Artists Peter Dayton, Walton Ford, Stephen Hannock, JR, Kim Keever, Clifford Ross, Nathan Sawaya, Cindy Sherman, Hugo Tillman, Kara Walker, and Stanley Whitney Will Exhibit and Donate Original Pieces to Winning Filmmakers at 11th Annual TFF.

The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), presented by American Express, today announced the 11 major contemporary artists who will contribute their artwork to the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards Program, sponsored by CHANEL. Works by Peter Dayton, Walton Ford, Stephen Hannock, JR, Kim Keever, Clifford Ross, Nathan Sawaya, Cindy Sherman, Hugo Tillman, Kara Walker, and Stanley Whitney will be presented to the filmmakers whose films are selected by the TFF jury as winners in their respective categories. The Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards Program was created by TFF co-founder Jane Rosenthal to celebrate New York artists. This year’s TFF will run April 18-29, 2012.

The artwork, which consists of paintings, photographs, etchings, prints and sculptures, will be publicly exhibited free and open to the public April 5 – 25, 2012 between the hours of 11am – 7pm (closed on April 8 for Easter), at the New York Academy of Art, 111 Franklin Street, Manhattan.  New Yorkers and festival-goers alike will be able to view the works before they are presented at the Tribeca Film Festival Awards Ceremony on the evening of April 26, 2012.

“The artists awards program has been a great tradition since we founded Tribeca,” said Tribeca co-founder Jane Rosenthal. “We are so pleased to have these respected and innovative  artists involved with the Festival by honoring our filmmakers with their art.”

"Chanel is delighted to continue the relationship with the Tribeca Film Festival Artist Program,” said John Galantic, President and Chief Operating Officer of CHANEL, Inc. “What an honor to be celebrating our 7th year. We look forward to viewing and supporting the work of both new and established artists."

Following is a complete list of the artwork that will be contributed:

About the Artists

About CHANEL

The CHANEL commitment to the arts began with its founder Mademoiselle Chanel almost a century ago.  Gabrielle“Coco” Chanel was a passionate patron and enthusiast of the arts.  She supported and collaborated with artists of her time in the art, theatre, ballet and cinema worlds, including Jean Cocteau, Sergei Diaghilev, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso and Jean Renoir.

The House of CHANEL continues to uphold Mademoiselle Chanel?s tradition. Karl Lagerfeld has designed costumes for many visually influential films, sustaining Coco Chanel?s precedent started in 1931 when she was contracted by MGM to design for Hollywood. CHANEL has also collaborated with filmmakers such as Joe Wright, Luc Besson, Ridley Scott, Roman Polanski and Baz Luhrmann, to create original short films for the brand.  CHANEL Boutiques across the country are deeply involved with their community by supporting arts-related organizations and helping them advance their artistic development. Additionally, the House has commissioned artists Joseph Stashkevetch, Peter Dayton, Ingo Maurer, Jean Michel Othoniel, Lalanne and Vik Muniz, to interpret CHANEL icons for works to be displayed in CHANEL Boutiques worldwide. CHANEL has also collaborated with artists to create original installations around new fine jewelry collections, most recently by Pierrick Sorin and Xavier Veilhan. 

With art playing an integral role in CHANEL’s history, it is an honor for CHANEL to have the opportunity to support the Tribeca Film Festival and celebrate the artists of this year and years past.

CHANEL, the international luxury goods company, was founded in France by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in 1911 and remains one of the world’s preeminent fashion houses today. The company, which is privately owned, strictly controls all design, manufacturing, distribution and advertising to ensure the highest level of quality.

CHANEL offers a broad range of luxury products, including Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear, fragrance, cosmetics, leather goods, accessories, watches and Fine Jewelry through a U.S. network of 24 boutiques on Mainland, Hawaii and Guam, and approximately 90 locations at select retailers. Haute Couture collections are presented exclusively in Paris. CHANEL maintains 151 freestanding boutiques worldwide, including the famous House of Mlle Chanel on the rue Cambon in Paris. Under the guidance of designer Karl Lagerfeld, the House of CHANEL remains dedicated to luxury, fashion, style and image.

In 1993, CHANEL launched the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Collection and opened a worldwide flagship Fine Jewelry boutique on 18 place Vendôme in Paris. There are eight Fine Jewelry boutiques in the U.S. and 32 worldwide.

About the Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival helps filmmakers reach the broadest possible audience, enabling the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote New York City as a major filmmaking center. It is well known for being a diverse international film festival that supports emerging and established directors.

Founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 following the attacks on the World Trade Center, to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of the lower Manhattan district through an annual celebration of film, music and culture, the Festival brings the industry and community together around storytelling.

The Tribeca Film Festival has screened more than 1,300 films from more than 80 countries since its first edition in 2002. Since inception, it has attracted an international audience of more than 3.7 million attendees and has generated an estimated $725 million in economic activity for New York City.