Champaign, IL – 40 North | 88 West proudly announces the 10th Annual ACE (Arts, Culture, and Education) Awards. All seven ACE Award winners embody the spirit of the local arts community with their passion, energy, and dedication to the creative culture of Champaign County. Please join us on October 14th, 5:30pm at the Canopy Club for an inspiring evening of performances, mingling, and a one-of-a-kind celebration of our arts community!
What: The 2014 ACE Awards, presented by 40 North, Champaign County’s Arts Council, is sponsored by The Canopy Club, Shatterglass Studios, Kessler Optical, and Krannert Art Museum. The event will feature complimentary hors d’œuvre from Micheals’ Catering as well as live performances from UIUC Black Choir and Kirkwood West. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Mike Ingram.
When: Tuesday, October 14th, 2014. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Where: The Canopy Club, 708 S. Goodwin, Urbana
Tickets: $12 each, available online at www.40north.org.tickets or by calling 351-9841. $15 at the door the night of the event.
The winners of the 2014 ACE Awards are:
Advocate ACE Award – Pens to Lens/Thomas Nicol, for expanding access to screenwriting and filmmaking to local k-12 students, and for forging creative partnerships with schools, CU Film Society, Champaign Movie Makers, and CUDO.
Artist ACE Award – Jason Patterson, for his outstanding achievement in impactful and powerful American history portraiture, and for his contributions to the excellence of the arts in Champaign County.
Volunteer ACE Award – Eric Robeson for demonstrating his unwavering commitment and generosity to the cultural arts community, and for being not only the catalyst, but also an active volunteer for numerous arts and cultural initiatives.
Business ACE Award – Art Coop for providing invaluable knowledge and resources to artists, educators, and students, including the highest quality materials, a free gallery space, and employment opportunities for young artists for over four decades.
Teacher ACE Award – Nathaniel Banks, for his spirit, dedication, and drive behind the successful after school enrichment music program, Mo Betta Music, and for his overall commitment to accessible music education for underserved youth.
Student ACE Award – Megan Diddie, UIUC Masters Candidate in Studio, for her outstanding achievement as the studio manager at Fresh Press agri-fiber papermaking lab, as well as her leadership in bringing papermaking workshops to numerous community arts programs.
Lifetime ACE Award – Gerald “Candy” Foster, for his decades of limitless talent and energy, his life-long dedication to his practice, his profound impact on countless musicians, and his engagement with the community as a whole.
The winners were chosen from over 90 public nominations by an independent panel of community-based judges representing a broad cross-section of Champaign County.
Judges: Alan Mette, Executive Association Director at UIUC School of Art + Design; Sophie McMahan, local artist; Carly McCrory, Communications Director at the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation; Jason Finkelman, Director of Global Arts Performance Initiatives at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; Brandon T. Washington, music teacher at Urbana School District #116 and local musician.
Special thanks to our sponsors; The News-Gazette, The Canopy Club, Shatterglass Studios, Kessler Optical and the Krannert Art Museum.
40 North | 88 West
40 North – Champaign County Arts Council – is dedicated to cultivating creativity in Champaign County. Through advocacy, information and collaboration, 40 North works to stimulate a vibrant, thriving environment for the arts, culture and education essential to the quality of life in Champaign County. For more info, visit www.40north.org.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.