For 26 years, the Arts and Education Council has given out the St. Louis Arts Awards to philanthropists, educators, artists, corporate citizens, and arts organizations who make a lasting impact on the surrounding region. Just this past year, the organization honored president and CEO of the Muny Dennis M. Reagan and Johnetta Haley, a woman who has dedicated her life to music education in area schools.
Keeping with tradition, the St. Louis Arts Awards has the ability to honor seven people or organizations under a number of categories. In mid-June, the Arts and Education Council revealed the honorees for 2019. They’re recognized for different reasons, including building affordable housing and studio options for artists, spending a lifetime performing at the Muny and beyond, and advocating for the arts for more than 30 years:
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Ken Page, Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. Page is a longtime performer at the Muny, has been on Broadway for multiple performances, and is widely known for his voice of Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Brent Benjamin, Excellence in the Arts. Since becoming the Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, Benjamin has led an initiative to expand the museum and raise $160 million in the largest capital campaign for a cultural institution in St. Louis.
Amy Freet, Art Educator of the Year. Freet spends her days teaching general music and string orchestra at Airport Elementary and string orchestra at STEAM Academy in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. She also seeks out grants and develops music therapy programs that promote mental and behavioral health within the school district.
Noemi and Michael Neirdorff, Excellence in Philanthropy. Having spent over three decades supporting the St. Louis art community, the Neirdorffs have worked with numerous organizations through philanthropic giving and leadership, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, the St. Louis Symphony.
Sue Greenberg, Champion for the Arts. Acting as a voice for the arts, Greenberg uses her position as part-time executive director at the St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts to help creative individuals protect their rights and develop healthy business practices.
Chris Hansen, Arts Innovator. Using his resources as the executive director of the Kanzberg Arts Foundation, Hensen has, among other things, restored the historic Grandel Theatre, opened the Marcelle and The Dark Room, and recently announced plans to develop affordable housing and studio options for artists in the Gravois Park area.
Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis, Arts Startup of the Year. Only two years old, the festival has already drawn thousands of attendees to its activities and offers educational outreach programs for underserved students to read and see plays.
Emily Hellmuth, director of marketing and communications for the Arts & Education Council, says since the awards are so broad, they have the capability of celebrating multiple art influencers within the St. Louis community.
“There are so many different ways to be involved and leading our art scene,” Hellmuth says. “There are so many different people involved in a vibrant art community and have different roles, and we really want to recognize each of those contributions.”
Community members have roughly six to seven weeks to nominate someone for each category in which a panel of community members, invited by the Arts and Education Council, determine the honorees.
This year’s honorees will be celebrated at an award show on Monday, January 21 at the Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel. The night will begin with cocktails and a reception hosting creative individuals, supporters, and members of the public, ranging from the performing arts to visual arts. Once the social hour is finished, the evening moves into an entertainment show and an award ceremony. Tickets go on sale later this summer, and since last year’s event sold out (over 700 people were in attendance), patrons will want to nab theirs earlier rather than later.
