Friday, June 3
Gabby Awards ticketholders were in for several fantastic events Friday evening. The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception and art exhibition in honor of neon artist Stephen Antonakos, hosted by the American College of Greece. Partygoers then headed over to Ink 48 for an official welcome reception hosted by the Greek America Foundation featuring an appearance by internationally acclaimed jewelry maker Konstantino, who also designed the Gabby Awards statuette this year.
The Stephen Antonakos reception was held at Lori Bookstein Fine Art gallery in honor of Antonakos' lifelong contributions to contemporary art. Several of Antonakos' pieces were on display, and Antonakos himself was present meeting attendees. Dr. David Horner, president of the American College of Greece, introduced a new meditation space to be built on campus - the building's architecture was inspired by Antonakos. Wine flow for the event was provided by Tsantali. In addition, student film finalists' short film tributes to Antonakos' work were shown. The film contest winner will be announced at Saturday's Gabby Awards ceremony at Ellis Island.
Gabby Awards partygoers then an amazing time at Ink 48, a Kimpton hotel, at the official welcome party. This was a rare opportunity to see jewelry designer Konstantino in person and to view his entire collection. Men's and women's items were available for purchase at a discount. Attendees included Theo Alexander, Melina Kanakaredes, John Varvatos, several of Greek America's 40 Under 40 award winners, and several Gabby Awards sponsors and supporters.
For a full photo gallery of the welcome party at Ink 48, visit our Facebook page.
Thursday, June 2
The Gabby Awards weekend kicked off Thursday, June 2 with a Tribute to Hellenic Film and special welcome reception for event sponsors at Bvlgari.
'A Tribute to Hellenic Film,' presented by the New Jersey Hellenic American Heritage Commission, featured three films and a presentation by award-winning filmmaker and Gabby Award nominee Kary Antholis, president of HBO Miniseries. The screenings were held at the historic Loew's Theater in Jersey City. Event attendees saw a screening of Chris Epperson's 'The 11th Day' about Crete's resistance during WWII, and 'Zorba the Greek,' starring Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas. Antholis' presentation preceded a screening of Elia Kazan's 'America, America.'
Antholis gave an overview of the life and legacy of film director Elia Kazan, one of the most influential and honored directors of all time. Antholis spoke about how Kazan's brutally honest, socially aware films influenced his own work. In 'America, America,' Antholis says he was inspired by Kazan's straightforward, truthful portrayal of the life of his uncle, an impoverished Greek from Turkish Anatolia who came to America in pursuit of the American Dream. When Antholis was a young man, he, too, traced his own grandfather's journey from Anatolia to Istanbul.
Supporters and sponsors of the Gabby Awards gathered Thursday evening at Bvlgari on Fifth Avenue in New York for a special reception in honor of those who make the Gabby Awards possible. The star-studded guest list included Theo Alexander, John Aniston, Kary Antholis, filmmakers Louis Psihoyos and Greg Yaitanes, and many, many more. Food for the evening was prepared by Grecian Delight Foods in Chicago using their own high-quality products, and Kanenas wines by Tsantalis were poured throughout the evening.
To check out photos from the Bvlgari party, browse our Facebook photo album.
Gabby Awards Live Blog
The official 2011 Gabby Awards Live Blog will go live Thursday, June 2 as we kick off the Gabby Awards Big Apple Weekend. Check back for the latest updates from events all across New York City. The night of the Gabby Awards we will live-update with the award winners, red carpet celebrity sightings and photos from the evening.
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