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Crystal McCrary and Raymond J. McGuire to Receive the Laurie M. Tisch Award Recognizing Their Commitment to the Arts and Cultural Education; CMOM Also Will Pay Tribute to Its Former Executive Director Andy Ackerman, and Celebrate Its Visioning Partner, IDEO

New York, NY —October 23, 2019 — Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) Board Co-chairs Shannon Bauer Aronson and Matt Messinger announced that filmmaker and author, Crystal McCrary and Citigroup Vice Chairman, Raymond J. McGuire will receive The Laurie M. Tisch Award in recognition of their commitment to the arts and New York’s cultural institutions as powerful instruments to help children and families thrive at home, at school, and in the community. In addition, the Museum will pay tribute to Andy Ackerman, former Executive Director of CMOM who stepped down from that role in June. The global design firm, IDEO also will be celebrated for its early work in helping create a new vision for the Museum’s future home, scheduled to open in 2023.

The celebratory Gala fundraising evening will take place at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, Pier 61, in New York City on Tuesday, October 29.

The Laurie M. Tisch Award is presented annually to an individual or family who exemplifies the civic spirit; visionary leadership in education, arts, culture and/or health; and philanthropic commitment to positive social change for children and families by the Children’s Museum’s Founding Board Chair Laurie M. Tisch. Last year’s award went Jackie and Mike Bezos and the Bezos Family Foundation.

“Crystal and Ray have consistently supported educational and cultural institutions like CMOM that have a meaningful impact on the lives of children and families, both at home and in the larger community,” noted Laurie Tisch, who is also President of the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund. “As CMOM grows and moves to our new building in 2023, civic leaders like Crystal and Ray play an even more profound role in helping young people to thrive.”

Raymond J. McGuire is Vice Chairman of Citigroup and Chairman of its Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory business, comprising Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, Mergers & Acquisitions, Equity and Debt Capital Markets and Structured Finance. Prior to joining Citi, Mr. McGuire was the Global Co-Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley; Managing Director in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.; and one of the original members of Wasserstein Perella & Co., Inc. Presently, Mr. McGuire serves on boards including the De La Salle Academy (Chairman Emeritus),the American Museum of Natural History, the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the New York Public Library, the Studio Museum in Harlem (Chairman), and the Whitney Museum of American Art . Mr. McGuire is also a member of the Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and has received numerous honors and distinctions. He received his MBA and JD from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School respectively, an AB from Harvard College, and an LHD from Pratt Institute.

Crystal McCrary is an award-winning film and television producer, director and author. She began her career practicing entertainment law with Paul Weiss before leaving to pursue a full-time career in writing, directing and producing. She has published two best-selling novels and produced original programming including Homecourt Advantage, Gotham Diaries and Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing Our World. She also produced the independent film, Dirty Laundry and served as co-creator/executive producer for the BET documentary series, Leading Women and Leading Men. She directed and produced, together with Amare’e Stoudemire, the documentary Little Ballers, and the series Little Ballers Indiana for Nickelodeon Sports. Ms. McCrary is currently in production for several major projects including the history of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. She has appeared on a number of national television shows advocating for education, children’s rights and women’s issues. Ms. McCrary is a graduate of the University of Michigan and New York University School of Law and American University.

In commenting about former CMOM Executive Director Andy Ackerman, Shannon Bauer Aronson and Matt Messinger said, “At this significant inflection point for the Museum, the Board is delighted to have the opportunity to pay tribute to Andy’s essential role in building a strong foundation for the Museum’s future home at 361 Central Park West.” Andy Ackerman stepped down as Executive Director of CMOM in June after 29 years of leadership. During his tenure, CMOM’s annual attendance grew to 350,000 people, becoming a leading family destination and a citywide resource with some 50,000 underserved people across all five boroughs enjoying free or reduced admission yearly. Hundreds of thousands more citywide benefit from the museum’s outreach programs at schools, libraries, hospitals, and with CMOM’s permanent learning hubs at homeless shelters and Head Start centers. Under Ackerman’s guidance, the Museum developed and hosted numerous blockbuster interactive exhibits including the groundbreaking “Eat Sleep Play™: Building Health Every Day” and “America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far,” the latter of which is currently traveling around the U.S.

In late 2017 the Children’s Museum purchased 361 Central Park West, the former First Church of Christ, Scientist, a 1903 building designed by Carrère and Hastings. The new space, expected to open in 2023, will allow the organization to serve twice the number of people it currently does and offer three times the exhibition space available at its current home.

In addition to Jackie and Mike Bezos and the Bezos Family Foundation, past recipients of the Laurie M. Tisch Award include philanthropists and owners of the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery halley k harrisburg and Michael Rosenfeld; MacArthur Genius Fellow, Sarah Sze and husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee; education philanthropists and former NY Giant, Lauran and Justin Tuck; and Renée Edelman and the Edelman Family, for their multi-generational commitment to philanthropy.
Each year the Children’s Museum Gala brings together over 400 philanthropists and supporters. Funds raised at the event support the organization’s operating costs which include offering free museum admission to over 50,000 people through Head Start programs in low-income neighborhoods as well as through direct service programs with NYC homeless shelters, libraries, schools, Head Start centers, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Riker’s Island Correctional Facility.

For additional information and to purchase tickets to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan’s gala, visit https://cmom.org/gala/.

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About Children’s Museum of Manhattan
As one of New York’s leading family destinations and a vital city resource, CMOM is visited annually by 350,000 people with some 50,000 people enjoying free or reduced admission. Many more participate in outreach programs in 60 sites across NYC’s five boroughs, take part in professional development training programs, and enjoy the Museum’s traveling exhibitions.
Mission and Vision
To be the stewards of early childhood and to help all our youngest citizens grow and develop into their best selves. We advance society’s perception of childhood and its understanding of healthy child development to nurture the next generation of creative global citizens.

About the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
The Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund (LMTIF) is a New York City-based foundation that strives to improve access and opportunity for all New Yorkers. Founded in 2007 by philanthropist Laurie M. Tisch, the Illumination Fund plays an active role in supporting innovative approaches to education, the arts, healthy food and civic service in order to illuminate strategies that transform our urban landscape. For more information about the Illumination Fund, visit: http://www.lmtilluminationfund.org/

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