Harlem, you hold more treasures than most would dare to imagine.  It’s not just the stuff that makes the tourist flock to 125th and now they trek to 145th to gawk at the Hamilton House—“thanks for that Lin-Manuel Miranda” (@Lin_Manuel) for a long time, we were too far uptown for the gentrification epidemic, but that’s another story for another time.

Back to Mary J. 

The Harlem School of the Arts (HSA), a renowned school offering art programs to students of all ages will be hosting their annual benefit party on October 23 and this year the theme is a Masquerade Ball & After Party at the iconic Plaza Hotel in New York City beginning at 6:00 pm. Hosted by Sunny Hostin of ABC’s The View, guests are encouraged to participate in the theme with elaborate and festive masquerade masks that accompany their black tie ensemble. 

This year’s honorees include: singer, songwriter, producer and actress Mary J. Blige, who will be awarded the Dorothy Maynor Award; American composer Ray Chew, who is set to receive the Inaugural Alumni Award; Tony Award Winner for Best Featured Actress, Renée Elise Goldsberry for the Visionary Artists Award; and Debra L. Lee, Chairman & CEO of BET Networks, who will receive the Betty Allen Corporate Award.

The Harlem School of the Arts (HSA) will be transforming The Plaza Hotel into an unforgettable masquerade benefit gala to raise money and awareness surrounding their world-class arts education facility. 

Guests will enjoy a preliminary reception followed by a sit-down dinner, complete with performances and live auction, offering one-of-a-kind items.  The party will continue after the gala with open bar, dessert, and music by D-Nice. 

“Following the heels of Dorothy Maynor, Betty Allen and their extraordinary dedication to and leadership in the arts, we’ll recognize an incredible group of artists and women at this year’s Gala, such Mary J. Blige, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Debra Lee, alongside Ray Chew,” says HSA Chairman, Charles J. Hamilton, Jr. Esq. “I'm proud of HSA's renewed vitality during these past seven years and the Gala marks a special time to celebrate HSA's accomplishments of those being honored while raising vital support to continue providing students with the transformational access to the arts for which it is known.” 

Proceeds from the Gala enable Harlem School of the Arts to provide over 2,000 students access to exceptional art instruction and professional development, including financial aid to families from disadvantaged communities and merit scholarships to students pursuing careers in the arts. 

The schedule for the evening of Oct 23, 2017 is as follows: 

The Grand Ballroom at The Plaza • New York City
6pm Reception | Terrace Room
7pm Dinner & Performance | Grand Ballroom
9pm – 12am After Party* | Terrace Room
*MUSIC BY DJ D-NICE

Masquerade Formal Attire. Bring Your Mask!

Janice Savin Williams & Christopher J. Williams
Alexander Smalls
Rona Sebastian & Herb Alpert Foundation
Keisha Sutton-James

Julio Peterson and Michelle Fizer Peterson
Stephen and Emily Usher
MARY J. BLIGE | Dorothy Maynor Award
SINGER, SONGWRITER, PRODUCER, ACTRESS

RAY CHEW | Inaugural Alumni Award
AMERICAN COMPOSER

RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY | Visionary Artist Award
TONY AWARD BEST FEATURED ACTRESS, HAMILTON

DEBRA L. LEE | Betty Allen Corporate Award
CHAIRMAN & CEO, BET NETWORKS

SUNNY HOSTIN | ABC’s The View
CK Swett

Tickets are available at https://hsanyc.org/gala2017, with options to purchase tables, single tickets and/or after-party tickets; donations are also accepted via the site. 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Tables, as well as single tickets, are available for purchase at https://hsanyc.org/product/gala2017-tickets/