14th Annual Montblanc de la Culture Award Presented to Rebecca Neuwirth, Whose Vision Inspired High 5 Tickets to the Arts

NEW YORK, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Montblanc presented its 14th annual Montblanc de la Culture Award to Rebecca Neuwirth, creator of High 5, which became High 5 Tickets to the Arts, at a ceremony at Lincoln Center. By offering tickets to dance, music, theater and fine art for only $5, High 5 Tickets to the Arts introduces teens to rich, enduring experiences that can continue to be part of their lives. Neuwirth was chosen by an international panel of world-known artists, including award-winning actress Susan Sarandon and author Tama Janowitz.

The Montblanc de la Culture Award is part of Montblanc's long-standing commitment to culture and the arts. Created in 1992, the award honors individuals who have significantly committed their time and resources to enhance arts and culture. Previous honorees include Jane Alexander, Tony Randall, Rosie O'Donnell, Russell Simmons and Susan Sontag, among others.

As a gesture of gratitude for her commitment, the Montblanc Cultural Foundation presented Ms. Neuwirth with a check for 15,000 euro (approximately $18,000) that she is donating to High 5 Tickets to the Arts.

Neuwirth developed the concept for High 5 while she was a student at Stuyvesant High School. Sixteen years later, that concept has grown to become an organization that has sold more than 100,000 $5 tickets to teens, their parents, teachers and mentors. More than 200 arts organizations donate tickets to a wide array of events each year.

"Today we are honoring Ms. Neuwirth's vision to make the arts accessible to young people with the Montblanc de la Culture Award," said Jan-Patrick Schmitz, CEO North America of Montblanc. "We embrace High 5's mission to raise the cultural awareness in young people. The organization Rebecca started has allowed thousands of young people to experience first-hand the beauty of the arts and has given them the incentive to enjoy, benefit from and support the arts for the rest of their lives."

In accepting the award, Neuwirth commented, "It is an honor to receive this prestigious international award, and I am gratified to know that companies such as Montblanc are committed to fostering appreciation and support of the arts, particularly in this challenging economic environment."

"We applaud Montblanc for its commitment to the arts and for helping High 5 Tickets to the Arts transform communities and change lives. Thank you to Rebecca Neuwirth, whose vision has inspired our work and whose donation will enable us to serve more teens in the year ahead," said Ada Ciniglio, executive director of High 5 Tickets to the Arts.

Attendees also heard from Scarlett Johnson, a 22-year-old woman who began using the High 5 program at age 12. "I've always had a passion for dance, and High 5 allowed me to pursue it by attending performances I never would have been able to afford," said Johnson. "Also, through High 5, I've discovered a love of opera and, even though I'm no longer eligible to use the tickets myself because the High 5 tickets are for teens, my mother and I still use High 5 to bring groups of teenagers to performances."

As a special treat for the end of the school year, 30 children from Abraham House were invited to the luncheon. Located in the Bronx, Abraham House provides services to children of family members who are in their program, which is an alternative to incarceration, thereby placing them in a proactive environment in order to break the cycle of crime in families. Several of the children participated in a ballet demonstration led by Robert Hill, former Principal Dancer of American Ballet Theatre and currently artistic director of Ballet de Monterrey in Mexico. In addition, two students from American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive program were on hand to mingle with the children.

After lunch, the children moved into the theater, where they joined an additional 175 New York City students for the performance of Swan Lake. The tickets to the performance were donated by Montblanc and distributed to the students by High 5 Tickets to the Arts in cooperation with American Ballet Theatre.

Limited Edition Sir Henry Tate Pen Unveiled

Each year, in conjunction with the Montblanc de la Culture Award, Montblanc unveils a Limited Edition Patron of Art Writing Instrument, honoring great art and culture advocates throughout history. This year, Montblanc's writing instrument pays homage to Sir Henry Tate, a successful British sugar trader in the 1800s and the most significant patron of British art. Ms. Neuwirth will receive an exclusive version of the Sir Henry Tate pen, of which only nine have been produced. The "Sir Henry Tate" is inspired by the neo- classical architecture of the "Tate Britain," the museum financed by Sir Henry Tate, and features red lacquer inlays, in guilloche work, on the cap and body, and a platinum-plated 18-carat gold nib.

Montblanc

Established in 1906 by partnership among a stationery trader, a banker and an engineer, Montblanc has built an unrivaled reputation for precision in design, materials and craftsmanship. Montblanc's North American operations include 45 freestanding boutiques and 80 shop-in-shops. Montblanc is one of several luxury brands owned by the Swiss holding company, Richemont. For more information about Montblanc, visit http://www.montblanc.com/.

High 5 Tickets to the Arts

High 5 Tickets to the Arts is an award winning nonprofit organization dedicated to developing new and younger audiences for the arts, making New York City's vast cultural life both affordable and accessible to teens (ages 13-18). By offering free after school programming and $5 tickets to the city's best music, theater, dance and visual arts events, High 5 cultivates the next generation of arts audiences and encourages young people to make the arts a central part of their lives. For more information about High 5 Tickets to the Arts, visit http://www.high5tix.org/.

American Ballet Theatre

American Ballet Theatre, America's National Ballet Company, is recognized as one of the great dance companies in the world. Few ballet companies equal ABT for its combination of size, scope and outreach. Since its founding in 1940, ABT annually tours the United States, performing for more than 600,000 people and is the only major cultural institution to do so. It has made more than 30 international tours to 43 countries and has been sponsored by the State Department of the United States on many of these engagements.

For additional information, interviews and/or a photo of the Montblanc 2006 Limited Edition "Sir Henry Tate" Writing Instrument, please contact Robert Marston And Associates at (212) 371-2200.