Donna Karan Announces Urban Zen's First Annual Stephan Weiss Apple Awards and Inspiration Series

NEW YORK, June 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the life and work of Stephan Weiss, Donna Karan announced the establishment of  The Urban Zen Stephan Weiss Apple Awards. The premiere event held on Thursday, June 9th, 2011, honored the award's first recipients, President William Jefferson Clinton for Preservation of Culture, Courtney Ross for Education and Dr. Mehmet Oz for Well-being. The three areas of honor reflect Urban Zen Foundation's core initiatives for creativity, collaboration and change. An Inspiration Series to further benefit culture, education and well-being, will roll out through the year's end.

The event commemorated the tenth year passing of Stephan Weiss, the artist, creative visionary and soulmate of fashion icon Donna Karan. A man of great and many passions, Weiss's legacy, including his seven-year cancer battle, is the inspiration for the Urban Zen Foundation, established by Karan in 2007. The Urban Zen Center, where the June 9th ceremony was held, is the former studio of Stephan Weiss, a prolific artist and sculptor. The "Apple" of the award refers to Weiss's "Larger than Life" bronze apple sculpture which resides at the Millennium Garden at the Hudson River Park. President Clinton, Ms. Ross and Dr. Oz were each given a special edition bronze apple in honor of their commitment and courage to create change and inspire others.

VIP Guests included Anna Wintour, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker, Calvin Klein, Uma Thurman, Eve Ensler, Glenda Bailey, Keith Richards, Patti Hansen, Kelly Klein, Kenneth Cole, Betsey Johnson, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Grace Hightower De Niro, Ross Bleckner, Tina Brown, Trudie Styler, with a performance by Wyclef Jean, Claudette Ortiz and Miri Ben-Ari.

Founded in 2007 by Donna Karan, The Urban Zen Foundation creates, connects and collaborates to raise awareness and inspire change in the areas of well-being, empowering children and preserving cultures. It designs forums, partners with existing organizations and brings together experts to define solutions. "Stephan 'connected the dots' in his art, business, family and friends," says Karan. "His legacy, strength and seven year battle with cancer have been the inspiration for our journey at Urban Zen. Stephan's legacy continues to live on, not only in his work, but in the work we do at Urban Zen within the walls of his studio."

SOURCE Urban Zen