2011 Media Releases

Date:

February 16, 2011

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 402-441-7831

Deb Weber, Lincoln Arts Council, 402-434-2787

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Winners Announced For Mayor's Arts Awards

The Lincoln Arts Council (LAC) has announced the winners of the 2011 Mayor's Arts Awards, which will be presented the evening of Wednesday, June 8 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Mayor Chris Beutler and the LAC present the awards to formally recognize artistic contributions and achievements in the Lincoln area.

Reservations will be accepted at a later date. Event sponsors are Union Bank & Trust Company, Jerry and Annette Hall, Rena Kaplan, The Landing at Williamsburg and the Lincoln Community Foundation. Video sponsors are The Kinder Porter Scott Family Foundation and Liberty First Credit Union.

Mayor Beutler has chosen playwright Becky Boesen and her play "In My Daughter's Name" to receive the Mayor's Choice Award. The play, presented in October by the Angels Theatre Company, told the true story of a young woman who was abused and eventually murdered by her domestic partner.

"We can appreciate art for many reasons, including its intrinsic beauty, its interpretive or abstract nature or how it makes us feel, " Mayor Beutler said. "It is also important to recognize art like this play that sensitizes us to important social issues, creates awareness and encourages people to take action. ‘In My Daughter's Name' created a community dialogue about the important issue of domestic violence."

The Mayor's Choice Award is sponsored by Cline, Williams, Wright, Johnson and Oldfather. Also being honored are the following individuals, organizations and projects:

• The Arts Organization Award will be presented to MEDICI, which supports the UNL Department of Art and Art History. The award recognizes an arts group that has made significant contributions to Lincoln's arts community over a period of years and is sponsored by Runza.
• The Outstanding Event Award will be presented to the "Textiles and Settlement: From Plains Space to Cyber Space," the Textile Society of America's 12th Biennial Symposium. The award recognizes a performance, exhibition, event or project in the previous year that will be notable in the community memory for years to come and is sponsored by Joe and Judye Ruffo.
• The Artistic Achievement Award - Visual Arts will be presented to painter Judith Burton. The award recognizes excellence and accomplishment in any of the visual arts.
• The Artistic Achievement Award - Performing Arts will be presented to Dan Stratman, Director of Production and Facilities at the Lied Center. The award recognizes excellence and accomplishment in any of the performing arts and is sponsored by Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Nebraska.
• The Artistic Achievement Award - Youth will be presented to award-winning visual artist Madeline Cass, a Lincoln High School senior who also writes poetry and plays the violin. The award recognizes excellence and accomplishment in any arts discipline by a young person age 18 or younger and is sponsored by Lucy Buntain Comine in memory of Anne Buntain.
• The Gladys Lux Education Award will be presented to Ann Gradwohl, an artist and Project Coordinator of the Art in Society curriculum for the Sheldon Museum of Art. The award recognizes special initiatives in or dedication to arts education and is sponsored by the Gladys Lux Foundation.
• The Heart of the Arts Award will be presented to Don Gill, a member of the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame, for his leadership of the Lincoln Municipal Band, his NET radio show featuring big band music and his many other volunteer activities, This award recognizes individuals or organizations for outstanding volunteer dedication to the arts or for making a major overall impact on the arts in Lincoln. The award is being sponsored by Talent Plus, Inc..
• The Halcyon Allsman Benefactor of the Arts Award will be presented to Bets and Larry Frederick. The award honors an individual, family, organization or business making significant financial contributions to the arts in Lincoln and is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank.
• The Oliva Family "Arts for Kids" Award will be presented to Jason Schmit who started the Northeast Family Center's Academy of Rock program. The award honors an individual or organization from outside of the arts professions whose leadership has enhanced arts activities and experiences for children. It is sponsored by the Giacomo and Dorothy Oliva Family.
• The "ArtScene Backstage Award" will be presented to Bill Stibor of NET Radio for extraordinary service to the arts through behind-the-scenes efforts. The award is sponsored by A to Z Printing.
• The Literary Heritage Award will be presented to former bookstore owners Jim McKee and Linda Hillegass. The award recognizes a writer or an individual or group who promotes excellence in writing and literature in Nebraska and is sponsored by the Nebraska Literary Heritage Association.

Except for the Literary Heritage and Mayor's Choice awards, honorees are selected by a panel of arts professionals. This year's award is being created by Joe Ruffo, a Mayor's Arts Award winner in 2004 and a former President of the LAC.

The public is encouraged to submit names of members of the Lincoln arts community who have died since the last awards ceremony in June 2010 for memorial recognition at the awards event to mayorsartsawards@artscene.org.

For more information, visit artscene.org.