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Dorothy Lichtenstein, the honoree at Stony Brook University’s Stars of Stony Brook Gala on Wednesday, April 12, made a major contribution during the fundraiser: $5 million to support creative writing and film programs and a variety of scholarships and educational initiatives at Stony Brook Southampton.
Ms. Lichtenstein, a philanthropist and the widow of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, has been a strong supporter of the Southampton campus for several years. Back in 2013, she made a $1 million donation to the Stony Brook Southampton Graduate Arts Program, establishing the Lichtenstein Fund.
“Our more entrepreneurial programs would not exist without her steadfast support,” said Robert Reeves, the associate provost of Southampton Graduate Arts Campus.
Ms. Lichtenstein is a resident of both Southampton and Manhattan and has been a Stony Brook Foundation trustee since 2008.
“For well over a decade, Dorothy has helped foster the creativity of a new generation of fine artists, writers, filmmakers and cultural thinkers, ones who are going on from Stony Brook to make our world a fuller, more vibrant place,” said Richard Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX, chair of the Stony Brook Foundation, and Gala co-chair, in a statement. “Dorothy quietly leads by example, and has been the true hero of the Stony Brook Southampton arts program story.”
Christine Vachon, a Hollywood film producer and the artistic director of Stony Brook’s film programs, added, “There are a lot of people coming into the program who wouldn’t normally have access to these kinds of classes, professionals and equipment. It’s allowing them to get their stories out there, and that’s really thanks to Dorothy.”
Ms. Lichtenstein’s support for Stony Brook programs has extended outside the arts fields, and outside the country. She has financed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey’s research on human evolution at Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya, and Indianapolis Prize-winning Patricia Wright’s conservation work at Centre ValBio in Madagascar.
In total, the 19th annual gala held at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan raised $7.1 million.
on Apr 17, 2018