Harvey Lichtenstein, the larger-than-life former president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) - who transformed Fort Greene into a cultural hub and redefined the role of a performing arts center â€" is to receive the city’s highest award for achievement in the arts on Wednesday from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.
“It’s recognition of the work I did in Brooklyn for about 30 years, which I’m very proud of,†Mr. Lichtenstein said about receiving the Handel Medallion.
In a statement, Mr. Bloomberg called Mr. Lichtenstein “one of the consummate arts administrators of our time whose tremendous career promoting innovative artists of all disciplines has dynamically transformed our City’s creative landscape.â€
The actress Whoopi Goldberg is to present the rest of the Mayor’s Awards for Arts & Culture at New York Cit Center to six individuals and organizations in recognition of their cultural contributions to the city. These recipients are Anthony Armstrong, the principal of the Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School; the Ford Foundation; Philip Glass; the actor Edward Norton; the St. George Theater on Staten Island; and the artist Fred Wilson.
The ceremony will feature live appearances by performers like Laurie Anderson, Bill T. Jones and Mark Morris.
