Miami, FL – January 12, 2019 – The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) hosted its annual fundraiser in Miami, the Backyard Ball performance and gala, presented by Harry Winston, Inc., to help support the artistic development of the nation’s most promising young artists.

A high point of the evening was the announcement of the inaugural Jorge M. Pérez Award, a new unrestricted grant for emerging and mid-career artists to receive mentorship and $25,000 to advance their practice. Inaugural award recipients Chat Travieso (2003 YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) and Kathia St. Hilaire (2013 YoungArts Winner in Visual Arts) have both demonstrated artistic excellence and shown promise of future achievement. The evening celebrated this year’s 710 YoungArts winners and also honored prolific choreographer and bold visionary Camille A. Brown (1997 YoungArts Winner in Dance & U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts), and singular interdisciplinary designers and YoungArts mater teachers Simon and Nikolai Haas of The Haas Brothers, with the 2019 Arison Alumni Award and Arison Award, respectively, for their contributions and commitment to the arts.

Hosted by co-chairs Oxana and Steven Marks, Jackie Soffer and Craig Robins, and honorary chairs Darlene and Jorge M. Pérez, the Backyard Ball brought together the nation’s most promising artists, industry leaders, and artistic and cultural luminaries including the 2019 Backyard Ball Gala Leaders Committee Sarah Arison, who wore earrings and a necklace from the Diamond Loop Collection by Harry Winston, Asha and Jamie Elias, Jay Franke and David Herro, Bill Jones and Rey Hernandez, Amy and Richard Kohan, Lisa Miller, Remi and Oti Roberts, Laurinda Spear and Bernardo Fort-Brescia, Sandra and Tony Tamer, Ellie and Bruce Taub, Judy and Charlie Temel, and Maurice Zarmati. Additional guests included Todd Bishop, Adriana Cisneros and Nicholas Griffin, Brian and Andrea Cullinan, Marvin Ross Friedman and Adrienne Bon Haes, Danielle and Greg Garno, Russell Granet, Alan and Diane Lieberman, Lourdes Lopez, Bob Lynch, Michael Moser, Jay Parker, Ariel Penzer and Jeremy Milgroom, Victoria Rogers, Mera and Don Rubell, Dennis and Debra Scholl, and artists, curators and musicians Naomi Fisher, Naiomy Guerrero, Rosie Gordon-Wallace, Michael McElroy, Joan Morgan, Yara Travieso and Betty Wright.

Javon Jones & Lianah Sta. Ana

Jorge M. Pérez