Thank you, Peter. Yes, it has, indeed, been a team effort. And you have been an instrumental partner and a caring and giving soul mate.
What you see here tonight represents the vision of Alexia Board member, Daile Kaplan, Vice President of Photographs at Swann Galleries and the curator of this exhibit with special help from Thomas Fuhs, Jan Arnessen and the exhibition team here at the UN. Daile has embraced the purpose of the Alexia foundation and translated it into a coherent journey across the globe. She has laid before us a feast for our eyes and a study for our minds. Thank you, Daile.
The critical component to discovering the photo essays that tell us something: the ones that move us, the ones that spur us or our governments to action or the ones that change how we think - is finding the judges to identify the photojournalist who can do it.
The Foundation has had many judges over its 16 year history but one judge stands above all others. Robert Gilka has judged for us 14 times. Gilka, as he is affectionately called, has been the booming voice in the room- the ultimate last word.
His devotion to photography has spanned 50 years. His reputation and impact will last far longer. During his tenure of 23 years at The National Geographic he set the gold standard for the photography industry. Gilka sent more young photographers on the course to success than anyone else in the profession. His advice to them was not always what they wanted to hear. He was brutally honest. David Lyman recalls, "I presented my portfolio to Gilka, He opened my book, turned a few pages, closed it and pushed it back across the table. Then, in his famous drill sergeant's voice, he said, "You earn a living with this stuff?" I left the room in disillusionment and spent the rest of the day in shock. But as I look back, I see that Gilka gave me the right advice." Lyman did not become the Geographic assignment photographer he yearned for but found his real calling by establishing The Maine Photographic Workshops. Bob Gilka sent him on the right path.
And so Bob Gilka has performed his magic for us each year at the Alexia Competition. It is with the deepest affection that we present on behalf of the Alexia Foundation a Lifetime Achievement Award to Robert E. Gilka, a legend in photography and a dear friend.
PRESENTATION OF AWARD
The underpinning premise of the Alexia Foundation is education. The book "Eyes on the World" is a loving creation of 14 Syracuse University Senior Graphics students. Under the tutelage of Sherri Taylor, their professor, and with the oversight of William Marr, Executive Editor from the National Geographic, the guidance of our competition administrator, David Sutherland, and the editorial eye of Alexia Board Member, Michele Stephenson, Director of Photography at Time Magazine they produced this book in 4 weeks time. We are so grateful for their professionalism and commitment, but most of all for their passion.
How did we get to tonight? It is a long and sad story, but it is a story of hope. Hope for us as a family, hope for the photojournalists we support and hope for finding just solutions for our troubled world.
From the beginning days, when Peter and I searched our hearts struggling for someway to direct our overwhelming loss into a force for good, our thoughts always seemed to find their way to Syracuse University. And Syracuse responded. In the larger picture by embracing all the families and vowing to memorialize those lost by creating the prestigious Remembrance Scholar Awards. And on a more individual level, David Sutherland, Alexia's mentor took us under his wing and helped us create the Alexia Competition which is the centerpiece and keystone of the Foundation's work.
We are honored to have with us this evening, the Chancellor of Syracuse University. Nancy Cantor is the 11th Chancellor and President of Syracuse University. A native New Yorker, Dr. Cantor came to Syracuse from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was chancellor.
Please welcome Chancellor Nancy Cantor.