The stars shone bright on a rainy October evening at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts for the Gold Coast Arts Center’s 20th annual Gala.
Gold Coast Arts Center founder and Executive Director Regina Gil said even though they were competing with a New York Mets World Series game, the center was able to provide a fun night for everyone that came.
“We were battling with the Mets game and the weather but it was great and tremendous satisfaction,” Gil said. “It was a night filled with surprises, entertainment, fun, and as you looked around you saw people with smiles on their faces.”
At the Gala, the arts center honored Grammy winner Vince Giordano and Showtime’s “Homeland” actor Navid Negahban with their Artist of Distinction awards in Music and Film respectively.
Gil said Giordano, who is known for recording soundtracks for shows like HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and Cinemax’s “The Knick,” was surprised by the success of the event.
“I don’t think he had too many expectations of what kind of crowd or reaction there would be,” she said. “Afterwards he said it was fantastic and said he wanted to come again.”
Gil added that Negahban, an Iranian-American, was active with members of the audience and enjoyed himself.
“Navid was an ecstasy,” she said. “He had such a good night.”
Patricia Riggen, director of the film “The 33” starring Antonio Banderas and Lou Diamond Phillips, was honored with the arts center’s first Woman of Influence award.
Gil said Riggen, who was presented the award by Phillips, was appreciative of the award and delivered a powerful speech to the audience.
“You have to admire Patricia Riggen. She came out on a terrible night, calm as a cucumber, and spoke so beautifully about what it’s like to work in the arts and how much she appreciates the award,” she said. “She was, if not the most powerful, a huge voice to the audience to tell them what it’s like to be a female film director.”
Gil also said she was happy that elected officials were able to attend the gala and interact with attendees even though they were busy with campaigning for the Nov. 3 election.
The arts center had an anonymous matching donor, Gil said, so every dollar they raised was going to be matched.
She added that their goal was to raise $200,000 but have not calculated totals yet.
Gil said with the help of the committees and workers involved, the gala proved to her that the arts center has reached a level she hoped it would eventually get to
“It’s a great organization, if I say so myself, because its gotten to the point where I’m beginning to feel the level of excitement I was hoping for when I founded it,” she said. “Without them there would be nothing to show.”
