NEW YORK.- Cherrie Nanninga, Chair of the Board, and Maggie Boepple, President of Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), have announced the full list of honorees for their fourth annual benefit gala, The Downtown Dinner, which will be held Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 6pm on the top floor of 7 World Trade Center.

The honorees will be Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, whose personal and political dedication to the arts has stimulated a renaissance for cultural projects in the city; First Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris, who is an unwavering advocate for the arts and has been instrumental in promoting culture throughout the five boroughs; playwright Edward Albee, whose works reflect a mastery that reinvented the postwar American theater and whose residency program, the Edward F. Albee Foundation, has supported artists since 1967; and artist Kiki Smith, a leading proponent of artists addressing philosophical, social, legal, and spiritual aspects of human nature. An LMCC President’s Award will be presented by Maggie Boepple to artist Nadine Robinson and director Lear deBessonet.

More than 600 philanthropists, business and civic leaders, artists, actors, and directors are expected to attend The Downtown Dinner, recognized as one of the most anticipated social events of the season. The cocktail reception, dinner, and awards ceremony will take place with guests enjoying sunset and night views of the city skyline, ending with an after party with LMCC artists.

Funds raised at the gala will support LMCC’s renowned cultural planning, including innovative artist workspace programs, generous funding opportunities for artists and art groups, and exciting public events in the visual, performance, and new media arts; organizers hope to exceed the $1,000,000 raised at the same event last year.

A highlight of the Dinner will be a “secret” sale of artwork created by 200 contemporary artists. The sale will feature works by recognized artists including Sir Anthony Caro, John Baldessari, Glenn Ligon, and Marilyn Minter, as well as LMCC artist alumni. Signed on the back, the identity of each artist remains unknown until after the work has been purchased.

Also featured are visual art installations and a full program of performances and music reflecting the diverse creative fields that benefit from LMCC. LMCC Workspace resident artist Mary Mattingly will display her new installation Bicycle Piece, a winged bicycle built from spare parts replete with lights and stacked packages. Former LMCC Workspace resident McKendree Key will create an immense space-dividing installation throughout the dining area, with an intricate grid of yellow string. Upcoming LMCC Swing Space resident Katie Holten will present her sculptural black tree installations that gracefully redefine nature through both the natural and artificial, challenging environmental conventions.

Guerilla Dance Team, who was in LMCC‘s One Million Forgotten Moments, will present surprising dance performances. Tryst, the interventionist performance art collective that was part of LMCC’s Sitelines and received an LMCC Grant for Art in Public Spaces, will present a new performance. Vintage DJ, also in One Million Forgotten Moments, will spin retro vinyl from the 1930’s to 70’s on antique turntables. Lorenzo Laroc, a participant in Arts For Transit’s MUNY (Music Under New York) will play roving electric violin. LMCC’s President, Maggie Boepple, founded MUNY in 1985 during her tenure with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.