2026 A4 Annual Benefit
ABOUT THE EVENT
Monday, October 5, 2026
Chinese Tuxedo, 5 Doyers Street, New York, NY 10013
Dinner & Cocktails: 6:30 PM-9:00 PM
After Party (Opera House): 9:00 PM-12:00 AM
Dress Attire: Festive Cocktail Attire
Join A4 for an unforgettable evening at our biggest fundraising initiative of the year, celebrating artists, cultural leaders, supporters, and the community who fuel our mission and make our work possible!
Inspired by the red string theory found across many Asian cultures, this year’s theme honors the invisible connections that draw people, places, and futures together. At A4, we help make those connections real, linking artists across generations, disciplines, and communities to one another, to opportunity, and to what comes next. Together, we will honor the artists, cultural leaders, supporters, and community members whose paths are woven through A4’s 40+ year legacy of advocacy, visibility, and creative exchange.
The evening will feature:
- Cocktails, a seated dinner, and a gathering of artists, supporters, and friends
- Live performances by A4 artists and collaborators
- Inspiring remarks and the honoring of this year’s awardees
- A late-night encore at Opera House, carrying the celebration through midnight
Purchase Tickets
Guests may reserve tables or individual dinner tickets for the Benefit, with table purchases including access to the Opera House After Party. Individual dinner guests may add After Party access separately.
Unable to attend? You can still support A4 with a gift and help sustain our year-round work to uplift, connect, and resource Asian American artists and cultural organizations.
A4 Host Committee
Leo Chen • Josh Cipkala-Gaffin • Ryna Dery • Izumi Fukushima • Bindu George • George Hirose • Kunal Modi • Michelle Pham • Athena Robles • Oscar Wong • Townshine Wu • Serina Yamada • Stephen Zaima
*List in formation
Honorees
Joan Shigekawa served as Acting Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in the Obama Administration. In 2023 she was awarded the nation’s highest honor in the arts, The National Medal of Arts by President Biden “for a lifetime of service to art in America”.
As an officer of the Rockefeller Foundation Ms. Shigekawa led domestic and international programs in the arts, including the NYC Cultural Innovation Fund, Creativity in a Digital Age and the foundation’s Greater Mekong Sub-Region Collaborative Artist Exchange. During her tenure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art she served as the Director of the International Production Laboratory at the Program for Art on Film, a partnership with the J. Paul Getty Trust.
Ms. Shigekawa is an emerita board member of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, a founding member of the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM). and a trustee of United States Artists, which supports individual artists in the visual, performing, media and traditional arts.
Ms. Shigekawa served as a Mayoral appointee to the New York City Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission, and as a trustee of the New York State Council for the Humanities, the Independent Television Service (ITVS), the New York Foundation for the Arts, Grantmakers in the Arts and Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media.
Legacy of Leadership Award
A multi-faceted leader in the arts, nonprofit, government, and higher education sectors, Dr. Mariko Silver is the President and CEO of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
Previously, Dr. Silver was also President and CEO of the Henry Luce Foundation and President of Bennington College. She helped lead the transformation and expansion of Arizona State University and held positions in state and federal government advising on international policy, economic development, technology, innovation, and higher education.
Dr. Silver sits on the board of several organizations including the Council on Foreign Relations, MacArthur Foundation and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art boards. She holds a PhD in Economic Geography (UCLA), a MSc in Science and Tech Policy (University of Sussex) and a BA in History (Yale).
FAQs
What is the dress code?
Creative cocktail attire inspired by the theme “Unbreakable Ties”: red accents, embroidery, fringe, and subtle archival details. Mood board coming soon.
Is the After Party included with a Benefit dinner ticket?
No. Individual Benefit dinner tickets do not include access to the Opera House After Party from 9:00 PM to midnight. To attend the After Party, please purchase a separate After Party add-on ticket.
*Please note that After Party tickets alone permit entrance to the Opera House After Party only and do not include access to the Benefit dinner. Guests who would like to attend both the dinner and After Party should purchase a table.
Can A4 accommodate dietary restrictions and accessibility needs?
Yes. If you require accommodations including ASL interpretation, CART captioning, language translation, or large print, please contact us at least a week before the event. For dietary needs, please share during checkout and contact A4 at least a week in advance for accommodations.
Are tickets tax-deductible?
The tax-deductible portion of each purchase will be provided at checkout and on your receipt.
For any further questions, email Sarah Zhu, development manager, at szhu@aaartsalliance.org.