The Gordon Parks Foundation will host its prestigious Annual Awards Dinner & Auction on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. This highly anticipated event celebrates the legacy of Gordon Parks, the iconic photographer and multidisciplinary artist whose work championed social justice and the transformative power of creativity.
This year’s honorees include legendary model and activist Bethann Hardison, renowned contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, and Ambassador Andrew Young, civil rights leader, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and Mayor of Atlanta. Each honoree has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing culture, creativity, and justice—values embodied by Parks throughout his groundbreaking career.
“In a moment of divide, Gordon Parks unifies us all,” said Executive Director of The Gordon Parks Foundation, Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr. “His commitment to the arts and social justice transcends generations. Our 2025 honorees are pillars in their fields and advance Gordon’s common search for a better life and a better world.’ The Gordon Parks Foundation Gala is our homecoming – a night to celebrate art, activism, and support for the next generations of artists.”
The gala will feature special guests, including the son and grandson of Rev. E.F. Ledbetter, whom Parks famously photographed in 1953 for a Life Magazine story on Chicago’s Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church. These powerful images will be the centerpiece of an upcoming exhibition at Howard University in early 2025.
Co-chaired by luminaries such as Alicia Keys and Kasseem Dean, Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, and Judy and Leonard Lauder, the evening will bring together changemakers from across the worlds of art, fashion, film, and philanthropy. Proceeds from the event will fund the foundation’s educational programming, fellowships, scholarships, and prizes, ensuring a new generation of creatives carries forward Parks’ vision of justice and empowerment.
Tickets are available starting at $2,000 and can be purchased on the Gordon Parks Foundation website or by contacting Buckley Hall Events at gpfgala@buckleyhallevents.com or 914-579-1000.