This weekend hundreds of guest braved scorching triple digit temperatures to attend Russell Simmons 11^th Annual Art for Life Benefit in East Hampton. The star-studded fete didn’t  disappointed as celebs from Alicia Keys to Maxwell— with gal pal Victoria’s Secret model Selita Ebanks —were dressed fresh to the nines in their summer whites with a splash of color.

Serving as a turnkey fundraiser for Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation (Rush Arts),  Art for Life celebrates over a decade of contributions that Rush Arts has made in the arts and cultural community of New York City. Focusing a majority of their philanthropic works on youth oriented programming, Rush Arts has been a significant advocate for arts as an essential educational tool in the development of the next generation of young leaders.

Hosted by comedian Anthony Anderson, the evening featured a plethora of entertainment from mermaids to marching bands, but the highlight of the soiree was the awards ceremony. Rush Arts honored entrepreneur Richie Akiva, record producer Swizz Beatz and lecturer and author Deepak Chopra for the philanthropic work that they’ve done in their communities. Stay tuned for more coverage of Art for Life live and direct from the red carpet.

TAGS: ALICIA KEYS, Anthony Anderson, Art For Life, John Legend, Maxwell, Richie Akiva, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, Russell Simmons, Selita Ebanks, Swizz Beatz