12th Annual Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas, Executive Director, Arts Mid-Hudson
Each June, the air is filled with excitement as schools end for the summer, vacations start and celebrations are around every corner. Celebrate the incredible art community at the 12th Annual Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards at the Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern in Saugerties. This year, 11 awardees will be honored by Arts Mid-Hudson and the Ulster County Executive, Jen Metzger. The community nominates the recipients based on their important contribution to the growth of Ulster County’s culture over a significant period of time, the extraordinary support they show for the arts, and/or their vision and leadership in using the arts to enhance the community.
“I’m excited to attend the upcoming Awards Ceremony,” Metzger said “And look forward to honoring the individuals and organizations that have contributed so much locally and regionally to the arts, enriching our communities and benefiting the County’s thriving tourism economy.”
Zachary Bowman, Manager of Education and Visitor Experience at Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz will serve as the evening’s guest MC. Bowman added, “The arts awards are so different because they uplift the arts landscape at large while focusing on those individuals who deserve to be celebrated. The Hudson Valley is full of people who love and support the creative community. For us to have a moment to honor those who pull us all together, is really special.”
Carmen Lizardo, Art in Public Places Awardee, is a multidisciplinary artist born in the Dominican Republic. Her outreach extends to public art projects commissioned by the Metropolitan Transit Authority at 181st Street Station in New York City. Marlielena Ferrer, Artivist Awardee, explores the role of art in social change and various forms of social practice, especially the ways it manifests in political, public, and community art.
The Academy at Shaowland Stages, Arts in Education Awardee, is a live theater arts training program dedicated to educating students of diverse ages, experience, and backgrounds. Jane St. Art Center, Arts Organization Awardee, provides a vibrant creative platform for both established and emerging artists to show their art and interface with the community. As a woman-owned and operated venue, the center embodies a commitment to inclusivity and empowerment in the arts.
Mark Gruber Gallery, Business Awardee, has been exhibiting the Hudson Valley’s finest artists since 1976. Richard Frumess, Patron Awardee, not only founded R&F Handmade Paints, but also co-founded the Midtown Arts District and later the Kingston Arts Commission.
Miss Rene Bailey, Individual Artist Awardee, is a recording artist in rhythm & blues, jazz, and gospel. Known as “Lady Sunshine,” Miss Bailey was formerly a featured vocalist at the Peg Leg Bates Country Club for 20 years. Julie Novak, Special Citation - Individual Awardee, co-founded the TMI Project, and worked as an art director and graphic designer before joining the team at The Future Perfect Project (FPP) a non-profit organization that offers free arts programming to LGBTQIA+ youth across the globe. Old Dutch Church, Special Citation - Organization Awardee, uses its space to host a wide range of events at very low or no cost. It has welcomed many local and internationally-known artists and provided a safe place for a wide variety of expression.
Michael Torres, Volunteer Awardee, founded the Kingston-based Soul Reflections Art & Photography Collective in 2022. The Collective supports and elevates new, emerging, and established artists and photographers of color and creates unique opportunities for them to exhibit their work. Tafari Saunders,Youth with Exceptional Promise in the Arts Awardee, is a recent SUNY Ulster Fine Arts Major Student, who started drawing at age nine. He honed his hyper-realistic style as a child by drawing his favorite cartoon characters.
These incredible individuals and organizations uplift and enhance the arts in our region. All proceeds from this event go to supporting the arts in Ulster County. For more information, visit www.artsmidhudson.org/ucartsawards
If you go:
12th Annual Ulster County Executive’s Arts Awards
Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern, 25 South Partition Street., Saugerties, NY 12477
Date: June 11, 2024
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Contact: (845) 454-3222
www.artsmidhudson.org/ucartsawards
