art awards

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

Check out this impressive list of 2022 Art Award nominees

More than twenty organizations and individuals were nominated for the 2022 Art Awards celebration, the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana announced on Thursday.

The annual celebration honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts and cultural landscape of the Evansville community. The event is Saturday, Oct. 22 at DoubleTree by Hilton in Downtown Evansville. The Arts Council will give out awards in seven categories, including the prestigious Mayor’s Art Award. Most of the recipients will be announced at the ceremony, but the Arts Council announced the winners in three categories on Monday.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will present two Mayor’s Art Awards in 2022 to make up for the cancelled event in 2020, honoring Pat and Lisa Shoulders for their vision and leadership in creating the “Healing Arts” plaza at the Stone Family Center for Health Sciences, and Robert and Marianna Wright, for their support of the Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Sciences and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Arts Council Award will be presented to Old National Bank, for the ONSD and Old National Bank Hub murals. In addition, the Arts Council will posthumously honor John Engelbrecht and John McNaughton for their extraordinary and foundational efforts to advance the arts in our community.

The following groups and individuals are nominated for the 2022 Art Awards.

Arts Project Award

  • Easter Seals Early Learning Center Arts Enrichment Program
  • Allison Brown, The Foundry Center for the Arts
  • Corderro Smith, Tepe Park Basketball Court Mural
  • Patrick Higgs, Victory Film Festival
  • Stephanie Osborne, YART

Arts Educator Award

  • Jane Gilbert, Visual Arts Teacher, McGary Middle School
  • Nancy Raen-Mendez, Instructor in Art and Design Department, University of Southern Indiana
  • Sheryl Schuster, Fine Arts Specialist, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation

Performing Artist Award

  • Roy Carter, Sr.
  • Deena Laska-Lewis

Visual Artist Award

  • Jakob Bilinski
  • Homer Duke
  • Hannah Jones
  • Julia Starr
  • Britton Starr
  • Rachel Wambach

The winner of each category will be announced at the Art Awards gala, A Spooky Soiree. The event 6-9 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 22, and will include artist demonstrations, dinner, and an awards ceremony. Tickets for the event are available to purchase at this link.

For more information, please contact Zach Evans.