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The 51st Annual Art Awards | November 4, 2021 at WAM

Celebrating the one-of-a-kind arts and culture that make the Wichita community so memorable.

The 51st Annual Arts Council Awards were held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 4 at Wichita Art Museum, 1400 W Museum Blvd. In 2020, out of an abundance of caution, the Arts Council’s Board of Directors made the difficult decision to cancel our 51st annual Art Awards dinner. In 2021, we were very pleased to announce that the event would go on!

In 2021, twelve outstanding Wichita area individuals, cultural organizations and businesses were recognized for their roles in furthering the growth and development of arts in the Wichita area during the Art Awards presentation.

The annual Arts Council Awards were established in 1969 by the Wichita/Sedgwick County Arts and Humanities Council in order to recognize and honor those businesses, foundations and individuals who have displayed consistent and exemplary support of the arts and humanities in our community.

Thank you to our generous sponsors, without whom we would not be able to honor deserving artists and art advocates and to celebrate the many ways art impacts the Wichita community, from education to entertainment, economic development, and everything in between.

View Past Art Award Winners

2021 Annual Arts Council Awards Nominations

After the difficult decision to cancel the 50th Annual Art Awards due to the pandemic, the Arts Council is especially proud to carry on this longstanding tradition in 2021. We are looking forward to celebrating this year’s honorees on Thursday, November 4 at the 51st Annual Art Awards dinner, to be held at the Wichita Art Museum. Save the date!

We are now accepting nominations for the 2021 Arts Council Awards! Submit the form below to nominate online or download a printable nomination form here to mail in. View the list of Art Awards winners from previous years.

Deadline

Nominations must be received online or in the CityArts offices, 334 N. Mead, by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 30, 2021. Nominations will not be accepted after the deadline.

Online Nomination Form:

  • 2021 Arts Council Art Awards Nomination Form

    Nominations must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 30, 2021

  • The Wichita/Sedgwick County Arts and Humanities Council established the Annual Arts Council Awards in 1969 to recognize and honor those businesses, foundations and individuals who have displayed consistent and exemplary support of the arts and humanities in Wichita/Sedgwick County. These awards focus attention on the importance of the arts as they relate to the quality of life in Wichita/Sedgwick County and honor those who have made major creative achievements or significant contributions to cultural growth or development.

    Today’s Arts Council is proud to carry on this longstanding tradition and looking forward to celebrating the 2021 honorees on Thursday, November 4th at the 51st Annual Art Awards dinner to be held at the Wichita Art Museum.

    DEADLINE
    Nominations must be received online (or in the CityArts offices, 334 N. Mead) by 5:00 p.m. Friday, July 30, 2021. Nominations will not be accepted after the deadline.

    CATEGORIES

    • Gordon W. Evans Art Leadership – Given to a patron demonstrating outstanding leadership and special support for the arts.
    • Arts Organization – Given to a public, not-for-profit organization that presents or provides arts opportunities to the Wichita community and region.
    • Special Project / Individual – Given to an individual that has provided support for a single event or project.
    • Special Project / Group – Given to a neighborhood, business, corporation or group that has provided support for a single event or project.
    • Arts Educator – Given to an individual who has devoted a career to teaching the arts in an educational environment.
    • Arts Advocate / Individual – Given to an individual or couple dedicated to furthering the cause of an art form or the arts in general through promotional, volunteer, administrative, legislative or professional efforts.
    • Arts Advocate / Group or Business – An organization or business dedicated to furthering the cause of an art form or the arts in general through promotional, volunteer, administrative, legislative or professional efforts.
    • Individual Artist – Given to an artist actively working in such categories as Choreography, Music Composition, Film/Video, Theatre, Interdisciplinary/ Performance Art, Two-Dimensional Visual Art and/or Three-Dimensional Visual Art, who has shown outstanding achievement.
    • Youth Recognition Award – Given to a high school and/or middle school student who has shown outstanding achievement and development in the arts.
    • Burton Pell Achievement in Music Award – Created in memory of Mr. Pell, a long time member and past president of the Arts Council, to recognize an outstanding individual in music.

    ELIGIBILITY
    Any individual, business, organization or institution currently residing in Wichita or the surrounding area involved in arts and cultural activities located in the area at the time of nomination is eligible to be nominated.

    INELIGIBILITY
    Self-nominations, posthumous nominations and previous Arts Award winners are ineligible. Arts Council Board members or organizations with whom they are directly involved (and their families) are not eligible for nominations. If needed, the Arts Council will make decisions on any unusual circumstances that might occur after the nomination committee has met.

    NOMINATIONS
    Nominations are accepted from Kansas citizens and organizations seeking to recognize individual artists, art educators, advocates, organizations, individual patrons, and patron organizations. Nominations may be submitted with or without the knowledge of the nominee.

    SELECTION
    Award recipients will be chosen from among the nominees by the nomination committee, which will include members of the Arts Council. At the discretion of the panel, selections may include more than one award in a category. Conversely, the panel may decide not to give an award in every category if the total ranking does not merit an award.

    SELECTION CRITERIA
    The criteria the panel will use to rank and select awards will be:
    Significance and magnitude of the creative achievement
    Length of time and intensity of activity dedicated to the arts.
    Leadership that stimulates growth, support and/or availability of the arts
    Contributions to excellence in the arts.

    FURTHER ASSISTANCE
    For further assistance or information in preparing this form, contact Bernadette Bradshaw, (316) 303-8663 or bbradshaw@wichita.gov

    • 1. Choose the Award
    • 2. Nominee Information
    • 3. Your Information (Nominator)
    • Should be Empty:
Now create your own JotForm - It's free! Create your own JotForm

Further Assistance

For further assistance or information in preparing this form, contact Bernadette Bradshaw by email or by phone at (316) 303-8663.

51 | The 2020 Art Awards – Less Gala, More Giving

Given the growing concerns around COVID-19, the Arts Council’s Board of Directors made the difficult decision to cancel what would have been the 51st Annual Art Awards. This was a tough call to make – this event is one of our favorite ways to honor deserving artists and art advocates and to celebrate the many ways art impacts the Wichita community, from education to entertainment, economic development, and everything in between.


In lieu of the in-person Art Awards this year, we are committing the budget for our annual event to support local artists during these trying times. In addition, we are thrilled to announce that $25,500 has been pledged as matching funds for the Wichita Creatives Emergency Relief Fund. WCERF provides rapid response, need-based grants to independent artists, musicians, performers and others who work in a creative capacity and whose livelihoods have been impacted by the current public health crisis.


We hope that you will join with the Arts Council in supporting this important effort to aid our creative community. To take full advantage of these matching dollars, we must raise the same by November 5 for a total of $51,000 on what would have been Wichita’s 51st Annual Art Awards!

Local artist Wade Hampton has created a custom illustration (you can see a sneak peek in the “51” above) that may be downloaded with your donation of $50 or more. Wade asked that his fee be donated to WCERF, to get us started off right!

Please consider making a personal or business donation before November 5, 2020 to double your support of Wichita artists.

Arts Save Cities

Arts Save Cities

The Arts Council believes that Arts Save Cities. We also believe: 

In Advocating for Public Art & Aesthetics
As one of the nation’s 50 largest cities, The Arts Council advocates for the importance of developing a public art program that ensures art and artists are as a part of the City’s public amenities design plans as the team of architects and engineers to enhance quality of life experiences throughout our city.

In Quality of Life Experiences for all Wichita Citizens
Quality of Life must incorporate the arts, beyond merely their aesthetic functions, in order to create a vibrant, inclusive and diverse community that fosters civic pride and participation, stimulates the economy, attracts tourists, revitalizes neighborhoods and addresses social problems. The arts must exist throughout civic structure – from youth programs and crime prevention to job training and race relations. The arts cross all quality of life boundaries to lift our community to a place of well-being for all citizens.

In Elected Offcials who Champion Arts and Culture in Wichita
The Arts Council will continue to be supportive of elected officials who foster the link between economic development and a thriving arts and cultural community. We will continue to identify appropriate times to speak at Council meetings in order to offer our recommendations and fulfill our responsibility documented in the current City of Wichita Cultural Plan to be the focal point on arts and cultural issues.

In Partnerships…

We offer our Arts Organization and Artist membership as an easy way to form partnerships and provide a united front – bringing arts/quality of life awareness and projects to everyone in our community.

…and Advocating for our Partners

As an Arts Organization or Artist member, be prepared to join a dedicated, passionate group of members who advocate for local arts organizations and artists and support special artist projects and events.

Learn more about membership levels and join the Arts Council!

Arts Council Names 2013 Award Recipients

Each year, the Arts Council honors individuals, foundations and businesses that have made significant contributions to the arts in the Wichita area.  The 2013 recipients are:

Chris Shank — Gordon W. Evans Award given to a patron demonstrating outstanding leadership and special support for the arts.

Joan Cole – Arts Advocate/Individual given to an individual dedicated to furthering the cause of the arts in general through promotional, volunteer, administrative, legislative and professional efforts.

St. James Episcopal Church – Arts Advocate/Group given to an organization dedicated to furthering the cause of an art form specifically through its Guild Hall Players, its After-School Program featuring an arts-based curriculum, its annual Art a la Carte, and its three choirs.

Bluebird Arthouse – Business Award given to a business providing broad-based and continued support of the arts through its operation.

Exploration Place – Special Project Award given for its Star Wars Exhibit.

Aimee Geist – Arts Educator Award given to an individual who has devoted a career to instruction in the arts in an educational environment (the Ulrich at WSU).

Babs Mellor – Special Recognition/Individual Award given for outstanding contributions to the arts through her vast body of work and her instruction in sculpture spanning 40 years.

Theatre League – Special Recognition/Organization Award given for the important economic impact of the presentation of “The Lion King.”

Julianne McLean – Burton Pell Award given to an outstanding individual in music.

Friends of WAM – Arts Organization Award given to a public, not-for profit organization that provides arts opportunities to the Wichita community and region.

Curt Clonts – Individual Artist Award given to an artist actively working in one of the arts who has shown outstanding achievement.

Daniel Debolt – Youth Recognition Award given to a high school or middle school student who has shown outstanding achievement and development in the arts.

 

MKEC Engineering Consultants, Inc. – Chris Cherches Award given for outstanding work on a public works project.  This award is presented for the Lincoln Street Bridge and Dam project.

 

 The art awards will be presented at a gala banquet on Thursday, Nov. 7 at the Drury Plaza Broadview Hotel Grand Ballroom, 400 W. Douglas.   A reception and dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. with the awards program beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The public is invited to attend.  Tickets are $50 each or $450 for a table of 10.  Seating is open with the exception of the reserved tables.  Tickets may be ordered through Nov. 4 at www.wichitatix.com or by calling 316-219-4849.

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Arts Council


334 N. Mead
Wichita, KS 67202

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