A.P. Anderson GalA
Thursday, June 8, 2023, 5:30—8:30 p.m.
The A.P. Anderson Gala on June 8 is a new signature event for the Anderson Center at Tower View. The Gala combines the A.P. Anderson Award Ceremony with a fundraising benefit featuring a silent auction, wine raffle, live music, and a gourmet sit-down dinner prepared & served by Le Chien Bleu Catering. Proceeds support the Anderson Center at Tower View's role enriching & nurturing our community and advancing the careers of working artists. Tickets are $80 per person.
Taking place outdoors on the Anderson Center’s new Rooftop Deck, the A.P. Anderson Gala event celebrates creativity and artistic innovation in Red Wing and beyond. The 2023 A.P. Anderson Awardee is Nirmala Rajasekar, a renowned composer, musician, & educator who has been working across musical and cultural boundaries throughout Minnesota for nearly 30 years.
award ceremony
Join us for a program and award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. honoring musician, composer, and educator Nirmala Rajasekar with the 2023 A.P. Anderson Award.
One of the premier Saraswathi veena players in the world today, Nirmala's outstanding leadership and tireless efforts have had a major impact on the state of Minnesota. Learn More.
gourmet dinner
Britton and Jenny Good of Le Chien Bleu Catering create food with local character and inspiration from worldly cuisine.
Entree choices are boneless herb chicken thighs with béchamel, seared salmon with lemon, or yellow coconut curry with ginger, chickpeas, veggies, basmati rice. Plated dinner to be served at 6:15 p.m.
SILENT AUCTION
With over 60 items, this silent auction includes something for every art enthusiast, featuring both one-of-a-kind experiences and works of original art donated by alumni of the Anderson Center artist residency program, on-site studio artists, and other local & regional artists, as well as local businesses and arts organizations. Auction ends at 8:10 p.m.
Live Music
Naadha Rasa Center for Music is providing music for a social hour on the Rooftop Deck at 5:30 p.m.
At 7:15 p.m., following dinner, guitarist Dean Magraw, tabla-player Marcus Wise, & pianist Steven Hobert are performing jazz in the Tower View Barn, where you'll have the opportunity to mingle, browse the silent auction, and treat yourself to dessert.
Your support at the A.P. Anderson Gala will help the Anderson Center continue to build upon momentum in 2023 by:
- Partnering with area artists and the City of Red Wing to bring meaningful public art to our community, including the installation of Seitu Jones’s Stand in the Shadows artworks.
- Launching a new gallery to raise the quality of the visual arts exhibitions offered, which started with the world premiere in January of NORTH, an immersive multimedia installation by Mary Ellen Childs.
- Improving accessibility in the Tower View Residence to ensure that this beautiful space, and the programs it hosts, are welcoming to all.
The annual award is named for Dr. Alexander P. Anderson, who invented the process for creating Quaker Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat cereals. An educator, botanist, writer and naturalist, Anderson built Tower View Estate, which today is stewarded by the Anderson Center who operates the historic site as a hub to develop, foster and promote creative endeavors and the exchange of ideas.
Past recipients of the A.P. Anderson Award include author Kao Kalia Yang, choreographer/scholar Ananya Chatterjea, musician Butch Thompson, actor/director Lou Bellamy, sculptor/architect Siah Armajani, poets Robert Bly & William Duffy, and sculptor Judy Onofrio.
"It is a matter of pride for me to be recognized with this prestigious honor by the Anderson Center, giving me more fuel and energy to keep powering onward," shares 2023 awardee Nirmala Rajasekar. Read more about Nirmala here.
