Luminaries from the worlds of fashion, entertainment, business, society, politics and the arts convened at Cipriani 42^nd Street for El Museo Del Barrio’s 19^th Annual Gala, a glamorous fundraising evening benefitting New York’s leading Latino cultural institution last Thursday. Donned in one of his gowns, actress Julianna Margulies presented celebrated fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez with an award for artistic achievement to honor his career and longtime patronage to El Museo del Barrio. In addition, fashion designer Carolina Herrera bestowed Yaz Hernández with a trustee leadership award for her generosity, exemplary years of service and influential work on the museum’s Executive Committee. Ruben and Isabel Toledo presented Bacardi U.S.A., Inc. with the 2012 Corporate Excellence in Arts Award. After dinner a surprise birthday cake was brought out to celebrate the company’s 150^th anniversary of its founding in Santiago de Cuba. This spectacular event was chaired by Nina Garcia, Alex González and Sarah G. Wolfe and honorary chair Estrellita Brodsky.

Photos by Fernando Leon/WireImage for El Museo Del Barrio