Celebrate the Arts/ Awards Event
Celebrate the Arts May 15, 2008
On May 15th, in the restored gardens and Gilded Age Mansion at Fairleigh Dickinson University and with sponsorship from Commerce Bank, the Arts Council of the Morris Area presented its 2008 Awards for:
Outstanding Arts Advocate: Barbara Krajkowski
Outstanding Arts Organization: Morris Museum (received by Steven Miller)
Outstanding Corporation: Open Spaces Management Association
(received by Lorraine Suarez and Ivan Schaffel)
Outstanding Arts Educator: Alysia Souder
Outstanding Professional in the Arts: Susan Holford
Over 150 members of the arts community shared in this heady and exciting celebration of the arts and honored the contributions made by these individuals and organizations to the quality of life in our communities. Eric Hafen, Artistic Director of the Bickford Theatre, presented the Awards.
This was also an occasion to celebrate the future with the announcement of this year's talented graduating high school seniors who won the Arts Council’s two arts scholarships. Both gifted visual artists, the winners were Denville resident Kaitlyn DeBiasse of Morris Knolls High School in Rockaway, who won the Eugenie Coladarci Scholarship ($1,250), and Madison resident Marissa Rich of Madison High School, who won the Elaine Ehlers Scholarship ($4,000). Both will be pursuing their art training at college in the fall.
The evening also included the announcement of a magnificent gift of a $100,000 Endowment made to the Arts Council by Bill Keefauver in memory of his late wife, Barbara. She was a co-founder of the Arts Council who had served as its first Executive Director and, later, on its Board of Trustees. This gift will fund an annual arts education program in an underserved public school in the Morris County area. Bill's eloquence and the generosity of this gift were greeted by a spontaneous standing ovation.
To mark the Arts Council's 35th anniversary, proclamations from the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders and from Governor Corzine's office were read by Freeholder Murray and Board President Alan Levitan, respectively. Additionally, Acting Executive Director Anne Aronovitch recognized those whose vision, foresight and commitment contributed to the founding as well as support in the first year of the Arts Council's existence. The Founder - Junior League of Morristown, Inc. - and initial funders - Junior League of Morristown, Inc. and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts - were honored as were the many distinguished Charter Members, both individuals and organizations, who supported and sustained the fledgling Arts Council in its early years.
Tom Barth, the 2007 Elaine Ehlers Scholarship winner and an outstanding young composer/singer and pianist who will be studying with John Williams at Tanglewood this summer, dazzled the audience with a special performance, including the premiere of his latest piano work. It was truly a night to remember!
Celebrating its 5th year as a generous
sponsor, 
Learn more about the 2008 Winners by reading their award introductions below:
The Josephine
Margetts Award: 2008 Outstanding Arts Advocate:
Barbara Krajkowski
"
I have always been in love with the theater. I love working with women in the theater and I really love watching women in the arts develop."This statement conveys Barbara Krajkowski’s total commitment to advocating on behalf of the arts and particularly, on behalf of women in the arts. At a time when women’s opportunities in theater were limited, Barbara took bold and decisive action, co-founding the Women’s Theater Company and serving c
ontinuously as its Artistic Director. Since 1993, The Women’s Theater Company (WTC) has provided a distinct voice and imprint on the state’s professional theater community. Unlike any of the other nearly 30 professional theatre companies in NJ, the WTC is dedicated to development, promotion and inclusion of women in all aspects of theatre production. The voices of these women have begun to be heard thanks to the commitment of Barbara Krajkowski and the WTC to do just that.Professional frustration galvanized Krajkowski’s advocacy efforts and led to the conception of the Women’s Theater Company. She relates that she and several other actresses were asked "to do a long term marketing outline and when we gave it to the gentleman in charge, he tossed it, said thanks and told us the bathrooms needed cleaning. That did it"… Her response was: "We should start our own company….So the Women’s Theater Company was conceived."
With a cum laude BFA in Theatre from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an MFA in Communication from William Paterson, Barbara has been an adjunct professor at William Paterson University, teaching and directing student productions for over twenty years while simultaneously serving as Artistic Director of the Women’s Theatre Company. Through her efforts, she has become a remarkable advocate for not only the theater and for women but for the arts in general. She has encouraged playwrights, actors, set designers, producers, directors, costume designers and has provided unprecedented opportunities for artists and audiences throughout the state. Her work has opened doors, stretched minds and created opportunities where none previously existed.
Actress Meridith Johnson cites Barbara’s "professional
and steadfast beliefs in women’s involvement in every aspect of theater
community." Actress Deborah Antinori extols Krajkowski’s leadership stating,
"We had four different homes in the last five years, yet have consistently
continued to operate in the black and have attracted audiences who react
enthusiastically and return for more….she is a model of what can be achieved
in the professional environment with grace, tenacity and high creative
ideals." And, with Krajkowski’s advocacy, professional skill, tenacity and
support, others, such as award-winning playwright Jewel Seehaus-Fisher and
Ms. Krajkowski’s own daughter, the Tony award-winning Broadway and highly
acclaimed TV actress, Jane Krakowski, have achieved flourishing professional
careers.
This "most remarkable woman" has been tireless in her efforts on behalf of
women’s theater in New Jersey. Her powerful commitment to "contributing to
the quality of life in the community" and to "promoting the centrality of
the arts in all our lives" is a hallmark of her work as an arts advocate.
For believing in the work of others, for creating and extending opportunities where none previously existed and for inspiring commitment and creativity both within and beyond the theater, the Arts Council of the Morris Area is honored to award to Barbara Krajkowski the 2007 Josephine Margetts Award for Outstanding Arts Advocate.
May 15, 2008
2007 Outstanding Arts Organization: The Morris Museum
Founded in 1913, the Morris Museum serves its surrounding community and beyond as a leader in cultural education. Interactive and hands-on learning are emphasized through a diverse range of programs, performances, exhibitions and special events which not only supplement and transcend traditional forms of teaching but also celebrate the arts, sciences and history.
Under the expert leadership of Executive Director Steven Miller, the Museum has just completed a major, 4,300 square foot addition to house the recently acquired 700-piece Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of Mechanical Musical Instruments and Automata. The fruit of 60 years of discerning acquisitions, this collection is the largest and finest of its kind, bringing national and international attention to the Museum, along with a $10 million endowment from the Lutece Foundation, elevating the institution to a major new level. The Museum has always been a local cultural gem, but with the acquisition of the Guinness Collection, it has become a regional, national and, upon occasion, international destination, cited a Wall Street Journal article(April 08) and even in the Continental Airlines magazine.
Along with the new construction, the Museum has remodeled the original Frelinghuysen mansion, "Twin Oaks," to expand exhibition space and classrooms for the thousands of school children who partake of the Museum’s educational initiatives. The Bickford Theatre has also been refurbished and continues to offer its annual season of professional theatre as well as a wide variety of musical and dramatic programs for children and adults.
From its modest beginning in 1913 as a curio cabinet filled with objects for display, the Morris Museum is now one of the largest museums in New Jersey, serving more than 200,000 school children and adults annually and recognized as a leading cultural institution in the state. In fact, since 1997, it has repeatedly won the NJ State Council on the Arts designation as a "Major Arts Institution" for its "solid history of artistic excellence, substantial programming and broad public service."
In recognition of its varied and extensive educational programs, its superlative art exhibitions, its offerings in science, history & music, its full theatrical programming at the Bickford Theatre, its extraordinary and unique collection of mechanical musical instruments and automata, and its resultant contribution to the artistic and cultural vibrancy of this area, the Arts Council of the Morris Area is proud to recognize the Morris Museum with its 2009 Award for Outstanding Arts Organization.
Steven Miller, Executive Director of the Morris Museum, accepted the award.
May 15, 2008
The 2007 Robert Maass Award for Outstanding Corporation: Open Spaces Management Association
The magnificent property known as Giralda Farms Corporate Park began as the estate of Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge. With her strong commitment to the welfare of the larger community, Ms. Dodge wanted the beauty of the property preserved while still providing tax income for the Town of Madison. A corporate park provided the answer and after Dodge’s death, the land was purchased by Prudential. Then, in the mid-late 1970s, Prudential sold off large parcels to various corporations which subsequently built their own elegant buildings on its rolling lawns. Just over 25 years ago, Open Spaces Management Association was formed, comprised of the owners of various corporate properties at Giralda Farms. Mindful of its role as a corporate citizen, Open Spaces Management, under the leadership of Lorraine J. Suarez, Vice President & General Manager of GRC Management Corp. with representatives from Maersk, Wyeth and Rexcorp, has opened the site for a limited number of events as those of the Rose City Runners of Madison, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Nights walk, the Wyeth 5K Race and St. Hubert’s Giralda’s Barkfest.
However, from its inception, Open Spaces Management Association has been a steadfast supporter of the arts. With vision and foresight, it partnered with the young Arts Council of the Morris Area, providing the space and financial support to bring the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra to the elegant lawns of Mrs. Dodge’s former estate for the now-legendary annual Giralda Lawn Concerts. June 29th of this year marks the 25th Anniversary of this much beloved event and of this remarkable partnership. The Arts Council owes much to Open Spaces Management for its unwavering support for a quarter of a century! During that time, The Arts Council has grown enormously– offering programs and services that bring the arts experience to literally hundreds of thousands of people in multiple counties. And the signature event of the year, the Giralda Lawn Concert – recently listed in NJ Countryside magazine as one of the 10 best festival events to start the summer – has become a tradition among families and friends who each year plan elaborate picnics and look forward eagerly to relaxing in the summer breeze while hearing wonderful music played by New Jersey’s leading orchestra.
With deep gratitude and appreciation, the Arts Council of the Morris Area honors Open Spaces Management Association – in recognition of its outstanding 25 years of commitment and steadfast, generous support for the arts - with the 2008 Outstanding Corporation Award.
Lorraine Suarez, representing RexCorp, GRC Management Corp. and Open Spaces Management Association along with Ivan Schaffel representing Maersk accepted the award.
May 15, 2008
The 2007 Joyce Talbot Award to an Outstanding Arts
Educator:
Alysia Souder
Souder has chaired numerous education roundtables and collective efforts for the advancement of arts education. Her work has helped to advance the cause of process-based arts education as a central component of school curricula. Currently, she is developing a mentoring project with Southern Repertory Theatre in New Orleans which will replicate her work in the New Jersey Writers Project for the ravaged, yet rebuilding public school system in Louisiana. Souder also developed the statewide Poetry Out Loud Residency program cited as a national model by the National Endowment for the Arts .
A featured presenter at several international conferences on literacy and reading, Souder remains a tireless advocate for the creation of a comprehensive system of professional and career development for teaching artists across the state. She has made it her mission to
address issues such as health insurance, home ownership and fair quality of life – most often cited as the reasons that superstar teachers leave the arts education field.As described on one nominating statement, Souder is a "rockstar"…"innovative and forward-thinking, creating new ways to engage students in their world through the arts." She is a "complete educator, treating every student as a whole person whose hopes and fears, challenges and opportunities feed into their creative work."
Because of her "selfless dedication" to arts education, her innovative and creative efforts to expand the role of the arts, her willingness to tackle the tough questions and her dramatic impact on the lives of so many, the Arts Council of the Morris Area is proud to recognize Alysia Souder with the 2008 Joyce Talbot Award for Outstanding Arts Educator.
May 15, 2008
2008 Outstanding Professional in the Arts:
Susan Holford
A highly talented painter, printmaker, and mixed media artist with teaching and art therapy experience, Susan Holford has had a distinguished career as a professional artist and a profound artistic impact on young people with special needs
A graduate of Elizabeth College in PA and Parsons College in Iowa, Holford also studied with Vaclav Vytlacil, Howard Trafton and Morris Kantor. Her prizewinning watercolors, acrylic paintings, collages and handmade mixed media paper have been exhibited in shows throughout New Jersey and can be found in galleries in New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Saudi Arabia and the UK.
In addition to her private studio classes, Holford has been an art instructor at Morristown’s Montessori Children’s House as well as a teaching assistant in Special Education for the Morris Plains and Madison School Districts. She has also worked as an Art Therapist in the Neuro-Psychiatric Unit of Morristown Memorial Hospital. Most recently, Susan has been part of Creative Heartwork’s contracted artists roster as a co-facilitating artist for various Mending Arts series. These therapeutic arts programs are designed for children ages 4-17 struggling with multiple life challenges including trauma, loss, illness or disabilities. Most of the children are referred to the programs by psychologists, DFYS, special education schools, behavioral health centers, shelters, foster parents, group homes and pediatricians for the purpose of increasing the self esteem, socialization skills and opportunities to develop self mastery, self discipline and self awareness. As Karen Carbonello, President of Creative Heartwork explained, "It takes a special kind of artist to be able to uplift and motivate, and actively engage some of our children, many of whom are depressed, angry, resistant or withdrawn." Karen continues, "Susan is the artist we call in when the stakes are high and we know we need her aura in the room to help the children express their pain or release their joy. She is also the one we turn to when we have a group of children with profound disabilities who have yet to discover their artistic talents. Susan is a talented and generous professional artist who makes time in her busy life to give not only to our children but to our organization itself. she is an ongoing supporter of our agency, sometimes donating her own artwork, materials and time for special projects." Photos from the spectacular kimono design workshop for teens facilitated by Holford at Creative Heartwork provided a compelling testament to her skills.
Therefore, for her artistic excellence, her generosity and commitment to those with special needs and her unique ability to share her passion for art with the larger community, The Arts Council of the Morris Area is proud to recognize Susan Holford with its 2008 Award for Outstanding Professional in the Arts.
May 15, 2008
The 2008 Euegenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship : Kaitlyn DeBiasse
Ten years ago as a part of our 25th anniversary celebration, The Arts Council of the Morris Area collaborated with the Coladarci family and initiated what has become a $1,250 scholarship award to be given annually to a graduating Morris County high school senior who plans to pursue further study in an area related to the arts. Created as a tribute to the memory of our former Board Chair, Eugenie Coladarci, who was Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Chase Manhattan Bank and an active member of the Arts Council of the Morris Area for eleven years. The scholarship, which recognizes artistic excellence and encourages the artists of the future, is consistent not only with Arts Council’s mission but with Genie Coladarci’s role as a statewide champion of the arts who actively encouraged the development of young artists and strongly believed in the value of the arts to the quality of life.
The Arts Council invites young artists of Morris County who exhibited artistic excellence in the areas of dance, drama, music and the visual arts to compete for this scholarship. The applications were evaluated by a distinguished panel of professional artists: Dr. Lynn Siebert, a 28-year veteran of Drew University’s music faculty, Artistic Programmer for First Night® Morris County and professional violinist; David Gruol, a professional photographer and Director of the Blackwell Street Center for the Arts; Dr. Virginia Butera, Chair of the Art Department and Director of the Maloney Art Gallery at The College of St. Elizabeth; Carolyn Hunt, Arts Educator and Director of Common Thread Playback Theatre; and Susan McCutcheon Coutts, Choreographer and Director of Dance Innovations.
I am pleased to announce that this year’s award winner is Kaitlyn DeBiasse, a gifted visual artist who lives in Denville and attends Morris Knolls High School in Rockaway.
K
aitlyn DeBiasse’s passion for art was evident throughout her scholarship application. Beyond taking multiple art courses and winning First Place in the Teen Arts Festival Art Show and other awards, Kaitlyn exhibits exceptional dedication to art in every project she undertakes. Described by her art teacher as "one of the most talented students I have ever worked with in our advanced art program," Kaitlyn "established standards that not too many other students would dare to live up to." In her application essays, Kaitlyn’s own language reveals her intensity: "Suppressing my artistic voice would ravage me." Yet, it is clear she has found a way to channel that passion into the production of wonderful art. According to her art teacher, "Kaitlyn’s technical pieces are stellar, while her more creative approaches on ‘free choice’ assignments are even more mind blowing." Her art teacher described how Kaitlyn "admitted to long hours of no sleep and blistering her fingers on hot wax for an experimental piece…" and stated that "As Kaitlyn has unveiled this passion within herself, she has thrown herself headfirst into as many art classes as she can take" and utilizes her art in the service of others including charity institutions and organizations like UNICEF.The scholarship panel was particularly impressed by her technical mastery, her sense of design, her use of line, her awareness and mastery of different styles and her imaginative artistic vision.
Kaitlyn will be attending the Communications Design Program at Kutztown University in Kutztown, PA next Fall.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Arts Council of the Morris Area, it is my great pleasure to award the tenth annual Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship to Kaitlyn DeBiasse
.May 15, 2008
The 2008 Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship: Marissa Rich
Seven years ago, The Arts Council of the Morris Area collaborated with Elaine Ehlers’ family to initiate a second scholarship to be given annually to foster new artistic talent, helping a graduating Morris County high school senior who possesses artistic talent to pursue further study in an area related to the arts. Created as a tribute to the memory of my late wife, Elaine Ehlers, the scholarship is an enduring legacy to recognize artistic excellence and encourage the artists of the future. Elaine, a health-care administrator by profession, had a voracious appetite for all things artistic and musical. She derived intellectual and emotional sustenance from the arts, and received great pleasure when she took young people to concerts, the theater and museums.
I am pleased to announce that this year’s Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship award winner of $4,000 is Marissa Rich, a graduating senior at Madison High School.
An accomplished visual artist, Marissa has demonstrated her talents and pursued opportunities to develop her skills with great energy and determination. At school, she has taken a full load of arts courses while also entering and winning recognition at multiple competitions beyond school. Among her many awards, she won a talent-based scholarship to attend the summer pre-college art program at Maryland College Institute of Art and a First Place for her watercolor "Quenched" at the recent 2008 Blackwell Street Arts Juried Student Show at the Atrium Gallery. She has also won recognition at the Congressional Arts Commission Show, a prior Blackwell Street juried show, the Mount Olive Art Show, the Art Educators of NJ State Youth Art Month Exhibit at Trenton’s Statehouse and at the Ducret Art Show in Plainfield.
It is clear that art means much more than self expression to Marissa. It has provided not only a means to develop and showcase her exceptional talents, but also a path to deal with challenges in her life. She explains, "In art, I found a place where I could just work without fear of getting the wrong answer, and that made me feel free to just think about what I wanted to create…" Marissa’s keen appreciation of the value of art and its impact was evident in another essay where she observed that fellow students, not involved in the art program, would, nonetheless, stop by the art classroom "just interested in seeing the creativity that flows there." She added, "To me, that ability to share the joy of art is something I want to emulate…."
Her teachers and counselors cite her talent, dedication, humility, her sensitivity to others as well has her passion to learn and excel. Her art teacher observed, "At a time when most seniors begin to quietly disengage or rest on their laurels, Marissa is focused and striving onwards as a learner and an artist….I have worked closely with Marissa and witnessed her creativity, self-discipline and pursuit of excellence combine with her heart of a learner to produce outstanding results."
Slides of her work confirmed these assessments. The panel was unanimously impressed by the range, quality, attention to detail, creativity and beauty of Marissa’s work.
Marissa will pursue her art training next Fall at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Arts Council of the Morris Area, it is my great pleasure to award the seventh annual Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship to Marissa Rich.
May 15, 20082008 Introduction for Special Performance by tenor/composer Tom Barth, 2007 Ehlers Scholarship Winner
Our special treat this evening is a performance by Tom Barth, the outstanding young singer and composer who won the 2007 Elaine Ehlers Scholarship. Tom has just completed his first year at Boston University where he was the only undergraduate admitted as a composition major. With the help and guidance of his professors, he has "hit the ground running," and already composed two violin concerti, an orchestral excerpt and his first complete Mass. Simultaneously maintaining his vocal expertise, he sings with the award-winning Dear Abbeys, Boston University’s premiere all-male a cappella group, which won the Intercollegiate College A Cappella National Championships this past year. This is the highest honor any a cappella group in the country can hold. Currently the group has two albums on iTunes and has sold thousands of CDs. Tom has maintained a Dean’s list with honors, and is looking forward to studying with John Williams at the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood this summer.
We are indeed honored to have him share his multiple talents with us this evening. Please join me in welcoming Tom Barth.
May 15, 2008
