THE ART
OF GIVING Mayo r ’ s Ce l e b ra t i o n fo r Bu s ine s s & t h e A r t s
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 8PM Casa & AAC YouTube Channel Recognizing the achievements of individuals, organizations and businesses who have contributed to the vibrancy of the arts in our city
allied arts co u n cil LETHBRIDGE
PARTNERS
WMS
Shilpa Stocker
JOAN WATERFIELD MEMORIAL AWARD SPONSOR Brent Oleksy
MEDIA SPONSORS
PROGRAM OF EVENTS Host: Jeff Carlson Performance Opening Remarks Allied Arts Council Aspiring Artist Award Allied Arts Council Young Artist Award Performance Allied Arts Council Award of Excellence Individual Business Service Organziation Jerry First Charger, performance Joan Waterfield Memorial Award Closing Remarks
THANK YOU TO... Amy Dodic for creating the Joan Waterfield Memorial Award portrait Italian Table for the catering Sonic Multimedia for the awards video production
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Good evening and Welcome to The Art of Giving – This is the Mayor’s Celebration for Business and the Arts. Thank you for joining us here at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre and virtually, on YouTube. We are excited to present a live showcase this evening. This is an opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate the vital relationship between our arts community, local business and the municipal government. It goes without saying this past year and a half has presented unprecedented challenges to all aspects of our daily lives and especially to those intricately connected to the arts. Thanks to the incredible contributions made by individuals, businesses and service organizations to our arts community, we have persevered, and we are grateful for your ongoing support and encouragement. Lethbridge is an arts city! Our city is a great place for all the arts due to a strong civic vision and the philanthropic support for the arts. We know the arts are valued we will continue to move forward. On behalf of the Allied Arts Council Board of Directors, thank you for attending and contributing. Margaret (Peggy) Mezei, President, AAC Board of Directors
2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeremy Duchan, David Gabert, Margaret (Peggy) Mezei, Janene Moch, Jon Oxley, Scott Rowland, Sharon Stevenson-Ferrari, Ian Zadeiks
MAYOR’S MESSAGE Hello Everyone! I’m honoured to welcome all of you to this year’s Mayor’s Celebration for Business and the Arts – The Art of Giving. The arts are how any society is both known and remembered. This year’s award recipients have earned their place in our City’s arts legacy through their extraordinary contribution of time, energy or financial support. We thank each one of you for enriching our community. The business sector has always been a steadfast partner in supporting the arts in Lethbridge, and we are proud of those businesses that recognize the tremendous value that the arts bring to our lives by sponsoring arts events and initiatives in the city. We thank you for always being there to lend your support, especially during the challenges faced by the arts sector this past year. The Allied Arts Council works to create abundant opportunities for the exposure of arts and culture in all its forms, and encourages the development of the artistic talents of the citizens of Lethbridge. Thanks to this organization, our arts scene will continue to be vibrant and on a charted course for an exciting future! Congratulations to the board of directors, staff and volunteers for building upon the arts legacy in our community and for giving our talented, creative artists a place to shine. Congratulations to all the award recipients! Your work is truly a gift to our community and your contributions inspire us all. Chris Spearman, Mayor City of Lethbridge
2021 RECIPIENTS THE ASPIRING ARTIST AWARD , introduced in 2019, celebrates a young artist, in the grades of 9 through 12, that recognizes the student’s level of achievement measured against peers at a similar stage of development. The award is valued at $1,000 and is intended to support and encourage artistic work. Due to a generous donation this year we have been able to provide two Aspiring Awards.
OLIVE GRAHAM paints primarily in oil and uses her art to connect with family and friends.
EMMALYN NAUDE’S artwork has been primarily ink on paper but has recently started to explore pencil crayons and acrylic paint.
THE YOUNG ARTIST AWARD recognizes a young artist in the Lethbridge region who is working to advance and enhance the arts in Lethbridge. The award is valued at $1,000 and is intended to support and encourage artistic work. KASIA SOSNOWSKI is a talented visual artist. Passionate about Lethbridge having moved here to receive her two degrees in arts from the University of Lethbridge. She has worked for the Banff Centre, SAAG and the Allied Arts Council while maintaining an active arts practice. She is now completing an MFA at York University in Toronto.
ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE (AACE)
THE AACE INDIVIDUAL AWARD recognizes a person who has made philanthropic contributions to an organization and thereby enhanced the entire arts community.
ROBERT BECHTEL is a prolific visual artist who has been nominated by The Gallery at Casa Curator, Darcy Logan. For many years, Robert has been a stalwart volunteer for the Allied Arts Council, as well as, many other organizations including Theatre Outré. Bechtel has been previously recognized as Volunteer of the Year in the Celebrate Downtown Awards by the Heart of Our City Committee.
THE AACE BUSINESS AWARD recognizes a business in the community that has made outstanding philanthropic contributions and thereby enhances the entire arts community.
This year’s recipient is CLASSIQUE DANCEWEAR whose owner is the indominable JUDI DORMAR. DORMAR Judi was nominated by Claire Lint from the Lethbridge Society of Independent Dance Artists and is being recognized for her continuous philanthropic support of the arts and specifically dance here in southern Alberta.
THE AACE SERVICE ORGANIZATION AWARD recognizes a club, service organization or non-profit group that has contributed to the Lethbridge community through the arts. MCNALLY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, ASSOCIATION nominated by the Rick Gillis, is being recognized for their efforts in engaging artists in their community and providing a place that is both affordable but also uniquely in tune with the requirements of local artists of all disciplines and being a true home to many.
JOAN WATERFIELD MEMORIAL AWARD THE JOAN WATERFIELD MEMORIAL AWARD is awarded each year to a deserving recipient who is recognized by their contemporaries for advancing and enhancing the arts in Lethbridge.
JAY WHITEHEAD is this year’s Joan Waterfield Memorial Award recipient and was nominated by Deonie Hudson. Whitehead has been a pillar for Lethbridge’s theatre community, having produced, directed, acted in, choreographed and/or written innumerable theatre productions for the Lethbridge community and with his queer theatre company Theatre Outré. Theatre Outré has received global recognition and has offered unique theatre opportunities throughout the pandemic. Whitehead is currently a professor at uLethbridge helping to develop the talent of a younger generation of artists in our community.
HOST
J EFF CAR LSON Jeff Carlson was born and raised in Lethbridge, and he has spent the majority of his adult life living and working in this wonderful city. As an active participant in our community, Jeff has served on various organizations from the Allied Arts Council to Economic Development Lethbridge. He is past President of the Family and Community Support Services of Alberta. As a city councillor Jeff is the current Chair of the Performing Arts Steering Committee. He has also been a long-time supporter of the arts, and is an avid (yet terrible!) golfer.
PERFORMERS
DAVE MCCANN Raised in Peterborough, Ontario, singer-songwriter Dave McCann rolled west and landed in Calgary, Alberta during the first Alt-Country inclination of the late 1990’s. He founded Dave McCann and the Ten-Toed Frogs and released a string of critically acclaimed projects - “Woodland Tea,” “Country Medicine,” and “Shoot the Horse” (a live capture at the historic Sidetrack Cafe, one of Alberta’s fondest and long gone venues). In 2009, he followed the road south to East Nashville to record with Lij Shaw and Americana guitar icon and producer Will Kimbrough (Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Shemekia Copeland, Todd Snider). The resulting work “Dixiebluebird” brought a name change and was an inspiring benchmark release for Dave McCann and the Firehearts. He made a move South from Calgary to Lethbridge, Alberta to get married and raise a family and, in 2014, conspired with fellow Southern Albertan Leeroy Stagger at his Rebeltone Ranch to build the “Circle of Light” release. After close to two decades, Dave McCann has locked himself firmly into hearts and minds of the Alberta music scene as one of the best untold singer-songwriters working in contemporary roots music.
PERFORMERS J ER RY FIRST CH AR GER
RYLAN KUNKEL Rylan grew up in Southern Alberta born to be a performer. Adept at playing multiple instruments including piano, saxophone and the ukulele he is also an outstanding singer and actor. Rylan has taken part in multiple New West Theatre Shows. Rylan will be performing in-studio for the awards attendees/ sponsors.
Jerry First Charger Jr, (J.J.) is a member of the Blood Tribe and has been employed for the Westwind School Division for 14 years as a Family School Liaison Counselor with Raymond and Cardston Elementary Schools. Through the school division, Jerry has used his greatest talents and skills with dancing (Hoop, BBoy, and other cultural dances such as Pop-Lockin’, Krump, and Capoeira), and music (drumming, singing, and flute playing) as a tool to help students find and develop themselves. Jerry is also a professional entertainer that uses dance, music and storytelling to enhance his performances.
PA S T AWA R D R ECIPIENTS ASPIRING ARTIST AWARD 2019 – Kaitlyn Carter 2020 – Janelle Wipf
AACE INDIVIDUAL YOUNG ARTIST AWARD
2007 – Ralph Thrall Jr. 2008 – Minda Rogerson
2015 – Camille Pavlenko
2009 – Val & Flora Matteotti
2016 – Claire Lint
2010 – Carol Roberts
2017 – Courtney Faulkner
2011 – Dr. Barbara Lacey & Robert Tarleck
2018 – Angeline Simon
2012 – Jonathan Lance Scout
2019 – Megan Wittig
2013 – Pete Fiorino
2020 – Nole Richardson
2014 – John Savill 2015 – Rene van de Vendel 2016 – Vern Miller 2017 – Rose Primachuck 2018 – Sandy & Bob Brunelle 2019 - Richard Amery 2020 – John & Lynn Gilliat
AACE BUSINESS 2007 – National Salvage
AWA R D
R E C I P I E N T S
2008 – Global Television 2009 – Sterling Mutuals Inc. 2010 – Clear Sky Radio 2011 – CTV Lethbridge 2012 – TD 2013 – Mike Spencer Geometrics 2014 – Royal LePage South Country 2015 – RBC Foundation 2016 – FWBA Architects 2017 – Drunken Sailor 2018 – The Owl Acoustic Lounge 2019 - Subaru of Lethbridge 2020 – North & Company LLP
AACE SERVICE ORGANIZATION
PA S T
2007 – Chinook Health Healing Arts Program 2008 – Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge 2009 – University of Lethbridge 2010 – Southminster United Church 2011 – Covenant Health 2012 – Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens 2013 – Rotary Club of Lethbridge 2015 – University of Lethbridge Conservatory of Music 2017 – Ability Resource Centre 2018 – Lethbridge Public Library 2019 – L ethbridge Public Schools, Holy Spirit Catholic School Division, Ecole la Verendrye 2020 – Helen Schuler Nature Centre
PA S T AWA R D R E C I P I E N T S
JOAN WATERFIELD MEMORIAL AWARD 2005 – Joan Waterfield
2006 – Linda Bayly 2007 – Elaine Harrison 2008 – Van Christou 2009 – Francis Schultz 2010 – George & Nellie Mann 2011 – Maureen Chambers & Trent Moranz 2012 – Robert Fenton 2013 – Margaret (Peggy) Mezei 2014 – Edward Bayly 2015 – Paul & Nancy Walker 2016 – George Evelyn & Lottie Austin 2017 – Alex Bakk 2018 – Kate Connolly 2019 – Don Robb 2020 – Mary-Lynn Muhly
Do you know of someone who should be recognized for their commitment to supporting the arts in Lethbridge through volunteerism and philanthropy? Please contact the AAC Office for Nomination Forms: Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge 318 7 Street South, Lethbridge, Alberta T1J 2G2 403.320.0555 artslethbridge.org
VISION
A vibrant arts community enriches Lethbridge
MISSION The Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge provides leadership in advancing and enhancing the arts in Lethbridge
allied arts cou n cil LETHBRIDGE
The Allied Arts Council acknowledges that it operates on traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. We honour the Blackfoot people and their tradition ways of knowing and caring for this land, as well as all Indigenous and Metis people who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our community.