art awards

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2025 Art Awards Nominations Now Open

The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana recognizes individuals, groups, businesses, projects, and institutions that have made significant contributions to the arts in Southwestern Indiana. Winners in all categories will be announced in advance of the event on June 5th. The Art Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, August 14th, 2025 at City View at Sterling Square. 

Questions? Email the Arts Council at [email protected] for a more immediate response. Or call the Arts Council at (812) 303-3178.

Nominations are due by 4 p.m. on May 16th, 2025

Mayor’s Art Award – This highly prestigious honor is given to an individual whose contributions to the arts have had an exceptional impact on the community. Consideration is given to evidence of long-standing support of, and life-long interest in, the arts. The nominee must be a current resident of Vanderburgh County whose arts activities have had significant impact on the City of Evansville.

Visual Art Award – This award recognizes an exceptional candidate from the visual arts discipline. (Film and literary arts are included in this category.)

Performing Art Award – This award recognizes an exceptional candidate from the performing arts discipline.

Young Artist Award – This award recognizes a rising high school junior or senior in the 2025-2026 school year who displays exceptional aptitude in an artistic discipline. 

Art Educator Award – This award recognizes an exceptional educator who directly influences and engages students of any age through the visual, literary, or performing arts.

Art Project Award – This award recognizes a project that utilized the arts to advance community, economic development, or quality of life goals or initiatives in the 2024 calendar year. 

Art Awards: ICONIC

Please join us to honor those who have significantly contributed to our local arts community. 

Visual Art Award Jordan Barclay
Performing Art Award Children’s Theatre of Southern Indiana
Young Artist Award Bayla Espenlaub | Braden Riley
Arts Educator Award Rob Millard-Mendez
Arts Project Award BOOKED! Concert series organized by Hamilton Golike
Arts Council Award Samantha Buente | Tory Schendel-Vyvoda
Mayor’s Art Award Stephanie Engelbrecht
Arts Luminary Terry Becker | Ginny Schroeder

August 15, 2024
5:30-8 pm
City View at Sterling Square
5:30-6:30 Cocktail Hour with Hors d’oeuvres
6:30-7:30 Award Ceremony
7:30-7:45 Pictures

$75 per person | $45 of each ticket is tax deductible

Purchase tickets by August 7, 2024 online or by contacting Director of Development Lisa Moore at [email protected].

PRESS RELEASE: Arts Council Announces Art Award Recipients

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2024

Contact:
Lisa Moore, Director of Development
Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana
Phone: (812) 303-3178
Email: [email protected] 


Arts Council Announces Art Award Recipients
Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana Celebrates Individuals and Organizations Making a Significant Impact in the Region

Evansville, IN: – The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana announces the recipients of the 2024 Art Awards. These awards celebrate arts organizations, artists, and patrons who have made significant contributions to the arts and cultural landscape of our community. A committee of past winners and community arts advocates selected honorees from an inspirational pool of dedicated nominees. 

The 2024 Art Awards: Iconic will be held on Thursday, August 15th from 5:30-8 pm at City View at Sterling Square, and will include recognition in the following categories:  Visual Art Award, Performing Art Award, Young Artist Award, Arts Educator Award, and Art Project Award.

In addition, the Arts Council Staff and Board of Directors will present the Arts Council Award to two recipients, Samantha Buente, for elevating arts and entertainment programming in Haynie’s Corner to enhance neighborhood connectivity, livability, and desirability, and Tory Schendel-Vyvoda, for excellence in academic, institutional, and neighborhood-based arts research, programming, and engagement. Two lifelong arts advocates, Ginny Schroeder and Terry Becker, will be remembered for their extraordinary efforts to advance the arts in our community with an Arts Luminary recognition. Rounding out the evening, Mayor Stephanie Terry will present the prestigious Mayor’s Art Award to Stephanie Engelbrecht, for decades of generous philanthropy, strategic leadership, and unfailing commitment to advancing arts and cultural opportunities and institutions in Evansville.

The following groups and individuals will be recognized at the event:

Visual Art Award
Jordan Barclay, in recognition of his direction of the Evansville-focused documentary featuring local artist Kevin Titzer, “Sack Race with Knives”

Performing Art Award
Children’s Theatre of Southern Indiana, for their work to expand theater education and performance opportunities for young people in our region

Young Artist Award
Bayla Espenlaub, for theater and vocal achievement
Braden Riley, for orchestral violin performance achievement 

Arts Educator Award
Rob Millard-Mendez, for growing the local creative community by educating and inspiring fine arts students at the University of Southern Indiana

Arts Project Award
BOOKED! concert series organized by Hamilton Golike, for providing an inclusive, all-ages alternative for musicians and avid listeners to give/experience in a small group setting 

Tickets for the 2024 Art Awards: Iconic are available via the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana website. For sponsorship opportunities, to purchase a table, or to learn other ways to proactively support the Arts Council, please contact Director of Development, Lisa Moore at [email protected].

About the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana
The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, established in 1970, plays a pivotal role in advancing arts and cultural experiences in the region. Located at 212 Main Street, the Arts Council fosters a vibrant cultural hub with a gallery and rooftop offering free arts experiences for local artists, musicians, and the community. 


For more information about the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana and its initiatives, please visit www.artswin.org. 

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Arts Council Announces Art Award Recipients

Click here to purchase tickets or reserve a table for your group.

The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana announces the recipients of the 2024 Art Awards. These awards celebrate arts organizations, artists, and patrons who have made significant contributions to the arts and cultural landscape of our community. A committee of past winners and community arts advocates selected honorees from an inspirational pool of dedicated nominees.

The 2024 Art Awards: Iconic will be held on Thursday, August 15th from 5:30-8 pm at City View at Sterling Square, and will include recognition in the following categories:  Visual Art Award, Performing Art Award, Young Artist Award, Arts Educator Award, and Art Project Award.

In addition, the Arts Council Staff and Board of Directors will present the Arts Council Award to two recipients, Samantha Buente, for elevating arts and entertainment programming in Haynie’s Corner to enhance neighborhood connectivity, livability, and desirability, and Tory Schendel-Vyvoda, for excellence in academic, institutional, and neighborhood-based arts research, programming, and engagement. Two lifelong arts advocates, Ginny Schroeder and Terry Becker, will be remembered for their extraordinary efforts to advance the arts in our community with an Arts Luminary recognition. Rounding out the evening, Mayor Stephanie Terry will present the prestigious Mayor’s Art Award to Stephanie Engelbrecht, for decades of generous philanthropy, strategic leadership, and unfailing commitment to advancing arts and cultural opportunities and institutions in Evansville.

The following groups and individuals will be recognized at the event:

Visual Art Award
Jordan Barclay, in recognition of his direction of the Evansville-focused documentary featuring local artist Kevin Titzer, “Sack Race with Knives”

Performing Art Award
Children’s Theatre of Southern Indiana, for their work to expand theater education and performance opportunities for young people in our region

Young Artist Award
Bayla Espenlaub, for theater and vocal achievement
Braden Riley, for orchestral violin performance achievement 

Arts Educator Award
Rob Millard-Mendez, for growing the local creative community by educating and inspiring fine arts students at the University of Southern Indiana

Arts Project Award
BOOKED! concert series organized by Hamilton Golike, for providing an inclusive, all-ages alternative for musicians and avid listeners to give/experience in a small group setting 

Tickets for the 2024 Art Awards: Iconic are available via the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana website. For sponsorship opportunities, to purchase a table, or to learn other ways to proactively support the Arts Council, please contact Director of Development, Lisa Moore at [email protected].

Click here to purchase tickets or reserve a table for your group.

Koch Foundation: Mayor’s Art Award Recipient (2023)

Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana Celebrates Koch Foundation’s Remarkable Philanthropic Contributions to the Arts Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2023


Koch Foundation Honored as Recipient of the 2023 Mayor’s Art Award
Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana Celebrates Koch Foundation’s Remarkable Philanthropic Contributions to the Arts Community

Evansville, IN: The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana is thrilled to announce the distinguished recipient of the 2023 Mayor’s Art Award: the Koch Foundation. This prestigious accolade, traditionally given at the Arts Council’s Annual Art Awards, will take place at the Evansville Museum Gala on Saturday, November 4, 2023. The award will be presented by Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke and Anne McKim, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana.

The Mayor’s Art Award is an annual tribute honoring individuals and organizations that have left an indelible mark on the local arts and cultural landscape. Anne McKim, Executive Director of the Arts Council, expressed her enthusiasm for this year’s awardee, stating, “It is the most prestigious arts recognition given locally, and I can’t think of a more deserving honoree.”

The Koch Foundation earned this accolade based on more than six decades of commitment to philanthropy and unwavering support for the Evansville area arts community. Nominated by Mary Bower, the Executive Director of the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, the Koch Foundation has significantly contributed to various projects over the years. Their generous contributions have facilitated essential upgrades, including HVAC enhancements to provide climate control for the Museum’s permanent collection, roof replacement of the Museum’s 1959 Wing, the handmade bronze and steel Millennial Gate by local artist William Leth, and the establishment of the Koch Immersive Theater & Planetarium. 

The Koch Foundation’s devotion to the Evansville community extends beyond financial support. Part of their corporate mission is to improve the quality of life within the communities where they have operations by helping them better serve their residents by encouraging team member participation in important community organizations and activities. Their commitment has benefited cultural institutions such as the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, the Evansville Philharmonic, the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, the Signature School, the Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville, and more. 

About the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana
The Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana, established in 1970, plays a pivotal role in advancing arts and cultural experiences in the region. Located at 212 Main Street, the Arts Council fosters a vibrant cultural hub with a gallery and rooftop Art Deck offering free arts experiences for local artists, musicians, and the community. Beyond its physical presence, the Arts Council actively supports various arts and cultural organizations, collaborates with business and political leaders on Quality of Place initiatives, provides training and development for artist business owners, and spearheads community-led arts programming. Moreover, the Arts Council serves as the regional representative for the Indiana Arts Commission, championing regional arts initiatives.


For more information about the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana and its initiatives, please visit www.artswin.org. 

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Nominations Are Open for the 2023 Mayor’s Art Award

The Arts Council’s signature event, the Art Awards celebration, is being reimagined and will be back in 2024.

In order to continue the tradition of annually recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to arts and culture in our community, the 2023 Mayor’s Art Award will be presented at the Evansville Museum’s Gala by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke on November 4th. Additional information about the Gala can be found by visiting the Evansville Museum website.

Nominations are due by 4 p.m. September 11, 2023.  The recipient of the Mayor’s Award will be announced on September 22.

Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/5mFSPsBM4tvrMYpx5