{"id":188165,"date":"2026-04-07T11:26:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T11:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/188165\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T11:26:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T11:26:07","slug":"pelham-art-center-announces-heart-of-gold-spring-fundraising-gala-honoring-sona-davidian-and-dr-anne-frost-may-15-at-split-rock-pelham-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/188165\/","title":{"rendered":"Pelham Art Center announces \u2018Heart of Gold\u2019 spring fundraising gala honoring Sona Davidian and Dr. Anne Frost, May 15 at Split Rock \u2013 Pelham Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pelham<\/a> <\/p>\n

Pelham Art Center is pleased to announce its annual Spring fundraiser, Heart of Gold Gala, will take place on Friday, May 15th from 7-11pm at Split Rock Golf Club in the Bronx, NY. All proceeds from the event\u2019s auctions will directly support Pelham Art Center\u2019s art education for all ages, exhibitions, public programming, scholarships, and operations. Passed hors d\u2019oeuvres followed by fancy desserts and dancing will go hand in hand with live and silent auctions offering noteworthy packages and experiences, along with high-spirited, artful entertainment throughout the evening. This year, Pelham Art Center is proud to honor Sona Davidian and Dr. Anne Frost at the Heart of Gold Annual Gala.<\/p>\n

Sona Davidian is a pillar of the Pelham Art Center \u2013 in a community of devoted supporters, she stands out for her exceptional service. The freshly renovated and revitalized Pelham Art Center we know today is a direct result of her efforts. She served two six-year terms on the Pelham Art Center Board, one in the 1990s and more recently 2018-2024. She led the board as Chairwoman and was an active committee member of the recent Capital Campaign that enabled major improvements to the building in 2024 and one undertaken in the 1990s. As the head of the Pelham office of Compass, the top real estate firm in Pelham, Sona has sponsored a number of Pelham Art Center programs, including this year\u2019s We Are Family event. Her dedication to Pelham Art Center\u2019s Board and activities, along with her consistent leadership and guidance, has greatly benefited the organization and helped advance its mission.<\/p>\n

A veteran real estate agent, Sona has twice broken the record for listing and selling the highest-priced home ever brokered in Pelham. Sona\u2019s contributions extend far beyond her professional achievements. She was recognized as a \u201cWoman of Distinction\u201d by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and County Legislator Jim Maisano, and in 2025 she was honored as \u201cPerson of the Year\u201d by The Danny Fund for her contributions to the charity, which provides financial, emotional, and advocacy support for children with catastrophic illness or injury.<\/p>\n

Pelham Art Center also proudly honors Dr. Anne Frost for her exceptional support of and commitment to Pelham Art Center\u2019s core mission of \u201cArt for All.\u201d As founder and President of Project Community, one of Pelham\u2019s longest-standing nonprofit organizations, Anne has personally championed numerous collaborative programs between Project Community and Pelham Art Center, such as Be the Influence and HomeTalks: Secrets Behind the Tech, that have engaged local youth through innovative art-based expression and creative and social-emotional learning. Her dedication reflects the values at the heart of Pelham Art Center\u2019s mission and exemplifies how, by working together, we can expand opportunities for many and make an even greater impact on our community.<\/p>\n

Over the course of her illustrious career, Dr. Frost\u2019s work through Project Community \u2014 a cornerstone of Pelham\u2019s social and emotional wellness network \u2014 has positively impacted the well-being of thousands of children, teenagers, families and schools for more than four decades. Anne is the recipient of numerous awards, including the following highlights: \u201cAdvocates for Child Psychiatric Nursing,\u201d the \u201c2002 New York State Senate\u2019s Women of Distinction Award\u201d and the \u201c2016 Pelham\u2019s Women of Distinction Award.\u201d<\/p>\n

At this year\u2019s gala, live and silent auctions will offer an opportunity to purchase anything from original artwork to gift certificates galore \u2013 including special weekend getaways, world-class museum experiences, entertaining theater tickets, and more. Not only do auction winners get to enjoy the best our community has to offer, but local businesses and artisans have an opportunity to expand their reach to an engaged audience of arts lovers by contributing items that exemplify their business or brand.<\/p>\n

The spring gala\u2019s annual tradition of having local artists, designers, and creators interpret the theme of the event will continue, with inventive tablescapes reflecting the Heart of Gold theme. A new gala event format will feature passed hors d\u2019oeuvres followed by fancy desserts amidst these inspirational tablescapes. Party-goers are invited to round out the night dancing and mingling under the stars at Split Rock\u2019s outside terrace. Special entertainment for the night will include energetic tunes spun by award-winning DJ Stephen Byfield.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Interim Executive Director at Pelham Art Center Nancy Mazzei offered: \u201cOur theme, \u2018Heart of Gold\u2019 for this year\u2019s gala, is a dedication to our two honorees, Sona Davidian and Anne Frost. While public funding and individual giving have become highly unpredictable, Anne and Sona instead pushed for more workshops, camps and program partnerships with Pelham Art Center. Sona and Anne\u2019s understanding of utilizing art as a tool to inspire and help people has added a dimension to what the art center does while supporting us in turbulent times. Both these fantastic women truly have \u201cHearts of Gold\u201d that reach far beyond giving. I cannot wait to honor them both.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In addition to the event Chairs, Board President Christopher Dlutowski and Jaime Wright, this year\u2019s host committee includes Board Chair Julia Fuller, Michelle Acosta, Carly Glick, Sonika Gupta, Gilyana Jones, Nancy Mazzei, Kristin Moore-Gantz, Michele Westrick, Alison Wiesenmaier.<\/p>\n

Help Pelham Art Center nurture and celebrate the innumerable \u201cHearts of Gold\u201d in our community by buying your tickets, sponsoring or donating today! To do so, visit the following link: GAPAC2026.givesmart.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: This press release was provided by the Pelham Art Center. The Pelham Examiner publishes press releases in the form received as a service to the community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pelham Art Center is pleased to announce its annual Spring fundraiser, Heart of Gold Gala, will take place…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188166,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[128,9,24,63,129,131,130],"class_list":{"0":"post-188165","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-bronx","8":"tag-bronx","9":"tag-new-york","10":"tag-new-york-city","11":"tag-nyc","12":"tag-the-bronx","13":"tag-the-bronx-headlines","14":"tag-the-bronx-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}