Editor’s Note: Photos by Lynn Miller. For the full spread, see print edition page 21.
West Windsor Arts Council’s annual gala “Havana Nights” was held at the arts center on Saturday, March 5. Proceeds benefit education programs for young children, teens, and adults, as well as multi-disciplinary arts programming for the community. Co-chairs of the planning committee were Krupali Desai and Brandi Gwynn Marsh.
“People look forward to the gala every year,” says Jasmine Dadlani, one of the members of the planning committee. “It is a sold out event.” Members also include Jennifer Connaughton, Elane Gutterman, Kerri Hamm, Sejal Krishnan, Agatha Siegel, Preeti Singh, Hetal Mistry, Mangala Narayan, Marija Naumoski, Susan O’Connor, Anu Paul, Katie Truk, and Lisa Weil.
There were also many volunteers checking coats, serving passed hors d’oeuvres, foods, and desserts donated by restaurants. Food donors included Seasons 22, Big Fish, Bon Appetit, Bahama Breeze, Americana Diner, Tre Piani, Flying Fish, On the Border, PJ’s Pancake House, Mediterra, and corner Bakery. Featured menu items included empanadas, flautas, sweet plantains, yucca bites, sopa de frijoles, Cubano sandwich bites, picadillo, fish tacos, and southwest salad.
Area artists donated art for the silent auctions. Jessica Schadt, an office assistant at the center, created the graphic design for all Havana Nights materials. Gallery artists included Zakia Ahmed, Divya Attri, Dee Gozonsky, Sejal Krishnan, Renee Kumar, Lori Lansinger, Ron LeMahieu, Arlene Milgram, Hetal Mistry, John Nebesney, Kalpana Patel, Ruthann Perry, Olga Poukh, Marla Powers, Anusha Saran, Carol Schepps, and Judy Tobie.
Cigar box gallery art was created by Meta Dunikly Arnold, Ilia Barger, Ilene Dube, Rochana Dubey, Aylin Green, C.J. Haslett, Heidi Kleinman, Nelly Kousmina, Renee Kumar, Judy Langille, Kathleen Liao, Bruce Lindsay, Hetal Mistry, Ruthann Perry, Michelle Post, Kimberly Ducote Schimmel, Eric Schultz, Lisa Steinberg, Katie Truk, and Jeffrey Tron. The officers of the arts council include Elane Gutterman, president; Karen Schoenitz, vice president; Doreen Garelick, secretary; and Lovepreet Buttar, treasurer. Trustees include Gary Chun, Jasmine Dadlani, Krupali, Desai, Kerri Hamm, Stuart Laermer, Brandi Gwynn Marsh, Brenda Mikea, Max Schatzow, and Lisa Weill.
Administrators include Aylin Green, executive director; Corinna Bisgaier, director of education; K. Kalawar, director of operations; Mary Smith, development assistant; Jessica Schadt, office assistant; Julia Bannor, marketing coordinator; and Peter Bisgaier, production manager.
Music was presented by Yerason Trio featuring Grammy Award winning Yrving Years, a singer, violinist, composer, arranger, and educator. Years, born in Santa Clara, Cuba, left in 1999 seeking freedom of personal and political expression in the United States.
“This is the place to be,” says Lisa Weil. “It takes a village to make this event bigger and better every year.”
