Dear NYWIFT Community,
Wishing you a happy and peaceful spring season!
What kind of butterfly do you want to be in these trying times?
When we were thinking about themes for this year’s Muse Awards, the team brainstormed: what thrives in extreme conditions? What word could describe our current political circumstances, our changing industry, and the threats of climate change?
We settled on metamorphosis.
Monarch butterflies can travel for over 2,500 miles at altitudes as high as 1,200 feet above the visible skies. In winter, they gather in community to keep each other warm. They live constantly under threat from a changing planet, yet they transform. They gather. They soar.
In 2025, we must be monarch butterflies. We must hold on tight to our loved ones and grow our community. We need not fight the transformation but rather embrace it. We must work together to find creative solutions. We must protect the vulnerable. We must adapt. And we will soar together.
We are still glowing from our 45th Annual NYWIFT Muse Awards! We are so grateful to all our partners, supporters, and community members who came out to celebrate women of vision and achievement with us and to support the vital work we do here at NYWIFT.
Please be sure to check out our photos from the day – you may catch yourself in one of the pics:
NYWIFT Community on the Red Carpet
Muse Awards Honoree Red Carpet
Here are a few of my favorite behind-the-scenes photos:
Honoree Lisa Cortes and NYWIFT Board Member Joyce Pierpoline arrive at Cipriani 42nd Street (Photo Credit: Gretchen McGowan)
Honoree Marissa Bode waiting in the wings watching her tribute reel produced by Jennifer Wollan (Photo Credit: Rowena Husbands)
NYWIFT Board Members Shruti Ganguly, Sibyl Reymundo-Santiago, Kuye Youngblood, and Kim Jackson snag a pic with honoree Pamela Anderson (Photo Credit: Rowena Husbands)
NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez (right) poses with a trio of former NYWIFT Board Members – and current President’s Circle members – Annetta Marion, Simone Pero, and Caren Spruch (Photo Credit: Avis Boone)
The NYWIFT Podcast team hits the red carpet; from left: Tammy Reese, Catherine Woo, Katie Chambers, Penni Malloy-Harper, LaKisa Renee (Photo Credit: Starpix)
Board Members Zenaida Mendez and Toni Isreal at the Queen’s Table (Photo Credit: Rowena Husbands)
Presenter and 2023 Muse Honoree Sandra Lee glamming it up at the Queen’s Table (Photo Credit: Starpix)
Host Nancy Giles’ reaction upon Lisa Cortes’ whispered “You could kill someone with this thing!” when she picked up her Muse statue (Photo Credit: Lou Aguilar)
Some of our intrepid volunteers at work (Photo Credit: Lou Aguilar)
Our beautiful place settings (Photo Credit: Rowena Husbands)
We paid tribute to metamorphosis as we honored all that women are capable of as they gather in community, transform, and soar against the odds.
If you attended, we hope you left feeling uplifted.
As honoree Lisa Cortés said that day, “Witnessing someone else’s metamorphosis can inspire you to burst forth too.”
We sincerely appreciate the generous support of our community as we move forward together.
Thank you to all the volunteers, our entire production team, and the crew from Next Millennium who filmed the event. We couldn’t do it without you!
A special thank you to our organizational supporters for helping to make Muse happen:
Artemis Foundation
Harnish Foundation
Rockefeller Bros Fund
And thank you to all the corporate partners that were with us to support the creative careers of MUSE 2025 honorees
Stay tuned for the announcement of our Meet the Candidates networking night where we’ll introduce candidates for our Board of Directors. And get ready to celebrate the NYWIFT community and encourage your friends to join during our Spring Membership Drive, launching in May.
Onward together,
Cynthia Lopez
CEO, NYWIFT
