Grand Center Announces 2008 Visionary Award Winners
Margaret “Peg” Grigg, Sue Greenberg, Carrie Houk, Ashley Tate, Jeanne Trevor,
Lois Conley, Jane Ellen Ibur & Emily Piro will be honored at the
2008 celebration for women in the arts
Grand Center is proud to announce the eight honorees of the Sixth Annual Visionary Awards, which recognizes women for their contributions to the St. Louis arts and culture community. These eight women, in a variety of arts disciplines, were chosen by a selection committee chaired by Donna Wilkinson, one of St. Louis’ key fundraisers and founder of the Wilkinson Group, and Cheryl Polk, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of United Way of Greater St. Louis.
In celebration of its sixth year, the ceremony, now moved from fall to spring, will be returning to the Sheldon Concert Hall in Grand Center Wednesday, May 21, 2008 from 6:00 pm- 8:00 pm. Judging from past responses from the community, it is evident that the Visionary Awards has quickly become one of the most prestigious awards for arts and culture in the St. Louis area.
“Each year this event becomes more widely known and the honorees’ selection increasingly difficult,” says Peg Weathers, Executive Vice President of Grand Center, Inc. “We knew six years ago that many St. Louis women had made significant cultural contributions -- and the continued submission of such quality nominees has been truly gratifying!”
With the large number of nominations and recommendations submitted by members of the St. Louis arts community, the selection committee narrowed its choices by using the following categories: success and generosity in the areas of leadership, arts administration, visual and performing arts, lifetime contribution to the arts and for the first time, arts education and contributions by a young artist. Some past honorees include Mary Strauss, Nancy Kranzberg, Mae Wheeler, Joan Lipkin, Jill McGuire and last year’s National Honoree Niecy Nash.
The 2008 awards include:
o President’s Award (only honoree selected by Grand Center): Margaret “Peg” Grigg, arts philanthropist
o Outstanding Arts Professional: Sue Greenberg, Executive Director of Volunteer Lawyers & Accountants for the Arts
o Successful Working Artist: Carrie Houk, actress and casting director
o Emerging Artist (age 22+): Ashley L. Tate, Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer of Ashleyliane Dance Company, dancer
o Lifetime Achievement Award: Jeanne Trevor, jazz singer and actress
o Outstanding Arts Educator (New Award): Lois Conley, Founder and Executive Director of the Black World History Museum, historian and teacher
o Outstanding Arts Educator (New Award): Jane Ellen Ibur, poet, writer, teacher and community artist
o Outstanding Young Artist (ages 16-22, New Award): Emily Piro, actress and playwright
Grand Center created the Visionary Awards to highlight the wide-ranging work of women artists and arts leaders in the community. The organization also utilizes the annual awards program as a fundraiser to support its ongoing efforts to redevelop the Grand Center District.
The Sixth Annual Visionary Awards ceremony and cocktail reception, sponsored by Brown Shoe Company, will take place on Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Sheldon Concert Hall in Grand Center. The Sheldon is located at 3648 Washington Blvd, St. Louis, Missouri 63103. Ticket prices range from:
o $2500 level: Private cocktail reception before the event, listing in the program, table for 10 at the ceremony
o $250 ticket: Private reception, listing in the program, reserved seating at the awards ceremony
o $100 ticket: Open reception and open seating at the awards ceremony
o $35 ticket: Young Friend (under 30 years old), open reception and open seating at the ceremony
Reservations can be made by calling Jessica Stack at 314-289-1523 or emailing jstack@grandcenter.org.
ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW
Grand Center, Inc. is a charitable organization whose mission is to redevelop the Grand Center District into an exciting arts, entertainment, residential and commercial district, through arts programming and real estate development. The District hosts more than 1,500 cultural events and welcomes over 1.5 million visitors annually. With more arts, entertainment, dining and real estate projects under development, Grand Center is The Intersection of Art and Life™.
