PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Contact: Joanna E. Castro, Acting Executive Director, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, (212) 567-4394, [click to reveal email]
New York, 20 March 2017 — Alexis Agliano Sanborn of Washington Heights was the judges’ choice out of 40 entries as the winner of the 2017 Uptown Arts Stroll poster contest. Ms. Sanborn’s artwork showcased the elements of Northern Manhattan’s diversity, inclusiveness and dynamic cultural arts scene. She will receive a $1,000 honorarium and exclusive graphic representation on Uptown Arts Stroll publications.
Ms. Sanborn is a founder’s committee member of the Washington Heights and Inwood Food Council and a board member of the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra. She received a Master’s degree from Harvard University and works as a Program Coordinator at the U.S.–Asia Law Institute at New York University and the Wa-Shokuiku Project: Japanese-inspired Food Education.
“The first time I visited New York, I came to the Cloisters and knew that I was somewhere magical,” said Ms. Sanborn, who grew up in suburban California. She feels a remarkable sense of comradery, an abundance of greenery, vigor and passion uptown. Ms. Sanborn added, “To win this prize is a reflection of everything I have ever felt and known about my neighborhood; I am humbled and grateful for the support, understanding, and dedication of my community.”
Ms. Sanborn has been painting her entire life and was always drawn to the natural world. Northern Manhattan, with its abundance of trees, vistas, winding paths and mysterious stairways, has always charmed her and, consequently, is her favorite part of the city. This winning artwork is a result of the love of greenery and adventure, with the thriving sights, smells, and sounds of uptown culture reminiscent through our multi-cultural and multi-ethnic background.
Joanna E. Castro, Acting Executive Director, Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance, said, “We received 40 very strong poster submissions from local artists for the 15th annual Uptown Arts Stroll, so the panel’s decision was not easy. We congratulate Alexis for best capturing the 2017 Uptown Arts Stroll’s theme of diversity, inclusiveness and dynamic cultural arts scene of northern Manhattan.”
The Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) is a non-profit arts service organization whose mission is to cultivate, support and promote the works of artists and arts organizations in northern Manhattan. NoMAA facilitates the creation of new works by both emerging and established artists, encourages public dialogue, engagement, and collective reflection around issues that affect upper Manhattan’s cultural community.
Pizza Haven at 4942 Broadway and West 207th Street, Ms. Carole Mulligan of Inwood, the Calabar Gallery in Harlem, and anonymous donors generously provided the $1,000 honorarium.
The opening celebration of the 15th Uptown Arts Stroll in Washington Heights–Inwood, and for a third consecutive year in West Harlem, is on Wednesday, 31 May 2017, 6–8:30pm, at the United Palace on Broadway and West 175th Street. The kickoff will exhibit local artists and performances at the majestic United Palace, originally the Loew’s 175th Street Theatre, the last of the “Wonder Theatres” erected between 1925 and 1930.
The Uptown Arts Stroll is a month-long arts festival from 31 May to 30 June 2017, that spotlights performances and exhibitions by the rapidly growing Northern Manhattan arts community, from West 135th Street to West 220th Street. The Uptown Arts Stroll started in 2003 as a one-day volunteer-organized event and is produced annually by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance since 2008. For more information about the Uptown Arts Stroll, please see www.artstroll.com.
