April 2014
Arts Council Mission:
To advance and promote arts and culture in the Wichita community through advocacy, leadership, education and collaboration.

 

 

 

Outstanding 
Contributions
Made to Cultural
Life of City 

From its earliest days, the citizens of Wichita engaged in and enjoyed cultural events.  Traveling theatrical troupes and lecturers, local musical groups and visiting concert performers provided a range of programs for Wichita residents. 
In the early-to-mid-20th Century, some of today's most popular cultural attractions and organizations were formed...The Wichita Art Museum in 1915, what is now The Wichita Center for the Arts in 1920, The Wichita Symphony Orchestra in 1944, The Wichita Choral Society in 1945 and The Wichita Community Theatre in 1946. 


As the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County's economic base grew attracting a larger population, new nonprofit cultural organizations, bringing an even greater variety of visual and performing arts, emerged. 
In 1969, the Arts Council began the Art Awards, its annual celebration of this expanding cultural diversity by recognizing individuals, businesses and organizations that were providing and supporting the arts. 

  
Since that first awards ceremony, our long-time cultural groups continued to flourish and new organizations such as Music Theater of Wichita (1972), Wichita Chamber Chorale (1978), Wichita Grand Opera (2000) and Tallgrass Film Festival (2003) brought even more opportunities for citizens to experience and to participate in the arts.
 

 

 

 

Now Through June 13 ...

You Are Invited to Submit Nominations  for the 2014 Art Awards 
  
Submit nominations for the 45th Annual Art Awards by picking up nomination forms at CityArts, 334 N. Mead, or downloading them online at WichitaArts.com. All nominations must be received by June 13. 

The Arts Awards are presented annually by the Arts Council. This year's honorees will be recognized at a gala celebration on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Drury Plaza at the Broadview Hotel, 400 W. Douglas. Nominations are being taken in 12 categories: 
  • Gordon W. Evans Award - Given at the discretion of the Arts Council to a patron demonstrating outstanding leadership and special support for the arts.
  • Individual Special Recognition - Given at the discretion of the Arts Council for an individual's outstanding contribution to the arts.
  • Organization Special Recognition - Given at the discretion of the Arts Council for an organization's outstanding contribution to the arts.
  • Arts Organization - Given to a public, not-for-profit organization that presents or provides arts opportunities to the Wichita community and region.
  • Special Project - Given to a neighborhood, business, corporation or group that has provided support for a single event or project.
  • Arts Educator - Given to an individual who has devoted a career to teaching the arts in an educational environment.
  • Arts Advocate/Individual - Given to an individual or couple dedicated to furthering the cause of an art form or the arts in general through promotional, volunteer, administrative, legislative or professional efforts.
  • Arts Advocate/Group - Given to an organization dedicated to furthering the cause of an art form or the arts in general through promotional, volunteer, administrative, legislative or professional efforts.
  • Individual Artist - Given to an artist actively working in such categories as choreography, music composition, film/video, theatre, interdisciplinary/ performance art, two-dimensional visual art and/or three-dimensional visual art, who has shown outstanding achievement.
  • Youth Recognition Award - Given to a high school or middle school student who has shown outstanding achievement and development in the arts.
  • Business Award - Given to a business or foundation providing broad-based and continued support of the arts through its operation or other foundation funds.
  • Burton Pell Award - Given to an outstanding individual in music in memory of Mr. Pell, a longtime member and past president of The Arts Council. 
ELIGIBILITY
Any individual, business, organization or institution currently residing in Wichita or the surrounding area involved in arts and cultural activities located in the area at the time of nomination is eligible to be nominated.
INELIGIBILITY
Ineligibility includes any self-nominations, posthumous nominations and previous Arts Award winners. If needed, the Arts Council will make decisions on any unusual circumstances that might occur after the nomination committee has met.
NOMINATIONS
Nominations are accepted from Kansas citizens and organizations seeking to recognize individual artists, art educators, advocates, organizations, individual patrons, and patron organizations. Nominations may be submitted with or without the knowledge of the nominee.
SELECTION
Award recipients will be chosen from among the nominees by the nomination committee, which will include members of the Arts Council. At the discretion of the panel, selections may include more than one award in a category. Conversely, the panel may decide not to give an award in every category if the total ranking does not merit an award.

 

SELECTION CRITERIA

The criteria the panel will use to rank and select awards will be:

  • Significance and magnitude of the creative achievement;
  • Length of time and intensity of activity dedicated to the arts;
  • Leadership that stimulates growth, support and/or availability of the arts; and
  • Contributions to excellence in the arts.
Since 1999, The Arts Council, which is housed at CityArts, has worked in partnership with the City of Wichita to achieve its mission of advancing and promoting arts and culture in the Wichita community through advocacy, leadership, education and collaboration. The Arts Council slogan "We Make Art Happen" reinforces the group's commitment to the business side of the arts and spreading the word that arts and culture is a $66.2 million industry in Wichita that creates 2,006 jobs and generates $6.5 million in local/state government revenue. To learn more about the value of the arts to the Wichita community, visit WichitaArts.com
  

The Arts Council  |  334 N. Mead  | 316-350-3245  |  WichitaArts.com