News release from Arts United:
Arts United Announces Awards and Matching Gift at Celebration
(January 19, 2015) – During Arts United’s annual Celebration held this year in the Parkview Physicians Group ArtsLab in the Auer Center for Arts & Culture, members of the Arts United Board of Directors and staff honored recipients of 2014 Arts United Awards, publicly announced 2014-2015 grants, and announced a special gift from the Madge Rothschild Foundation.
Arts United was pleased to announce a gift of $100,000 from the Madge Rothschild Foundation during the Arts United Awards celebration. Robert Wagner, a trustee of the Madge Rothschild Foundation, was present to remark on the grant award. $60,000 of the $100,000 grant has been designated as a matching challenge grant in honor of Arts United’s 60th Anniversary. During 2015, any new or increased gift to Arts United will be matched by the Madge Rothschild Foundation up to an aggregate of $60,000.
A keynote speech was provided by Jeanie Duncan, President & CEO of Raven Consulting. In her remarks, Ms. Duncan outlined the strategic assessment and cultural planning process Raven Consulting will be leading our community through over the next 10 months.
2014 ARTS UNITED AWARDS
Arts United presents the annual Arts United Awards in celebration of the outstanding people and organizations who are making significant contributions to communities in northeast Indiana through arts and culture. In 2014, Arts United received thirty-one nominations for awards in six categories. During the Bravo Celebration, all nominees were recognized and winners were announced. A full list of nominees is available at .
This year, Arts United is pleased to recognize the following individuals with 2014 Arts United Awards.
- Ben Eisbart, nominated by Fort Wayne Civic Theatre for Outstanding Arts Advocate
The award for Outstanding Arts Advocate recognizes an individual, business or organization that has made a significant contribution to the promotion or development of one or more arts and cultural organizations in northeast Indiana. Ben has actively supported the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre for 30 years, including service as board president. Ben has also served on the Fort Wayne Museum of Art board, and recently joined the board of directors of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Ben and his wife Sharon are also Cinema Center subscribers and attend numerous arts events, and support many arts organizations in our community area.
- Adrian Mann, nominated by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic for Outstanding Artist of the Year
Adrian Mann has been Principal Bass of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic for more than 40 years. In addition to his role as a musician, Adrian serves as the orchestra’s music librarian, and resident arranger and composer. Philharmonic Music Director, Andrew Constantine, had this to say about Adrian: “Quietly and unobtrusively, Adrian Mann goes about his work in the Fort Wayne community with the most self-deprecating of manners. He is however, in my opinion, one of the jewels of this city and is as deserving of public recognition for his services to music and the arts in general as anyone I can think of.”
- “Fort Wayne Ballet Conservatory at the University of St. Francis” and “Taste of the Arts Festival” awarded Outstanding Arts Collaborations
The award for Outstanding Arts Collaboration recognizes arts and cultural partnerships in northeast Indiana. This year there were 10 nominations and two winners selected. The Fort Wayne Ballet Conservatory of Dance at the University of Saint Francis, a partnership between the University of Saint Francis and Fort Wayne Ballet, offers four- and two-year undergraduate academic programs to prepare students for a professional career in dance. Practical experience in the form of classes in classical ballet, contemporary dance, jazz, tap, character, repertoire, dance history and theory, pedagogy and choreography, as well as performing in productions are all part of the learning experience. Dance coursework is held at the facilities of Fort Wayne Ballet at the Auer Center for Arts & Culture. The Bachelor of Fine Arts and the Associate of Arts in Dance also feature a liberal arts core curriculum from the University of St. Francis.
Taste of the Arts is a collaboration between a community of artists and various arts organizations, including non-profits, for-profits, artists, arts organizations, restaurants and food vendors, buskers, and musicians joining together on this one special day each year. This festival celebrates the incredible diversity of arts and cultural experiences offered to our community by presenting over 70 performances on 10 stages, demonstration booths by almost 50 organizations, food from 30 restaurants, displays by many artists and crafts people, and multiple activities for families to experience.
- David Ingram, nominated by Fort Wayne Ballet for Emerging Arts Leader Award
The Emerging Arts Leader Award is new this year and recognizes an artist, volunteer, advocate/supporter, or educator who is emerging as a leader in their respected field. Through David’s choreography, he has brought together and created some amazing moments. His creations for Fort Wayne Ballet, Too, the ArtsLab groundbreaking and even the Tin Caps’ own Bad Apple Dancers, have shown that David is an artist of note with a distinct creative vision.
- Marshall White, nominated by Arts United for the
Margaret Ann Keegan Award
The Margaret Ann Keegan Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to furthering arts education in northeast Indiana. Marshall White, is CEO and founder of Unity Performing Arts Foundation and Director/Life Coach for the Voices of Unity Youth Choir. Mr. White has been shaping and molding young lives for more than 30 years. He is an accomplished musician, music and vocal coach, choral director specializing in teaching the soulful choral singing style and inspiring choir members to reach their ultimate potential by striving for excellence.- Jane Keltsch, nominated by Fort Wayne Museum of Art for Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
The Outstanding Volunteer of the Year award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to arts and cultural organizations through leadership and service. Jane Keltsch has been a volunteer docent at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art since the inception of the docent program. Jane began her work as a docent in the Museum’s old West Central locale in the late 70s. Throughout her 40 years volunteering for the Museum, she has provided an estimated 75,000 Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio schoolchildren with curriculum augmenting education through the Museum’s exhibitions. Jane has served more children through art than any other volunteer in the Museum’s history.
- Liz Monnier, nominated by Arts United for Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made significant cultural achievements over the course of a career. Liz has made a lifetime contribution to modem dance, creative movement, and the arts community of Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana. One of the founding members of the Dance Collective, Liz has served as Dance Collective’s Artistic Director for the last 35 years.
About Arts United
Established in 1955, Arts United is the third oldest nonprofit United Arts Fund in the United States and the second largest Arts Council in the State of Indiana. Arts United’s mission is to develop, coordinate and support Arts and Cultural efforts in Northeast Indiana. To learn more about Arts United, visit www.ArtsUnited.com.
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