Historic Setting Will Frame Foundation’s Annual Benefit

As always, the American Psychiatric Foundation will be hosting its annual benefit event during APA’s annual meeting in May. This year’s event will be held on Monday, May 7, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the Historic Landmark Building of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). The evening will feature live music, delicious food, and the opportunity to meet, mix, and mingle with new and old friends and colleagues.

PAFA is the oldest art museum and school in America and was founded in 1805 by painter and scientist Charles Willson Peale, sculptor William Rush, and other artists and business leaders. After the original home of PAFA was destroyed in a fire in 1845 and the museum and school outgrew its second home, the Historic Landmark Building opened in 1876 (note: the building is not ADA compliant; there are six steps to navigate during entry to the building).

Nearly 100 years after opening, the Historic Landmark Building was awarded National Landmark status by the National Park Service. Today the building stands out amid the modern Philadelphia landscape as a unique brick and stone treasure.

Once inside, guests will see the Grand Stair Hall, colorful tiles, and gothic architectural details. Select galleries will be open for guests to peruse the American art, and docents will be available until 9 p.m. to answer questions or provide tours. (The galleries in the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building and the first floor of the Historic Landmark Building will not be open.)

A highly anticipated part of the night’s festivities will be the presentation of the Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health. Since 2003, the foundation has been presenting psychiatrists, mental health programs and organizations, and other health professionals with awards to recognize innovative and supportive efforts that have increased awareness of mental illness in underserved minority communities, the need for early recognition of mental illness, the availability of treatment and how to access it, and the cultural barriers to treatment.

Information about the event, including how to purchase tickets, is posted at www.psychfoundation.org. Tickets cost $125 until May 1, when the price increases to $150.