Principal, gallery owner, preservationist honored at ‘Brooklyn’s Best’ ceremony

March 3, 2015 Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Seen here from left: Brooklyn’s Best producer Keith L. Forest; Honoree Richard Beavers; City Councilmember Robert E. Cornegy; Honoree Celeste Douglas-Wheeler; Honoree Morgan Munsey and Bed-Stuy Gateway BID Executive Director Michael Lambert. Photos by Qlick Photos

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On Feb. 24, City Councilmember Robert E. Cornegy and BRIC TV Producer Fred Brown hosted the 2015 Brooklyn’s Best Honors.

Sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, Our Time Press and Urban ID Media, the affair took place at Amarachi Prime, 289 Bridge St., and included a live performance from singer/songwriter Darryl Copeland. The fundraiser generated more than $750 for Safe Horizon’s Jane Barker Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center.

Held quarterly, the Brooklyn’s Best ceremony salutes exceptional individuals in the areas of business, civic service, arts and entertainment.

The first honoree, Principal Celeste Douglas-Wheeler, is known for turning the once-failing M.S. 57 in Bedford-Stuyvesant into a thriving arts academy. Douglas-Wheeler also received special honors from Brooklyn Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

“By any means necessary, we each must make it our responsibility to close the achievement gap for children of color,” Wheeler said. “I stand here in front of you because of the sacrifices and dedication of an entire community. Therefore, I must do the same!”

Richard Beaver, 2015 arts and culture award recipient, is the owner of House of Arts Gallery in Bedford-Stuyvesant. “Being recognized by Brooklyn’s Best Honors, 36th District Councilman Robert Cornegy and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is a humbling and rewarding experience,” Beavers said. “I’m truly blessed and thankful that I’ve been able to share my passion, appreciation and love for the fine arts with so many collectors, art appreciators and those who merely have an interest in art over the past seven years through House of Art Gallery.”

Virginia-board Morgan Monsey is an active member of Community Board 3’s Economic Development, Landmark, Housing and Land Use committees and conducts tours throughout the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. He is an architect and home preservationist by trade.

Brooklyn’s Best Honors is an Urban ID Media production. Each affair is held at a Brooklyn venue where honorees, their guests and others come together to create an authentic cherished Brooklyn experience.