Wednesday, May 4, 2022
6:30 – 10:00PM
Guastavino’s
409 E. 59th Street, NYC

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The AFA’s 2022 Gala and Cultural Leadership Awards took place on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at Guastavino’s in New York City.

Honoring Pamela J. Joyner, The Romare Bearden Foundation and Martha MacMillan, former AFA Board Chair.

The AFA Cultural Leadership Awards are given annually to an artist and museum leader or philanthropist in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the art community.  The event brings together artists, museum directors, collectors, philanthropists, and art professionals at an elegant gala to celebrate the American Federation of Arts and honor significant individuals in the arts.

Previous recipients have included: Eli and Edythe Broad, Alice Walton, Charles and Valerie Diker, Kehinde Wiley, Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, Marina Abramović, Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Frank Gehry, Roy Neuberger, Sarah Sze, and Eugene V. Thaw.

Your support enables us to continue to create meaningful connections between art and audiences. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to the AFA and our valuable mission!

For more information, contact events@amfedarts.org or call 212.988.7700 x209

Martha MacMillan

Martha (Muffy) MacMillan has been a Trustee of the AFA for over 20 years and served as its Chair from 2017 to 2022.  She has served as a director on the board of Cargill Inc., her family business. She is currently a Director on the Cargill Foundation and Waycrosse, Inc. boards. She serves on many international, national, and local boards, such as Chairman of Global Minnesota, and Director on the boards of Opportunity International, including chairing their $50,000,000 agriculture capital campaign and chairing the Women and Girls Leadership Initiative, Ellis Island Honors Society (New York), The Economic Club of Minnesota, The Walker Art Center, Twin Cities Public Television, PACER Center, Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee), and Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

In 2015, Muffy received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, as well as the Pioneer Award at the United Nations, which honors women in business worldwide. In 2019, Muffy received the Outstanding Individual Philanthropist honor from the Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Pamela J. Joyner

Pamela J. Joyner has nearly 30 years of experience in the investment industry. She is the Founder of Avid Partners, LLC where her expertise has been the alternative investment arena. Currently, Ms. Joyner is focused on her philanthropic interests in the arts and education.

Ms. Joyner is a Trustee of The Art Institute of Chicago, the J. Paul Getty Trust, SF MoMA and the Museum of Modern Art. Ms. Joyner also serves on the board of the Art & Practice Foundation.

Previously, Ms. Joyner’s philanthropic involvements have included serving as: a member of President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities; a Trustee of Dartmouth College; a Trustee of the New York City Ballet; a Trustee and Co-Chair of the San Francisco Ballet Association; as well as other arts and educational organizations.

The Romare Bearden Foundation

Accepting the Cultural Leadership Award on behalf of the Romare Bearden Foundation will be co-Directors Diedra Harris Kelley (left) and Johanne Bryant-Reid. 

The Romare Bearden Foundation is a non-profit organization, and one of the oldest of its kind established for an African American visual artist. The Foundation promotes Bearden’s legacy by serving as a catalyst to encourage creative expression and innovation, high quality exhibitions, scholarly publications, and forums, as well as opportunities for artists to develop their craft. Founded by the artist’s wife, Nanette Rohan Bearden in 1990, the Foundation’s mission has been to preserve and perpetuate the artist’s rich legacy for future generations.

The Foundation holds Bearden’s papers, library, and small collection of artworks. It is our mission to make these materials accessible to the public. A recently launched partnership with the Wildenstein-Plattner Institute, NY will publish the Romare Bearden Digital Catalogue Raisonné online. This is the culmination of thirty-plus years of assembling research and materials documenting the artist’s artworks.

Host Committee

*Please note that Eventbrite charges a handling fee. To purchase tickets directly from the AFA, call 212.988.7700 x209 or download the 2022 Gala Reply Form.

The AFA staff continues to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and will follow all state and local guidelines regarding masks, vaccinations, and social distancing.

Photo credit: Pamela Joyner: photo – Drew Altizer