Chance The Rapper & Jason Moran Teaming For Muhammad Ali Tribute
(Press Here) Ahead of its Annual Awards Dinner & Auction of Select Gordon Parks' photographs on Tuesday, May 19 at Cipriani 42nd Street, The Gordon Parks Foundation has announced special performances by award-winning artist and activist Chance The Rapper and acclaimed jazz pianist and composer, Jason Moran.
Both artists, who are also being recognized by the Foundation, will celebrate the late, great Muhammad Ali (whose wife, Lonnie Ali, will also accept an honor on behalf of the family), with special tribute performances.
"Music played such an important role in Gordon's life - he was a musician and celebrated composer as well as a photographer and filmmaker," said The Gordon Parks Foundation's Executive Director Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr. "To celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are thrilled that Chance The Rapper and our inaugural Gordon Parks Foundation Music Fellow Jason Moran will each pay tribute to the legacies of Gordon Parks and Muhammad Ali by performing on May 19th. They both embody Gordon Parks' belief that art can change the world."
This year marks the Foundation's 20th year of celebrating the enduring legacy of Gordon Parks, a visionary photographer and multidisciplinary artist, by supporting and launching artistic and educational projects that amplify his deep commitment to social justice and the transformative power of creativity. The gala, which brings together changemakers across film, music, fashion, art, and philanthropy, will honor five key figures working at the intersection of the arts and social justice including the aforementioned Chance The Rapper; acclaimed poet, scholar, advocate and President of the Mellon Foundation Elizabeth Alexander; EGOT-winning, critically acclaimed, multiplatinum artist and producer John Legend; and celebrated artist and painter Henry Taylor. Acclaimed businesswoman, philanthropist and advocate Lonnie Ali will also be recognized and will accept the honor on behalf of the Muhammad Ali Family.
Presenters include President and Chief Executive of Anonymous Content Darren Walker, conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas, Pulitzer Prize-winning contributing critic-at-large for the New York Times Salamishah Tillet, artist, educator and photographer Deana Lawson, and athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick.
Since 2017, the Foundation has also awarded annual fellowships to artists following in Gordon Parks's footsteps working in a variety of fields and mediums. This year, the Foundation has introduced a music fellowship, alongside its existing honors for artists and writers, and is set to recognize Jason Moran. The prolific musician joins acclaimed artists Sanford Biggers and Amanda Williams, as well as Professor Leigh Raiford, as 2026 Fellows. These fellowships support the development of new or ongoing projects that explore the themes of representation and social justice and are in historical dialogue with Gordon Parks's work. The fellows will participate in a wide range of Foundation initiatives and programs throughout the year, culminating in a solo exhibition at The Gordon Parks Foundation Gallery in Pleasantville, NY.
Now in its second year, The Gordon Parks Foundation's Legacy Acquisition Fund will support photographers Darryl Cowherd and Louis Mendes through the acquisition of significant works for the Foundation's permanent collection. Established in 2025, the Fund expands the Foundation's mission by supporting late-career artists connected to Gordon Parks whose work advances art as a form of activism.
The co-chairs for the 2026 Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner & Auction are: Alicia Keys and Kasseem Dean, Tonya and Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Huma Abedin and Alex Soros, Anderson Cooper, Sarah Arison, Kathryn and Ken Chenault, Sherrese Clarke, Malcolm Jenkins, Michi Jigarjian, Judy Glickman Lauder, Carol Sutton Lewis and William M. Lewis, Jr., Crystal McCrary and Raymond McGuire, Dana Tang and Andy Darrell, Clara Wu Tsai, Gail and Jeff Yabuki and Betsy and Ed Zimmerman.
All proceeds from the evening will support year-round educational programming as well as the fellowships, prizes, and scholarships provided by The Gordon Parks Foundation to the next generation of artists, writers, and students whose work follows in Parks's footsteps. Tickets are available starting at $2,500 and can be purchased on The Gordon Parks Foundation website or by contacting Buckley Hall Events at gpfgala@buckleyhallevents.com or 914-579-1000.
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