New York, NY- Congressman Charles B. Rangel spoke Thursday at the opening night reception for the 2013 Harlem Fine Arts Show saluting his dearest friend, Late Hon. Percy E. Sutton at The Riverside Church on 91 Claremont Avenue. Rangel is on the 2013 Honorary Committee of The Harlem Fine Arts.

"I am so pleased to be part of this wonderful event that honors my dear, dear friend Percy," said Rangel. "Percy would have been happy to be here. He was a huge advocate for the arts. The arts are a crucial pillar in the development of our communities, our youth, and our culture. That's why I have been committed to protecting funding for the arts and related educational programs. "

The Harlem Fine Arts Show (HFAS) has become the premier showcase for exhibiting modern art and contemporary African Diasporic Art. The HFAS 2013 is a continuation of the tradition of the National Black Fine Arts Show, which art aficionados have enjoyed for 14 years. The creative talent of many notable and emerging contemporary artists will be on display at the multicultural exhibit.

This year's showcase is honoring the late Percy E. Sutton, a prominent civil rights leader, businessman and avid art collector. Percy E. Sutton became one of America's best known lawyers in the 1950s and 1960s, representing prominent figures such as Malcolm X. He became the highest-ranking African American elected official in New York City in 1966, when he won the election as the city's Manhattan Borough President, serving until 1977. In 1981, Sutton made headlines when he and his investment partners brought the crumbling Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. The theater reopened in 1985 and boasted more than $20 million in renovations including a television studio used to produce the variety show "It's Showtime at the Apollo." In 1987, Sutton earned the NAACP's Spingard Medal for his work in media. President Bill Clinton tapped Sutton to attend meetings with the Group of Seven Nations in 1995.

"Percy Sutton's story is one that could only happen in America. He never stopped fighting for our rights and building the community, especially in his beloved Harlem. Public service was always his calling, whether it was in the courtroom, in the political arena as a New York State Assemblyman and Manhattan Borough President of the City of New York."