By Marcus A. Williams
Special to the AFRO
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Popular D.C. go-go band Mambo Sauce is one of more than a dozen local performing arts groups to perform at
the 24th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards ceremony. (Google Images)
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(March 18, 2009) - The arts scene in Washington, D.C., is abuzz right now as individual artists and organizations catering to the arts prepare to see who will receive the highest arts award the District has to offer at the 24th Annual Mayor’s Arts Awards.
The award is the highest honor conferred by the District in recognition of artistic excellence and service among artists, arts organizations and art patrons in the city.
Representatives of the arts with expertise in dance, music, theatre, literary arts, visual arts and arts education submitted nominations for the awards. The representatives, all whom are District residents, also served as the panel responsible for selecting the finalists and ultimately, the winners.
“Washington’s arts community has made an indelible impact in its contribution to the world-class city we call home,” say Gloria Nauden, executive director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “The Mayor’s Arts Awards represent our appreciation for the core of our contribution to the rich cultural vitality of our city.”
Every year the board of commissioners gives a special achievement award to an artist or artistic organization that has exemplified outstanding leadership in the community.
However, this year the board decided to create an award for Visionary Leadership in the Arts and the two recipients are Septime Webre, artistic director of The Washington Ballet and Joy Zinoman, founding artistic director, Studio Theatre.
“Septime Webre was chosen because of how he opened up ballet to new audiences, making it more accessible for people who not only love ballet but for people who were somewhat skeptics as well,” says Lisa Richards Toney, program manager for the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “Joy Zinoman was chosen because she has been a real staple in the theater world. She has influenced countless actors, designers and directors through the work her studio has presented.”
Both recipients are also being commended for their ability to establish the arts in decaying communities and transforming them into “hotspots” for homebuyers and new business owners.
What Webre and Zinoman have done for their individual communities is what the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities aims to do for the city as a whole.
“We’ve had a number of developments, the support of the mayor [Adrian Fenty] and a healthy budget, which has allowed us to give grants to more people and programs throughout the city,” says Toney. “We have developed new grant programs like the ‘Hip Hop Community Arts Grant,’ ‘Elders Learning Through the Arts’ and ‘Arts Eve DC’ – we are all about bringing the arts to as many people as possible.”
The visionary leadership award is only one of the many accolades presented that night. The 24th Annual Mayor’s Arts Award will also present citations for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Excellence in Service to the Arts, Outstanding Emerging Artist and Innovation in the Arts.
This year’s awards ceremony will feature special guest and D.C. native Raheem DeVaughn. Throughout the evening the audience will be treated to a diverse range of performances including, The Washington Ballet, Coral Cantigas and the District’s own Mambo Sauce band.
“Washingtonians should want to come to witness all the great things arts does for the community and because it’s a free event and a great date night,” says Toney. “But as we look around and see how society is developing, I think that artists and people who are creative are exactly what is needed to make the world better.”
Ceremony takes place at the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center on March 23, 6 p.m. For additional information on this free event and other D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ programs, visit www.dcarts.dc.gov or call 202-724-5613.