AMOCAT Arts Awards
The AMOCAT
Arts awards recognize those in our community who provide
distinctive contributions to the arts. The
honorees work hard to support and build our community by innovating in
artistic excellence. AMOCAT award recipients are
nominated and selected by the Tacoma Arts Commission.
There are three regular categories for recognition: Community Outreach by an
Artist, Community Outreach by an Organization, and Arts Patron. Each exhibit vision,
dedication, and action in creating a lively arts community in Tacoma.
In 2011, the Tacoma Arts Commission created a special Arts Leadership
award to recognize exceptional vision, dedication and leadership in the arts in Tacoma.
2011 Arts Leadership -
David Fischer
In 2006, the Broadway Center Board of Directors hired David Fischer as their new Executive Director with the mandate to completely re-engineer the organization. Since then and together with his team of revitalized staff, Board and volunteers, the Broadway Center has tripled its audience. Of course, this is only one measure of the new, deepened relevance of the Broadway Center in our community.
The Broadway Center’s portfolio includes serving as manager of the City’s Theater District and its anchor venues – the Pantages, the Rialto, and Theatre on the Square – working to present and produce diverse performances, and providing Washington state’s largest, most dynamic arts education program. The Broadway Center focuses its services to fulfill on its values, “empathy, stewardship, innovation, excellence, and joy” and on its vision, “to lead and energize the renaissance of downtown Tacoma.”
From the beginning, Fischer declared diversity and access to be the heart of the Broadway Center’s future. Through a process of Community Dialogues, the Broadway Center has brought together eight separate community groups in deep conversation to address one question: “How can these publicly owned theaters best represent you and your interests?” The community’s answers to this question, and the Broadway Center’s response has yielded an unparalleled growth in diverse programs; from 12% of performances in 2005 to 54% of performances in 2010.
Fischer has also achieved on his commitment to balance two, sometimes diametrically opposed goals, “bring the best performances to town” and “offer broad access to the community regardless of ticket price.” Though artist fees for Queen Latifah, Lyle Lovett, k d Lang and Buddy Guy demand that the intimate Pantages Theater ask for high ticket prices, a broader access was leveraged through a tiered pricing program ensuring that a minimum of 10% of every house be significantly reduced in price (usually 60% less than the top price.)
In addition, the Broadway Center regularly offers many other programs at an average $22 per ticket. Access for the community is further met by distributing free tickets. Since 2006, the Broadway Center has distributed, through its social service partnerships, more than 27,000 free tickets at a value of $1.1 million to those members of our community who could otherwise never afford to attend.
Private philanthropy, individual donors and City government, have all significantly increased their investments because of the Broadway Center’s authentic and earnest efforts to deliver on its promises. Through the diversity, depth and quality of the Broadway Center’s services, Fischer’s leadership in partnership with his staff and Board has created a strong and stable platform for economic impact, as well as the dynamic, deep and creative engagement of the community.
More info: www.broadwaycenter.org
2011 Arts Patron -
The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation is committed to building a vibrant, compassionate and engaged Pierce County. We believe that arts are an essential component to achieving this and play a vital role on the economy, society and community. Since we began making competitive grants in 1985, arts have been a core focus of our funding. Last year, we invested nearly $500,000 to support arts and culture.
To further highlight the importance of professional artists in our community, we launched the Foundation of Art Award in 2008. Each year, over a dozen artists are nominated and recognized for their work. The chosen award winner creates a commissioned art piece for the Community Foundation, representing their perception of the Pierce County community.
Learn more about The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation by visiting our website at: www.gtcf.org. Be sure to check out the online art gallery featuring our 2011 Foundation of Art Award nominees.
More info: www.gtcf.org
2011 Community Outreach by an Organization -
D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts
D.A.S.H. - Dancing, Acting and Singing in Harmony - uses performing arts to reach hundreds of Tacoma's youth, cultivating an appreciation for the arts, instilling self-worth, and guiding them toward brighter futures.
Since 2001, DASH has been providing quality performing arts instruction, education and mentoring to the underserved communities and lower-income families of Tacoma-Pierce County, offering programs to directly counteract gang and drug influences and empower inner-city youth through honesty, positivity and creativity. An exceptional performing arts center for all of Pierce County, DASH is also a lead agency in the fight against youth violence and gang activity. Due to its downtown location on MLK Way, as well as a diverse curriculum, low class fees and scholarship programs, DASH reaches a large number of low-income youth whose futures are uncertain.
Beyond an arts education, DASH teachers offer youth an introduction to college programs, one-on-one and peer mentorship, and character development guidance. Many DASH instructors are former students who take from their experiences to relate to, gain the trust of and mentor other youth. All DASH instructors are professionals who actually work in their field.
DASH has several programs to serve our youth. The Performing Arts Excellence Program is a 4 class weekly program designed to develop artistic abilities and provide more opportunities for them to pursue higher arts education. Reality Check Dance Company helps kids excel in school, become engaged in their communities, and develop leadership skills. The Art of Hip Hop class teaches the "Corners of Hip Hop" and the arts of rhyme-writing and "MCing" to encourage youth to use poetry and music as constructive emotional outlets. Students must maintain a 2.7 GPA and perform four community service projects per year. Youth teach classes to other youth in the community once every two months, building their leadership abilities.
More info: www.thedashcenter.org
2011 Community Outreach by an Artist -
Stella Haioulani
Stella Haioulani is a dynamic artist who is inspired daily by the limitless possibilities of creative expression. Early on, she learned how to use dance as a special form of expression and for solving conflict within the urban community.
Stella received two Associate degrees from Tacoma Community College and continued her education at The Evergreen State College-Tacoma where she mastered the art of synthesizing and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with emphasis in Urban Development. On campus and in the urban community, she is noted for using her effective communication skills and ability to heighten awareness through community mobilization, conflict resolution and the production of cultural enrichment events that promote the arts while generating positive change in the areas equality and social justice.
Stella is an accomplished film maker, radio-host/Dj, writer, poet, consultant and humanitarian. She has worked with some the most celebrated spoken word talent on the globe and has produced provocative and educational programs in the Pacific Northwest.
Stella is CEO and founder of Free Ya Mind, Inc., which serves as a catalyst for conscious expression, to bridge the gap between businesses, organizations and urban communities by using the vehicles of literary and visual arts to promote public discussion, creativity, unity, economic empowerment and social change. She has partnered with Tacoma Art Museum and Washington State History Museum to provide educational and artistic outreach to underserved populations. And, through partnerships in Tacoma and Clover Park school districts, she has administered meaningful workshops that teach youth leadership, the gift of artistic expression, and the ability to think critically and develop literary and effective communication skills.
On the last Friday of each month you can find Stella at the Bostwick Tully’s in downtown Tacoma hosting The Free Ya Mind Poetry, Spoken Word and Open Mic Show, which she created in 2001 in the wake of 9/11 to deal with the unspeakable tragedy. This event is one of Tacoma’s most famous and longest standing poetry shows.
More info: www.freeyamindinc.com
2010 AMOCAT award
recipients
Click here
to learn about the 2010 recipients
2009 AMOCAT award recipients
Click here
to learn about the 2009 recipients
2008 AMOCAT award recipients
Click here to learn about
the 2008 recipients
2007 AMOCAT award recipients
Click here
to learn about the 2007 recipients
2006 AMOCAT award recipients
Click here to learn about the 2006 recipients
2005 AMOCAT award recipients
Click here to
learn about the 2005 recipients.
|
