Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be among the honorees at this year's Downtown Dinner, organized annually by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Bloomberg, "whose personal and political dedication to the arts has stimulated a renaissance for cultural projects in the city," according to the organization, joins First Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris, playwright Edward Albee, and artist Kiki Smith as the event's guests of honor. Artist Nadine Robinson and director Lear deBessonet will receive LMCC President's Awards.

This is the first time that Bloomberg will accept an honor of this kind while in office. The event will include art installations, performances, and a "secret" auction, wherein the creators of works will be kept anonymous until after the works have been purchased. The LMCC hopes to surpass the $1 million raised at last year's event.