Award Winners
Special Recognition Award - Roger Mandle
A cum laude graduate of Williams College ('63), Mr. Mandle holds a MA from New York University and a Ph.D. in Art History from Case Western University. For the past fifteen years he has been President of Rhode Island School of Design. As an educator, art historian, and leader of major cultural institutions, he is a nationally known figure in the field of education in the arts and humanities. He was appointed by both President Reagan and President George H. W. Bush as a member of the National Council on the Arts, on which he served for eight years. Currently he serves on the Board for the Alliance of Artists Communities, and on the Board of the Newport Restoration Society, of which he is Vice-chair. In 2006 he was Chair of the National Design Awards Jury. Mr. Mandle is a published scholar and teacher on the subjects of aesthetics and Dutch art.
Small Business Award - William Vareika Fine Arts
William and Alison Vareika are art gallery owners, art collectors, community activists, preservationists, and philanthropists. For twenty years, the Vareika's have used their gallery to raise public awareness about a variety of charitable causes and to donate over one million dollars to support these non-profit organizations. Together they have served on a number of advisory committees including, the New Bedford Whaling Museum, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and the Trinity Boston Preservation Trust. They have both served on the board of the Newport Art Museum. Separately they are both very active; William has been on the boards of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum, the Newport Music Festival and Save The Bay. Alison is currently Chair of the Board of the Opera House Theater Project in Newport, and was Chair of the Aquidneck Land Trust.
Arts Advocate Award - Clay Rockefeller
Over the past several years Clay Rockefeller has committed himself as an artist, a collector, a philanthropist, a volunteer, and an entrepreneur to the city of Providence and its arts community. While pursuing a dual degree in American Civilization and Visual Art (which he received in 2003) he teamed up with three other artists and renovated the Monohasset Mill into 39 live/work units marketed to working artists. In 2002, he helped to co-found the Steel Yard, which focuses on fostering the industrial arts and incubating small business, the Steel Yard has worked to cultivate and environment of experimentation and a community strengthened by creative networks. Rockefeller has served on the board of two arts driven non-profits. He currently sits on the board of AS220. He was also the chair of the Steel Yard board from 2002 through 2007 and has recently accepted the role as the co-chair of the organization's $5 million dollar capital campaign.
Individual Achievement Award for Performing Arts - Herci Marsden, State Ballet of Rhode Island
Ms. Marsden was born in Omis, near Split, Croatia. In 1958, Ms. Marsden immigrated to the US to live in Lincoln, Rhode Island where she co-founded the Brae Crest School of Ballet. As Prima Ballerina, Herci Marsden made her American debut in 1960 with The State Ballet of Rhode Island-the repertory company she was instrumental in establishing. As artistic director and resident choreographer, Ms. Marsden continues her mission to create, present, preserve and extend the great repertoire of classical ballet. Herci Marsden's vibrant form of artistic expression, and diverse and creative cultural programs she has brought to Rhode Island, has enhanced the lives of Rhode Islanders for over 50 years.
Individual Achievement Award for Visual Arts - Michael Townsend
Michael Townsend believes you can draw really well. In fact, he knows it. He has been working nationally to promote Tape Art, a medium he invented in Providence over 18 years ago, and has personally worked with tens of thousands of first time Tape Artists of all ages. During this time he has worked indefatigably, creating public art pieces ranging from drawings in hospital rooms to massive all-encompassing works wrapping entire buildings or cities with temporary life-sized drawings. His work challenges the perception and stewardship of both public and private space, from fleeting collaborative Tape Art images that adorn the exteriors of buildings, to large-scale installations secretly gracing Providence's forgotten spaces.
Jabez Gorham Award - Providence Singers
Founded in 1971, the Providence Singers has grown to become a regional center for choral excellence and service. Members of the 115-voice mixed chorus are admitted by audition and re-auditioned annually. The chorus has performed with Dave Brubeck (Newport Jazz Festival and Lincoln Center), the Kronos Quartet, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, and the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. The National Endowment for the Arts selected the Providence Singers to host an American Masterpieces Choral Festival, one of seven such festivals held nationwide in 2007.
Andrew Clark is Artistic Director of the Providence Singers, a position he assumed in July 2006 following four years on staff as resident conductor working under artistic director Julian Wachner. Mr. Clark is also Music Director of the Worcester Chorus, and Director of Choral Activities at Tufts University. A supporter and advocate for music education, Mr. Clark serves as a distinguished faculty member of Pittsburgh's "Notes from the Heart" Music Camp, a summer program for children with disabilities and chronic illness, supported by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Woodlands Foundation. As Director of Choral activities at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, he oversees a celebrated choral education program.
Allison McMillan is Executive Director of the Providence Singers, a position she has held since 2001. She served as the organization's board president from 1998 to 2001 and has been a member of the chorus since 1991. Ms. McMillan has guided the Providence Singers through a dramatic period of growth that has included a more than ten-fold increase in budget size and the reorganization of board and management functions to support the artistic vision.
Encore Award - Struever Brothers, Eccles & Rouse
Led by C. William ("Bill") Struever since 1974, SBER has been restoring urban landmarks and preserving the infrastructure that defines America's traditional downtown centers. Locally, the group is a major financial sponsor of numerous arts events in Providence, and they are proud to have been a major underwriter of WaterFire and Sound Session. In addition, SBER has supported events and programs for GroundWorks Providence, the Providence Preservation Society, the Olneyville Holiday Arts Sale, and the Arts & Business Council of RI.
SBER was a key supporter of the west side arts district in 2005 which established an artist tax-free zone on the west side of Providence. Further, SBER wrote and negotiated passage of an historic change to a local zoning ordinance which legalized artist live-work housing in the city of Providence. This ordinance-the first of its kind-promotes affordable and flexible housing for artists and small entrepreneurs, and it has been adopted at both the Plant and AS220's Dreyfus Hotel project.
In addition, SBER set aside $100,000 to commission a public art sculpture for the historic smokestack at the company's Plant renovation project at 60 Valley Street.
As an urban real estate development company, SBER strives to develop unique and inspiring spaces for people to live, work and create.
Small Business Award - Morris Nathanson Design
Founded in 1967, Morris Nathanson Design is a full-service design firm, specializing in the retail food service and hospitality fields. Morris Nathanson Design's reputation is based on over 30 years of award-winning designs. Current work includes projects throughout the United States, the Caribbean and Europe. MND's Work has been directed by a philosophy of understanding the various aspects inherent to a successful space and a sensitivity to each client's entrepreneurial concerns.
