The American Federation of Arts Celebrates Three Visionaries for Their Contributions to the Arts
Byline: Karen Jones, founder of Citywealth, has more than 20 years’ experience in global private wealth.
The American Federation of Arts (AFA) presented the 2026 Cultural Leadership Awards to three visionaries of the art world: Estrellita B. Brodsky, Michael Govan, and Hank Willis Thomas at The Pierre in New York City.
The annual gala gathered national leaders in art and culture to celebrate the AFA’s 117-year legacy, and the outstanding contributions to the arts by these three honorees. Proceeds from the event will support the AFA’s touring exhibitions and public programs that reach millions of museumgoers across the country.
“We were truly honored to celebrate this year’s Cultural Leadership Award recipients: Estrellita B. Brodsky, Michael Govan, and Hank Willis Thomas. Each of them, in their own way, has changed how people encounter and understand art: making it more open, more urgent, and more alive for the audiences who experience it,” said Pauline Forlenza, the Director and CEO of the American Federation of Arts.
“The evening was a powerful reminder of why this work matters. We’re proud to celebrate honorees who reflect the communities and experiences that make our field richer, and we’re so grateful to everyone who came together in support of the AFA’s mission to bring exceptional art to audiences everywhere.” The AFA was founded in 1909 as the national leader in traveling exhibitions worldwide, and for more than a century this marquee annual event has brought together the country’s leading artists, museum directors, philanthropists, collectors, and art professionals.
“I am honored to receive the American Federation of Arts’ Cultural Leadership Award,” said Estrellita B. Brodsky.
“As a curator, collector, and advocate, I have been committed to bringing greater visibility to artists and perspectives that have too often been overlooked, particularly from Latin America and its diaspora.” “AFA’s mission of bringing art to audiences across the country through traveling exhibitions, educational programs and publications is rooted in what I believe deeply: that access to the arts can change how we understand ourselves, our histories, and instill an appreciation of one another and our shared humanity,” adds Brodsky. “I am grateful to be recognized by an organization that for over a century has made that principle central to its work. Thank you.”
“I am so grateful to be part of this year’s AFA event in such inspiring company as Estrellita B. Brodsky and Hank Willis Thomas,” said Michael Govan, LACMA’s CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director. “Sharing art with regional communities is one of our highest priorities at LACMA. Year after year, the American Federation of Arts has been doing that beautifully on a national scale. Sharing the power of art widely is ever more important to our lives and our nation.”
“What an honor, and in such inspiring company,” said Hank Willis Thomas. “When art is out in the world, it belongs to everyone, and I find that humbling. All of my work is about framing and context, and about how, depending on where you’re standing, it really shapes your perspective of the truth. “In bringing art to audiences across the country and internationally for nearly 120 years, the American Federation of Arts has played a transformative role in fostering connection and deeper understanding. I am grateful to the American Federation of Arts for supporting artists, and for the care they take in how our work meets the public,” said Thomas.
Key Takeaways
- The American Federation of Arts celebrated Estrellita B. Brodsky, Michael Govan, and Hank Willis Thomas at The Pierre in New York City.
- The gala commemorated the AFA’s 117-year legacy and supported its touring exhibitions and public programs.
- Each honoree contributed significantly to making art more accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
- Pauline Forlenza, AFA’s CEO, emphasised the importance of their mission to connect communities with exceptional art.
- The event highlighted the transformative role of the AFA in fostering deeper understanding through art.
Karen Jones is the founder of Citywealth and a wealth management commentator with more than 20 years’ experience across global private wealth, family offices and succession. Before founding Citywealth in 2005, she held publishing roles at The Times and The Sunday Times, London; Legal Business magazine; and worked on the Asia Pacific Legal 500.
Subscribe to the Citywealth Weekly Newsletter to learn more about Private Wealth Management.
Read more:
Insurance Can Be Used to Complement a Trust Strategy | Citywealth News
Digital Assets and PPLI Explained | Citywealth News
Private Placement Life Insurance | Citywealth News
Art for Every Child
Art.Private launches the first edition of Art For Every Child, a charitable initiative in support of the Art Explora Foundation.
Designing the Gilded Age: Drawings from the Studios of Louis C. Tiffany
The dazzling stained-glass windows, lamps, mosaics, and interiors from the studios of the visionary American artist Louis Comfort Tiffany, hallmarks of the Gilded Age, began as drawings created by the many talented designers in Tiffany’s studios.