If you know someone who’s made contributions to the arts in this area, speak now or forever hold your peace. Or, at least, hold it until this time next year.
The nominations are now open for the next round of awards from ArtsGreensboro – namely, the O. Henry Lifetime Award, the Arts in Business Award, the Arts Education Teacher of the Year Award and the Betty Cone Medal of Arts Award.
Every year, ArtsGreensboro uses the awards to recognize area artists, community leaders, educators and businesses working to enhance the cultural landscape of Greensboro.
One of the awards, the Arts and Business Award, is made in partnership with the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and the Greensboro Merchants Association. Each year, the award recognizes a Greensboro small business for its “leadership and commitment to the arts and its impact on the arts over the past year, as measured by activities, projects, or events in support of any aspect of the arts.”
Some of the past recipients of that award include Nino Giaimo (the owner of GIA), the Steinway Piano Gallery, Scuppernong Books, The View on Elm, Tate Street Coffee, Just Be, PhotoBiz and Quaintance-Weaver.
Another award up for grabs again, the Betty Cone Medal of Arts Award, was first handed out by ArtsGreensboro in 1999. The Betty Cone award recognizes “artists who have achieved clear excellence in their disciplines and/or have made extraordinary contributions to their field or to the community at large through their artistry or expertise.” The award is sponsored by AT&T of North Carolina.
ArtsGreensboro, along with the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, also honors individuals with the O. Henry Lifetime Award, which goes to those who have made “an extraordinary contribution to the cultural development of Greensboro over the course of their lifetimes.”
Past recipients of the O.Henry Award include Sam Hummel, Betty Cone, Kathy Manning, Dr. Richard Cox, Linda Sloan, Susan Shore Schwartz, Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Barbara and Herman Cone, Louis Patseavouris, Shirley Spears, Bernie and Bobbie Mann, Logie Meachum, Brenda Schlunes and Linda Carlisle.
The Arts Education Teacher of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding arts educator in the Guilford County School System.
Nominations for all of the awards can be made at Artsgreensboro.org. The nominees will be reviewed by ArtsGreensboro’s Marketing Committee.
According to Laura Way, the president and CEO of ArtsGreensboro, this year the awards will be announced at the group’s inaugural State of the Arts Luncheon, which is being held to “celebrate the entirety of the arts community and those who are making a difference.”
The luncheon will take place on Thursday, April 23 at the Van Dyke Performance Space in the Greensboro Cultural Center. The theme of this year’s luncheon is “Creatives Drive Business.” Tables and individual tickets can be purchased online at artsgreensboro.org.
