthusiasts, VIP guests and celebs last night at Red Bull Space in Soho.

Host of the evening, MTV's Sway, alongside artist and Rush Philanthropic Co-Founder, Danny Simmons and Rush Galleries Curatorial Director, Derrick Adams, presented the first ever Gold Rush honorees with custom designed award medallions created by designers, Kevin Merkel and Jerry Gant. Honoree included Beverly Bond, DJ and Founder of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc., Sonja Okun, Founder of Exalt Youth Program and Writer/Curator Franklin Sirmans.

Alternative Hip-Hop group, AntiPop Consortium kicked off the night's live music, mixing it up on stage with their innovative sound experience. Talib Kweli closed out the evening with a dynamic performance and introduced surprise guests, fellow recording artists Res and Graph who, with Kweli, form the group Idle Warship. DJ Cassidy kept the crowd grooving all night, only taking a break so he could record Kweli's performance for his blog with his personal handheld camera. All performances were donated in support of the organization. The evening also included video installations, a special silent art and luxury auction. The evening's cocktails were donated by Americana Vodka and Red Bull.

Guests included Grammy® Award winner Estelle, actor Jamie Hector, renown photographer Jamel Shabazz, Bill Adler, Cey Adams and artists Mickalene Thomas, Shinique Smith, Wardell Milan, Giant Magazine Editor-In Chief Emil Wilbekin and designers Jose Duran, Zulema Griffin and Brian Wood.

Rush Arts Gallery (Chelsea, NY) and Corridor Gallery (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn), founded in 1996, a core program of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, a 501(C)3 organization started by brothers Russell, Danny and Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons and headed by Tangie Murray, Director, dedicated to providing urban youth with significant exposure and access to the arts, as well as providing exhibition opportunities to artists. All exhibition programs are headed by Derrick Adams, Curatorial Director, with inclusion of curatorial projects presented by Nico Wheadon, Associate Curator, Danny Simmons, Co-Founder and Vice Chair, Meridith McNeal, Director of Education, Nina Ziefert, Manager of Exhibition Programs and invited Guest Curators. In 2008 the galleries received The Major's Award for Art & Culture. The exhibitions and education programs of the galleries are also sponsored in part by a grant from the New York State Council for the Arts, and are free and open to the public.

Rush Arts Gallery promotes the work of a diverse group of emerging artists. Concurrent with its efforts to support a unique constellation of creative practices-a constellation broadly defined by experimental ventures in performance, visual art, curatorial work and community involvement-Rush Arts aims to provide an inclusive space for new audiences and broaden the parameters of the artistic community. Since its establishment, the gallery has exhibited the work of hundreds of underrepresented, early and mid-career artists. Subsequent to their involvement with Rush Arts, these artists have had their work exhibited by a prestigious collection of galleries and museums including Studio Museum in Harlem, PS1, Brooklyn Museum, Whitney Museum, Smithsonian, and the Museum of Modern Art.

Corridor Gallery Brooklyn, the Brooklyn extension of Rush Arts Gallery, exhibits the work of a artists primary living and working in locally. With a strong emphasis on maintaining a relationship with the local community, Corridor Gallery offers opportunities to artists working in a broad range of media unique to its audience. In addition to supporting these creative practices, Corridor aims to provide an inclusive space for new audiences and broaden the parameters of the artistic community in the area of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

For more information
email: RushandCorridorGallery@gmail.com