Arts & Entertainment

Liev Schreiber Gets Visionary Artist Award At HSA Masquerade Ball

Liev Schreiber was the recipient of the Visionary Artist Award at the 2018 HSA Masquerade Ball. See photos of 'Ray Donovan' star below!

Daniela Kirsch's profile picture
Daniela Kirsch, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|

The Harlem School of the Arts, at The Herb Alpert Center, is providing arts education in music, dance, theatre, and art & design. The School’s reputation for artistic rigor and excellence attracts constituents of diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds from all five New York City boroughs, Westchester County, Connecticut, and New Jersey.

HSA offers its students the freedom to find and develop the artist within themselves in an environment that stimulates creativity and builds self-confidence.

Check out Daniela's Lens below for all of the best moments of the night:

5:30 p.m.
There is so much going in New York City tonight. I choose to cover the Harlem School of the Arts Masquerade Ball at the Plaza. It's an important cause, a beautiful location, a great lineup, and a fun topic, that's all I need to know!

5:45 p.m.
I set up at the red carpet and say hello to the other photographers. Only a small group of press photographers are working inside of events in New York City. We know each other. We are the ones that go out every night to places like The Plaza, Cipriani, Ziegfeld Ballroom and The Pierre. Celebrities come and go, we stay in this world.

I have four roommates in Jersey City but I take photos at the most luxurious places of the rich and famous on a daily basis. "I'm like a noir film trying to be a Disney movie." I say to an editor.

6:04 p.m.
Christopher Williams, Janice Savin Williams and Eric Pryor.

Melissa Qvale and Brent Qvale

6:23 p.m.

6:48 p.m.
Rachel Brown receives the Visionary Lineage Award tonight.

Nicole Stokes and Lori Stokes

6:53 p.m.

NY Jets Line Backer Josh Martin and friend

6:54 p.m.

Moana Luu

6:55 p.m.

7:02 p.m.
"That's a wrap!" says the PR. The carpet is done.
I take my camera case and walk up the stairs to the ballroom. Tonight, the press is invited to take a seat and have dinner with the guests. This is a real treat. Truffle chicken!

8:38 p.m.
"I'm going to roam around," I say to my press friends. "I need to know if Liev Schreiber is here. He skipped the carpet. I really need his photo for the story."
"I know!" one of the editors says. "I was hoping to get an interview."
"He is so hot right now!" says the other editor.
"So hot!!!" we all chime in.
And what we mean is that whenever we write about him, the page views go through the roof.
"If he is here, I'll get him," I say because I always do. I see him sitting at a table in the middle of the room. I'm not allowed to take photos in the ballroom. I'll have to wait.

8:50 p.m.
Liev Schreiber goes on stage. "I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me to honor an organization that is so deeply worthy of being honored. The Harlem school was created to provide arts programs to kids who might not have otherwise the opportunity to discover their true gifts. I suppose one of the reasons why it is so important to me to support places like this is because I was one of those kids." he says.

8:53 p.m.
And he goes on: "Fortunately, I have a mother who cared deeply about the arts. Who valued a trip to the ballet with her son above her own personal comfort or necessities who worked when she could, who waited in line for food stamps when she couldn't. And who understood implicitly, that the arts belong to everyone. And that no child should be deprived of their powers simply because they were born into the wrong conditions."

9:06 p.m.
After the speech, I see him walk across the room. He is leaving!
I jump up, grab my camera and run as fast as I can with my 25 pounds of camera equipment trying not to fall all over my high heels.
I'm not a paparazzi, I don't take street photos, I only work inside of events, and I am invited. But it can be a fine line. Sometimes I have to hunt them down to get the photo and have a story to write about. It's a weird little dance. But this one is for a good cause!

I make it right in time. Two more photographers are with me. The PR gives us the signal: "Do it now!" she says. And we shoot away. I have 8 seconds and no time to adjust my camera settings.

9:06 p.m.
And one more with Eric Pryor and Janice Savin Williams.

9:08 p.m.
Thank you, Liev.

10:00 p.m.
I make my way to the after party in the Terrace room.

10:08 p.m.
The party has already started!

10:21 p.m.
It's a masquerade ball.

10:23 p.m.
These are some of the alumni from HSA.

11:35 p.m.
More dancing!

11:40 p.m.
Last shot! I'll hit the dance floor now!

1:40 a.m.
I change into comfortable shoes and walk all the way down to Times Square. I put my camera case down and lay on it. At this time of the night, Times Square is almost deserted. I watch the blinking billboards. It's as if they are all just buzzing for me.

Daniela Kirsch is a renowned entertainment photographer and founder of NameFace — an event photo agency based in New York City. Through her creative expertise and unique visual style, Kirsch not only just knows more than just a thing or two about photographing A-list events, but is forever changing the way we interact with the entertainment industry. In June 2018, Kirsch teamed up with Patch to launch the photo series 'Daniela's Lens' offering weekly features from local events to red carpet magic.

Don't forget to check out more coverage from Daniela's Lens:

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from New York City