On November 15th, 2021, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) held its marquee fundraising event, the annual Trophée des Arts Gala, hosted by ARDIAN, Samantha and Nabil Chartouni, Clo and Charles S. Cohen, Betty and Jean-Marie Eveillard, LVMH, and Clémence and William von Mueffling, at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
The 2021 Gala recognized the Chairman of Saint-Gobain Pierre-André de Chalendar, who was presented the 2021 Pilier d’Or by Kenneth Jacobs, CEO of Lazard. This year’s Trophée des Arts was given to renowned author Marc Levy, with a special tribute to Marie-Monique Steckel, President of FIAF, for more than 17 years. This year, the event raised an incredible $1.6 million to support FIAF’s mission to teach French, promote Francophone culture, and strengthen the relationship between French and American peoples.
The evening began with cocktails, followed by a seated dinner where guests were welcomed by CNBC’s Contessa Brewer and Marie-Monique Steckel, President of FIAF. A pre-event auction was live on the FIAF website, followed by a live paddle-raise by star auctioneer Adrien Meyer. Live auction highlights included an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris, a timeless Boucheron Ring, a week-long stay at a private villa on the exclusive island of Mustique, a one-of-a-kind Versailles experience, a luxury week in Santorini, and a romantic getaway to Monte Carlo.
ABOUT THE TROPHÉE DES ARTS GALA
The Trophée des Arts award, created in 1992, recognizes a distinguished artist or cultural icon who exemplifies FIAF’s mission of French American friendship and cross-cultural exchange. It has been bestowed upon French and American artists and cultural icons including Jane Fonda, Charlotte Gainsbourg, François Cluzet, Alain Ducasse, Jacques Grange, Marc Jacobs, Jeff Koons, James Ivory, Angélique Kidjo, Philippe de Montebello, Robert Wilson, Françoise Gilot, and Peter Marino.
The Pilier d’Or award, established in 2006, recognizes a leading business figure, diplomat, or philanthropist for outstanding contributions to the French- American community. Past honorees include Jean-Paul Agon (L’Oréal), Sydney Toledano (DIOR), Dominique Senequier (ARDIAN), Sébastien Bazin (AccorHotels), Pierre Bellon (Sodexo), Thierry Breton (ATOS), Paul Desmarais Jr. (Power Corporation of Canada), Fabrice Grinda (Internet Entrepreneur and Investor), Alexandre de Juniac (Air France – KLM), Jean-Bernard Lévy (Vivendi), Christophe de Margerie (TOTAL), and Bernard Poussot (Wyeth).
