2022 Annual Gala: Following Dreams
September 22, 2022, Bohemian National Hall | Photographs by Rathkopf Photography.
Annual celebration of the legacy of Vaclav Havel, the presence of Czech and Slovak communities in New York, and the 10th anniversary of the Vaclav Havel Library Foundation. Our guest of honor was Peter Sis, a renowned Czech-American master of illustration and writer of children's books.
The Gala program featured salutations by Martin Palous (President, Vaclav Havel Library Foundation) and opening remarks by Czech Ambassador Miloslav Stasek (Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the US). The 2022 Disturbing the Peace Award to a Courageous Writer at Risk to Ukrainian writer Andrey Kurkov was presented by Joanne Leedom-Ackerman (Vice President Emeritus, PEN International).
Musical performance: Avant-garde jazz pianist Anthony Coleman and recording artist and musician Susan Huang. Alice Albright (CEO, Millennium Challenge Corporation and daughter of the late US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright) read from Peter Sis’s book “Madlenka.” Introduction by Andy Schapiro (Chair, Vaclav Havel Library Foundation). Actors Marjan Neshat and Pooya Mohseni read excerpts from Peter Sis’s book “The Conference of the Birds,” directed by Edward Einhorn. With introduction by Bill Shipsey, Founder of Art for Amnesty.
The 2022 Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association Award for Unparalleled Service to the Czech and Slovak Communities was presented to Peter Sis by Joseph Balaz (President, Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association); Vit Horejs (author and puppeteer); and Pavla Niklova (Executive Director, Vaclav Havel Library Foundation). With introduction by Fred de Sam Lazaro (correspondent, PBS Newshour).
MASTERS OF CEREMONY: Nicholas D. Lowry, President of Swann Auction Galleries, and Pooya Mohseni, actor, writer, and activist.
