lincoln.ne.gov | Mayor's Office > 2012 Media Releases: Winners Announced for Mayor's Arts Awards

Date:: March 19, 2012
For More Information Contact:: Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 402-441-7831; Deb Weber, Lincoln Arts Council, 402-434-2787

Winners Announced for Mayor's Arts Awards

The Lincoln Arts Council (LAC) has announced the winners of the 2012 Mayor's Arts Awards, which will be presented the evening of Monday, June 18 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.

Invitations will be sent in April. More information is available at artscene.org. Event sponsors for 2012 include the Lincoln Community Foundation and Rena Kaplan. Video sponsors are Liberty First Credit Union and Steve Wake and Linda Esterling. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.

2012 award winners include:

The Mayor's Choice Award will be presented to the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. The award is sponsored by Cline, Williams, Wright, Johnson & Oldfather L.L.P.
The Arts Organization Award will be presented to Friends of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery. 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 Flatwater Shakespeare Company's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" which toured Lincoln parks last summer. 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 costume designer Janice Stauffer. The award recognizes excellence and accomplishment in any of the visual arts and is sponsored by Union Bank & Trust Company.
The Artistic Achievement Award - Performing Arts will be presented to actor Steven Gaines. 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 Rebecca DeNell, a student at Lincoln Southwest High School. 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 Christin Mamiya, Interim Dean of the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at UNL. The award recognizes special initiatives in or dedication to arts education and is endowed by the Gladys Lux Foundation.
The Heart of the Arts Award will be presented to the late Claire Hoppe. 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 Robert and Vicki Northrup. The award honors an individual, family, organization or business making significant financial contributions to the arts in Lincoln and is sponsored by Lincoln Industries.
The Oliva Family "Arts for Kids" Award will be presented to the late Sarah Lahr. 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 Nancy Dawson for extraordinary service to the arts through behind-the-scenes efforts. It is sponsored by A to Z Printing.
The Literary Heritage Award will be presented to author and educator Joe Starita. 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.

The Kimmel Foundation Emerging Artist Awards will go to a writer and a visual artist who will be announced later this month. The award will include a $1,000 stipend and a residency at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts.

Each year, an artist is chosen to create an artwork that is presented to each winner. This year's award is being created by Jenni Brant, whose award-winning functional ceramics can be found in many regional galleries.

Additional support for the Mayor's Arts Awards is provided by Cornhusker Bank, Woods Bros Realty and INSPRO Insurance.

The public is encouraged to submit names of members of the Lincoln arts community who have died since the last awards ceremony in June 2011 for memorial recognition at the awards event to mayorsartsawards@artscene.org. For more information on available sponsorship opportunities, please contact Michael Trutna at michael@artscene.org or 402-434-2787.