[New York, NY – February 5, 2024] – Oscar award-winning movie producer Joseph Fioretti, who is best known for Down and Out in America and Baghdad ER, will present a new art exhibition entitled Fioretti•Family, Friends & Flowers, devoted to supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine from March 15th – March 29th at the Ukrainian Institute of America. Fioretti and his wife, Oscar-award winning actress and director Lee Grant, whose mother was Ukrainian, were inspired to organize this exhibition as a response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. All proceeds from the show will benefit a selection of Ukrainian charities.
Fioretti will host an invitation-only reception on Thursday, March 14th with co-hosts Joy Behar, Judy Collins, Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sean Penn, Verino Pettinaro, Gloria Steinem, Marlo Thomas, Brenda Vaccaro and Peter Yarrow.
The exhibition will feature 35 works including eight pieces showcasing Ukraine’s national flower, the sunflower. Candid portraits painted in 2022 and 2023 of Fioretti’s friends and loved ones with several of them capturing the likeness of his wife Grant, will round out the collection. Highlighted works on display will also feature a neighborhood homeless woman, his late brother Ralphie, close friends, and his Upper West Side cityscapes.
“We can’t forget about what is happening in Ukraine,” said Fioretti. “I have been working on this art for the last two years, watching my wife light a candle for the people of Ukraine each night. I am gratified that I can support relief efforts and do what I can to help raise funds to assist war victims.”
Fioretti has already raised $90,000 through pre-show fundraising efforts, and he continues to seek additional contributions. The artist is actively pursuing a matching donor to maximize the impact of the initiative. Fioretti’s works can be purchased, or alternatively one can contribute by purchasing books on the exhibition for $95 or posters for $50.
Friends, including Marlo Thomas and Michael Douglas, are supporting Fioretti in spreading the word. Sean Penn, who made the recent documentary on Zelensky and Ukraine entitled Superpower, connected Fioretti with Oksana Serhiyivna Markarova, the Ukraine Ambassador in Washington, who will attend and speak at the opening night reception.
Joseph Fioretti, a veteran with over four decades in the entertainment industry, is an award-winning producer and executive producer in film and television. Starting as a Broadway dancer as a child, he collaborated with notable choreographers and appeared in hit musicals like “Brigadoon” and “Sound of Music.” In the 1980s, he co-founded Feury Grant Productions with Grant, producing a range of successful documentary and feature films all directed by Lee Grant. Their works, including “Nobody’s Child,” “No Place Like Home,” and “Wanted: The Perfect Guy,” featured acclaimed actors such as Jeff Daniels and Christine Lahti as well as Ben Affleck and Ann Margaret. Fioretti’s commitment to social justice led to a focus on documentaries, earning him an Academy Award for “Down & Out in America,” the first film to expose the truth about homelessness in America. His extensive documentary work covers diverse topics, from women in prison to domestic violence and transgender communities.
His contributions extend to biographies for Lifetime Television, addressing women’s issues. In 2019 several of his films were restored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2020, six documentaries were re-released, praised for their “singular style” and “disarming intimacy and compassion” by The Washington Post. Joseph Fioretti’s multifaceted career has made a lasting impact on the entertainment industry, blending creativity, advocacy, and artistic expression.
Fioretti made his first artist debut in 2019 with a successful show at the National Arts Club.
Joseph Fioretti’s works will be on display and available for purchase at the Ukrainian Institute of America at 2 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075.
Exhibition hours are Mondays – Thursdays: 10 AM – 6 PM; Fridays: 10 AM – 4 PM; Closed: Saturday & Sundays
