2024 Arts Award Honorees: Part 1
On April 10, ArtsWestchester will join with the arts community to honor a group of nine individuals and organizations that have contributed significantly to the vibrance of arts and culture in Westchester – a tradition it has upheld since 1976. The 2024 Arts Award luncheon, emceed by CBS anchor Tony Aiello, will take place at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase. Below, we introduce three of the honorees, all organizations making a difference to make the arts accessible to all. Keep an eye on ArtsNews in the coming weeks to meet the individuals and Advancing Equity awardees. For tickets, visit artsw.org/artsaward.
Sophia Abeles Education Award: Arc Stages
Arc Stages is a multifaceted arts organization in Pleasantville, New York that is composed of three theatre companies under one roof: the Educational Stage, the Community Stage, and the Next Stage. Arc Stages’ mission is to bring contemporary theater programming and arts education to local communities; they endeavor to provide an artistic haven in which theater, music, dance and art converge for youth and adults. The Educational Stage is where students of all ages can develop self confidence while exploring the world of theatre through innovative classes, workshops, productions and outreach. An in-school playwriting residency program, Visions & Voices, strives to help young people from all walks of life to understand that their vision of the world matters, and that they should give voice to their creativity. Through the support of ArtsWestchester, this program is gifted to many schools with marginalized youth communities each year.
Community Award: The New Rochelle Council on the Arts
The New Rochelle Council of the Arts(NRCA)was created by the New Rochelle City Council in 1975 to encourage the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts. For nearly 50 years, the NRCA has fulfilled that mission by sponsoring art exhibitions, public art, theatrical productions, dance recitals, film screenings, lectures and concert series. The organization’s signature programs include the NRCA Rotunda Gallery at City Hall, the Summer Sounds Concert Series at Hudson Park (drawing 400 to 600 people every week for an eclectic lineup of live bands) and a weekend-long ArtsFest celebration every fall with 40 venues that represent the work of 250 visual and performing artists. NRCA has also taken the lead in bringing public art to New Rochelle: NRCA’s most recent projects include the #NRNY Murals – 20 high impact large-scale works that were installed in two phases (eight murals in 2019 and 12 more in 2022) – and a life-sized bronze statue commemorating long-time former resident author E.L. Doctorow, which was installed last October. NRCA is proud to celebrate the diversity of New Rochelle’s strength through the arts.
Arts Organization: Neuberger Museum of Art
Centered at the heart of Westchester and the Purchase College, SUNY campus, the Neuberger Museum of Art is one of the nation’s most respected and important academic art museums and the cultural gem of our community.
The Neuberger Museum of Art (The NEU) is home to a world-class art collection. More than 6,500 works by contemporary, modern, and African artists including Milton Avery, Romare Bearden, Willem de Kooning, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, and Faith Ringgold can be found in the Museum’s constantly growing and evolving world-class collection. Because works in the permanent collection belong to the citizens of the State of New York, admission to the Museum is always free.
The NEU is a champion for the visual arts. Inspired by founding patron Roy R. Neuberger, the dedicated members of its Friends organization, and hundreds of Volunteer Museum Educators, the Neuberger is an extraordinary destination for visitors of all ages. Thousands of local schoolchildren are introduced to art at the NEU every year. Purchase College students, faculty, and staff embrace the Museum as part of the campus’ rich cultural experience. Older adults build community in the Museum’s galleries and classrooms. And visitors from across the county and around the globe engage with the Museum through its tours, lectures, and programs.
The NEU also inspires learning by telling stories through art. It celebrates the histories of art and artists of the recent past. It creates enriching and engaging experiences for guests of all ages. And it supports living artists who are making new art.
Photo credit: Tweens Performance of Bugsy Malone (courtesy of Arc Stages); Ajkun Ballet performing at ArtsFest (photo by Ari Oshinsky); Installation Image, The Making of a Museum: The Promised Gift (courtesy of the Neuberger Museum of Art).
