OCTOBER 21: George Horton, Barbara Tober, Jackie Weld Drake, Kamie Lightburn, Tina Vidal-Duart, Sissi Fleitas Refaie and Felix Urrutia Jr. attend 2025/10/casita-maria-2025-fiesta-gala/BdmR7AxPai on October 21, 2025. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC) *** Local Caption *** George Horton;Barbara Tober;Jackie Weld Drake;Kamie Lightburn;Tina Vidal-Duart;Sissi Fleitas Refaie;Felix Urrutia Jr.
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Arts education nurtures creativity, critical thinking, social-emotional development, self expression, and cultural awareness, but it is too often unavailable to those who may benefit most from its capacity to empower individuals and communities. Amid crushing federal funding cuts, local budget reductions, and the lasting impact of pandemic cutbacks, the need to fill excruciating gaps is more essential than ever.
Tuesday night’s Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education 91st annual Fiesta gala underscores the value of what’s recently been lost and continues to amplify the legacy of New York City’s oldest Latino charity dedicated to the arts.
Established in East Harlem in 1934 by Claire and Elizabeth Sullivan and Sister Mary Imelda, who sought to improve the lives of Spanish-speaking people from Puerto Rico, Casita Maria continues to provide life-changing arts, culture, and education services to young people and families in the Hunts Point/Longwood section of the South Bronx.
The historically vibrant, yet economically challenged, area combines a major industrial hub with a largely residential, tight-knit, and resilient community. The two neighborhoods are physically separated by the Bruckner Expressway and railroad tracks, with a median household income of $35,230 in 2023, less than half the city’s median household income ($79,480), according to the New York University (NYU) Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. The poverty rate in the area was 35.6% in 2023, compared to 18.2% citywide.
“Casita Maria elevates these families, communities, through arts, culture, and education – something I love,” said honoree Kamie Lightburn, a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and community leader who promotes education, public health, and cultural programs across New York City.
Healthcare CEO and entrepreneur Tina Vidal-Duart, who was recognized for her work in providing medical and disaster relief services, assisting the homeless, as well as advancing education and public initiatives, added, “Casita Maria has, for generations, transformed lives through art and education. For over a century, they have been the cornerstone of opportunity, culture, and hope for the Hispanic community. A wise woman told me that children are our greatest asset, and that woman was Jackie Weld.”
Art and fashion world luminary and Museum of Arts and Design Chair Emerita Barbara Tober received the Jacqueline Weld Drake Living Legend Award.
OCTOBER 21: Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe and Jackie Weld Drake attend Casita Maria 2025 Fiesta! Gala on October 21, 2025. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe;Jackie Weld Drake
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“It was my hope that the award would continue to recognize individuals who inspire others through their work and generosity,” said philanthropist and Chair of Casita Maria Jacqueline Weld Drake. “This year, it will be presented to Barbara Tober, who is a marvel of energy. I hold dear the image of Barbara and her beloved Donald in this very room, dancing the night away. Barbara, always beautiful and graceful—at age ninety-one, she remains ever steadfast and practical. Barbara is who I want to be when I grow up.” Barbara Tober reflected, “Jackie brought people together from every field—writers, artists, musicians—and made something extraordinary happen. Casita Maria is one of those places that carries that same spirit. It’s a huge success, and something that thousands of young people depend upon for their growing and learning years. We are all here because we believe in that mission and in what Casita Maria continues to do for the city.”
OCTOBER 21: Jean Shafiroff, Prince Dmitri of Yugoslavia and Tina Vidal-Duart attend Casita Maria 2025 Fiesta! Gala on October 21, 2025. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC/PMC) *** Local Caption *** Jean Shafiroff;Prince Dmitri of Yugoslavia;Tina Vidal-Duart
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Weld Drake and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia co-chaired the glittery gala.
Casita Maria Executive Director Felix Urrutia welcomed guests alongside Trustee Sissi Fleitas, who said: “Every year, this event raises the funds that keep our programs going and allow us to bring art and opportunity to children and families in the South Bronx.”
August Quinn’s vibrant mural ‘Atmosphere’ adorns a bar at
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The Plaza Ballroom was aptly attired for the evening, with August Quinn’s vibrant mural Atmosphere, which elegantly marries Abstract Expressionist gestures with the aesthetics of 1980s painters and 1990s video games, adorning one of the bars. The New York City-born multidisciplinary artist who is influenced by early internet culture, street art, and hyper-stylized media, was joined Tuesday night by his parents Topper Quinn and Bianca Pratt-Simon.
Some 500 attendees passionate about arts education included: Mary Snow, who hosted a ballroom-width table; Casita Maria Board of Directors and Trustees Martha Bograd, George Corton, Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas, Michèle Gerber-Klein, Alberto Mariaca, Gautam Patel, and Jean Shafiroff; Steven Aronson, Muffie Potter Aston, Yanna Avis, Peter Bacanovic, David Beer, Cece and Lee Black, Mercedes Bograd, Janna Bullock, Halim Bulos, Sharon Bush, Lord and Lady Cavendish, Olivia Tournay Flatto, Rick Frieberg and Francine LeFrak, Lee Fryd, Mark Gilbertson, Lucia Hwong Gordon, Susan Gutfreund, Mai Hallingby, Sylvia Hemingway, Sharon Hoge, Susan Jaffe, Natalia and Peter Kanavos, Sophia Kanavos, Eleanora Kennedy, Karen Klopp, Margo Langenberg, Jeanne Lawrence, Harrison LeFrak, William Ivey Long, Alicia Lubowski-Jahn, Ellie Manko, Christopher Mason, Ann Nitze, Carlos Picon, Paola Bacchini Rosenshein, Joyce Ravid and Lionel Tiger, Mary Snow, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Christopher Walling, Sabrina Wirth, and Victoria Wyman.