On October 3, 2018, we celebrated this important milestone with an evening of food, drink, and art to benefit the ACC Fellowship Program, which provides life-changing opportunities to artists and scholars across 26 countries and 16 fields. The evening’s program was designed to create immersive artistic experiences and featured site-specific works by ACC’s talented and inspiring alumni—including Bangladeshi visual artist Kalidas Karmakar’s live performance painting, a surround sound installation composed using recordings of the Ganges River by American musician Susie Ibarra, and a multi-screen video work by American mixed media artist Nina Kuo—brought the creative evening to life. ACC grantee Yasuno Miyauchi, a composer from Japan whose works use only the human voice, led the entire audience in creating an interactive collective forest soundscape. Guests also enjoyed a musical tribute by sopranos Ma. Rhina Paula Palma-Cruz and Bianca Camille Lopez of the Filipino vocal duo The Nightingales, as well as the premiere of ACC's alumni montage video, narrated by ACC trustee David Rockefeller, Jr.

ACC Chairman Wendy O’Neill co-chaired the Gala with ACC trustee Mercedes Zobel. The event honored David Rockefeller and Susan Rockefeller, along with ACC grantee Shen Wei who was presented with the JDR 3rd Award by ACC trustees Valerie Rockefeller and Charles Rockefeller. 

Clockwise: Yasuno Miyauchi leading the interactive collective forest soundscape; Nina Kuo's multi-screen video work; David Rockefeller and Susan Rockefeller making gift announcement; Kalidas Karmakar's live performance painting; Susie Ibarra's installation of the Ganges River; Wendy O'Neill; center, Valerie Rockefeller and Charles Rockefeller presenting Shen Wei with the JDR 3rd Award

For 55 years, ACC has been committed to a vision of a world made more harmonious through mutual respect and understanding. John D. Rockefeller 3rd formed the Asian Cultural Program of the JDR 3rd Fund because he understood the unparalleled capacity of cultural exchange to create understanding and meaningful connection. It was quite fitting that David Rockefeller, Jr. announced a $1 million endowment gift to ACC from the Estate of David Rockefeller, Sr. With this gift, ACC joins the illustrious group of organizations to benefit from the proceeds of the record-breaking 2018 Christie’s auction of the Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller and is excited about the mission-driven programs that will be made possible through this support.

ACC is grateful to each and every one of our supporters who enable us to uphold our mission of advancing understanding through cultural exchange!

Honorees David and Susan Rockefeller with Gala Co-Chairs Mercedes Zobel and Wendy O’Neill and sopranos Rhina Paula Palma-Cruz and Bianca Camille Lopez