The United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County will present the Annual Business Support of the Arts Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the arts in our area by businesses, organizations, and individuals. The Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce cosponsors the awards. The presentation will be made on June 8 , 2007, at the Matthews House in Cary, NC. Awards are given in four categories: large business, small business, individual and arts education. The Palladin achievement award and the Special Friends of the Council awards are also presented.
Recipient of the award in the Large Business category, Wachovia is cited for their longtime support of Artsplosure and First Night Raleigh and their ongoing support of the other arts and cultural organizations. Their annual contributions to both state arts organizations and a variety of groups in Raleigh and Wake County are significant. Their current support of Artsplosure is focused on programs that reach new audiences or introduce the arts to schoolchildren. Wachovia was nominated by Michael Lowder, Executive Director of Artsplosure.
Ruggero Piano was nominated by Marty Suttle of the Community Music School and is the recipient in the small business category. Ruggero Piano has arranged for the donation of more than eight pianos in the homes of Community Music School students (all from low-income homes) and is holding additional pianos, pending identification of students. The firm also supports the Raleigh Piano Teachers Association and its Young Artists Auditions, providing a grand piano for the Honors Recital. Hosts of a free recital on Friday per month, Ruggero Piano highlight young musicians and giving amateur musicians a performance space. Debra and Richard Ruggero allow the Triangle Piano Tuners and Technicians Guild to use their space for meetings and were instrumental in linking these professionals with the needs of the Community Music School.
The honorees in the Individual Category are Carolyn N and Shaler Stidham, Jr., devoted and energetic supporters of the arts in Wake County for more than 25 years. They have been patrons of many organizations and have served as volunteers and board members for numerous arts organizations. They have been influential in the launch and development of new arts organizations and have held leadership roles in numerous fundraising projects to support arts growth in our area.
In the Arts Education category, ARTSPACE's education programs include its guided tour for 5th graders to visit more that 40 professional artists in their working studios, a program linked to the school's curriculum; the summer arts programs offering week-long classes in a variety of mediums working directly with artists; and the Visual Art Mentor program, which pairs high school and college students with professional artists.
The Palladin Achievement Award will be presented to Karen Wells (nominated by Georgann Eubanks) in recognition of her tireless efforts for the arts since moving to NC in 1985. She has served as executive director of the Wilson Arts Council and Director of Music/Dance for the NC Arts Council. She is currently executive director of ARTS North Carolina and Arts Advocates of NC and continues to lead in powerful and creative ways on behalf of a maturing and vibrant arts industry in our state.
The Special Friends of the Arts Council award, a special presentation by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, will be presented to Jack Alphin. Alphin joined the Board of the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County in 2003 and quickly asserted strong leadership during a time of new strategic planning for the organization. Identifying an annual fund raising event as a missing element in United Arts' continuing efforts to raise funds, Alphin guided to approval the concept of a series of dinners in private homes featuring North Carolina artists as dinner guests.
This concept, ultimately named "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" netted $100,000 for United Arts in 2005, the event's inaugural year. It is the consensus of the United Arts staff and board that the event would not have been established or executed without his vision, perseverance, fund raising ability and sheer will to make it succeed.
The United Arts Council's mission is to build better communities through support and advocacy of the arts. The mission of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce is to sustain and further develop a thriving economy and to enhance our community's quality of life.
For more information about the awards ceremony, call 839-1498, ext. 226.