Celebrate The Arts

 

Morris Arts holds 2016 Celebrate the Arts Awards

Award Speeches are available here
Click HERE  to read about the Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship  winner,  composer Zachary Catron

Click HERE to read about the Eugenie Colardarci Arts Scholarship winner, visual artist Tyler Harker

Click HERE to read about the Honorable Mention, tuba/euphonium player TJ Graf

Click HEREto read about the Outstanding Arts Advocate: Timothy Dougherty, Mayor of Morristown

Click HERE  to read about the Outstanding Arts Organization: Art in the Atrium, Viki Craig

Click HERE to read about the Outstanding Arts Educators: Paula Davidoff and Carolyn Hunt

Click HERE to read about the Outstanding Corporation: Mondelez

Click HERE to read about the Outstanding Professionals in the Arts: Danielle and Chris Merzatta

Click HERE to read about the Creative Placemaking awardee, Andrea Lekberg

Click HERE to read about the Special Performance by award winning jazz guitarist and former Ehlers Scholarship winner, Alex Wintz



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2105 Celebrate the Arts

squared 2015 Celebrate The Arts Final cover

Over 200 people joined Morris Arts as it recognized individuals and organizations for their outstanding accomplishments, commitment and contribution towards encouraging and fostering the arts in our community.

Click HERE to see coverage by MorristownGreen.com’s editor, Kevin Coughlin, with photos and videos from the event.

Kris Lamb, one of the performing musicians from The Folk Project, commented: “It’s one thing to recognize artistic talent, but I think it is equally important to recognize those organizations that make it possible for such talent to flourish….with much thanks to …Morris Arts for organizing this special event.”

On behalf of the entire board of directors of the New Jersey Choral Consortium, President Kathy Hannan wrote: “I want to thank you for the honor that Morris Arts bestowed upon our organization on Wednesday night. It was humbling and gratifying to accept the Outstanding Arts Advocate award on behalf of the NJCC. … We are deeply appreciative of the support that Morris Arts…has given us from the start to create an organization that supports the growth of vibrant choral communities statewide. The certificate and beautiful piece of artwork that we received at the ceremony to commemorate our award will be treasured by our organization and serve as a reminder that you support our mission. It is wonderful to be part of an arts community that is so teeming with energy and creativity. Thank you for including the New Jersey Choral Consortium in this year’s list awards winners.”

After a reception in the beautiful entrance lobby of the Morris Museum, the program continued in the Bickford Theater, and honored the following:

 2015 Celebrate the Arts Award Winners

Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship
Reed Puleo (percussionist)

Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship
Tori Hey(Ballet Dancer)

Outstanding Arts Advocate
New Jersey Choral Consortium

Outstanding Arts Organization
The Folk Project 

Outstanding Arts Educator/School
Caren Frost Olmsted, teaching artist

Outstanding Corporation
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Outstanding Professional in the Arts
Paul Jach & Kristy Brucale Jach, Speakeasy Art Gallery

Special Recognition
Trustees of the Morristown Green/ Morristown Partnership

Members of The Folk Project who performed during the program:
Mike Agranoff  (Folk Singer), Jean Farnsworth (Celtic Harp),  Kris Lamb (Flute, Whistles), Hen3ry Nerenberg (Guitar), Diane Perry (Fiddle), Frank Sole (Bass).

Photos from the March 25th event:

IMG_9106

(best) closeup of Reed Puleo (Ehlers) and Tori Hey (Coladarci) scholarship winners IMG_9116

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L-R: Awardees Paul & Kirsty Brucale Jach (Speakeasy Art Gallery), Kathleen Hannan (NJ Choral Consortium), Mike Agranoff (Folk Project), Rhoda Wolin (NJ Choral Consortium), Caren Frost Olmsted (teaching artist), Barrett Wilson(Folk Project), Jen Wehring (Morristown Partnership); Scholarship Winners percussionist Reed Puleo (Ehlers Arts Scholarship) and ballet dancer Tori Hey (Coladarci Arts Scholarship).

 

 

Kris Lamb, Diane Perry, Frank Sole and Hen3ry Nerenberg of Folk Project

The Trustees of the Morristown Green

 

 

 

 

 

 

L-R: Members of The Folk Project, Kris Lamb (flute), Diane Perry (violin), Frank Sole (bass) and Hen3ry Nerenberg (guitar); Trustees of the Morristown Green.

Gina Moran, June Van Thoen and Eric Hafen

Dawn Dupak and Luiz Martinez

 

 

 

 

 

L-R: Gina Moran, June Van Thoen with Eric Hafen;  Morris Arts’ board members, Dawn Dupak and Luis Martinez.

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Nearly 250 from the county and state arts and cultural community attended this special event where Morris Arts recognizes  individuals and organizations noted for their outstanding accomplishments, commitment and contribution towards encouraging and fostering the arts in our community.

Held for the first time in the beautiful spaces of the Morris Museum and its Bickford Theatre, the event featured a convivial reception followed by the awards ceremony which also incorporated delightful performance by the Lakeland Youth Symphony (a local arts grantee of Morris Arts) under the baton of Debra Seftel and a performance by a 4th grade class from Normandy Park School demonstrating their skills in Scottish dance from the Multi Cultural Dance artist residency led by awardee Joanna Pang Atkins.  The Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship Winner, precussionist  Neil McNulty, was introduced as was the Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship winner, soprano Katherine Merwin.

 

  

L-R: Awardees, John Pietrowski, Eileen Murray, Joanna Pang Atkins, Dr. James Gallagher, Neil McNulty, Paul Nusbaum, Dennis White, with Morris Arts Executive Director, Tom Werder; Morris Arts Board Member Dick Eger with Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship Winner, percussionist Neil McNulty and Tom Werder; Kay and Frank Failla of the Failla Foundation flank Morris Arts’ Kadie Dempsey, Director of Arts in Community.

        

L-R: Board Member Dick Eger with Morris Arts’ Finance Director, Anne Dodd, and Board Member Paul Mandel of the MCM  Group at Morgan Stanley, event sponsor; Kevin O’Brien, Vice President, New Jersey State Council on the Arts; Dennis White, CEO and President of MetLife Foundation with colleagues Pamela Coffey (left), Sharon Gala (right)  and Gina Moran, Morris Arts Development Director (on far right); Morris Arts Board President Tom McMillian with Paul Mandel of the MCM Group at Morgan Stanley, event sponsor, with Gina Moran, Morris Arts Development Director.

    

L-R: Paul Nusbaum, Board President of Zufall Health Center, Dover with colleagues; Morris Arts Board member Beatriz P. Bueno with Eric Hafen, Artistic Director, Bickford Theatre; Carolyn Hunt, teaching artist for Girls Surviving with Dr. James Gallagher and Phyllis Hassard.

   

L-R: Former Madison Mayor Woody Kerkeschlager, Rick Engler, Director of Marketing, Shakespeare Theater of NJ; Eric Hafen, Artistic Director, Bickford Theatre with John Pietrowski, Artistic Director, Playwrights Theatre of NJ; Morris Arts Director of Arts in Community Kadie Dempsey with her husband, artist and program designer, Dan Fenelon;  the McNulty Family with Ehlers Scholarship winner, Neil McNulty (in middle); John Pietrowski with John McEwen, Executive Director of the NJ Theatre Alliance.

To see the Scottish Dance performed by 4th graders at Normandy Park School, students in Joanna Pang Atkin’s multicultural dance residency, click HERE and HERE.

To enjoy an excerpt from the performance by the Lakeland Youth Symphony conducted by Debra Seftel, click HERE.

To read more about

The Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship Winner  – Neil McNulty, click HERE
The Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship Winner – Katherine Merwin, click HERE
Outstanding Arts Advocate -Dr. James Gallagher, click HERE
Outstanding Arts Advocate -The Failla Foundation, click HERE
Outstanding Arts Organization -Playwrights Theater – John Pietrowski, click HERE
Outstanding Arts Educator/School – Joanna Pang Atkins, click HERE
Outstanding Corporation – MetLife Foundation, click HERE
Outstanding Professional in the Arts – Eileen Murray, Director of Matheny Arts Access Programs, click HERE
Special Recognition winner – Zufall Health Center, Dover, click HERE

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2013 Celebrate the Arts Awards/ 40th Anniversary
 The 40th Anniversary year led to a special Celebrate the Arts program, honoring past and present Board Members, previous Celebrate the Arts Award Winners and individuals who have had Major Impact on Morris Arts.

Major Impact Awards:

Barbara Keefauver
Founding Executive Director

Carolyn Ward
Former Executive Director

David Clair
Former Board Member / Giralda Event Manager

Dick Eger
Former Board President

Bonnie Gardner
Former Arts in Education Director & Board Member

John Weber
JWeber Creative

Scholarship Awards:

Eugenie Coldarci Scholarship

Elaine Ehlers Scholarship

Thursday April 11, 2013 – 5:30-7:30 pm

Cocktail Reception and Program

Nearly 250 from the county and state arts and cultural community attended this special event where Morris Arts recognizes  individuals and organizations noted for their outstanding accomplishments, commitment and contribution towards encouraging and fostering the arts in our community.

Held for the first time in the beautiful spaces of the Morris Museum and its Bickford Theatre, the event featured a convivial reception followed by the awards ceremony which also incorporated delightful performance by the Lakeland Youth Symphony (a local arts grantee of Morris Arts) under the baton of Debra Seftel and a performance by a 4th grade class from Normandy Park School demonstrating their skills in Scottish dance from the Multi Cultural Dance artist residency led by awardee Joanna Pang Atkins.  The Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship Winner, precussionist  Neil McNulty, was introduced as was the Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship winner, soprano Katherine Merwin.

It was an evening to be inspired.

Some photos from that special evening:

  

L-R: Awardees, John Pietrowski, Eileen Murray, Joanna Pang Atk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrate the Arts honors Founders & Sustainers on 40th Anniversary of Morris Arts

Posted on April 15, 2013

On April 11, 2013, Morris Arts marked its 40th Anniversary year’s Celebrate the Arts event by paying homage to those individuals who have had a major impact on the organization over the past four decades. Tributes were paid to the late founder Barbara Keefauver (award accepted by her husband Bill), former Executive Director Carolyn Ward, former Board President Richard (Dick) Eger, former Board member/ ongoing Giralda event chairman/logistician David Clair, former Arts in Education Director Bonnie Gardner, and current Board member/graphic designer John Weber. These “movers and shakers” are the giants on whose wide shoulders Morris Arts stands – and it was fitting to honor their dedicated service – and their gifts in time, treasure and talent – which built and sustained Morris Arts over these past 40 years.

Left:  Former Executive Director Carolyn Ward with former founding board member Gay Culin

The event was also an occasion to celebrate the future, introducing this year’s talented graduating high school seniors who won Morris Arts’ two arts scholarships. Actor Rachel Moss, a Morristown resident graduating from the Morristown-Beard School, was awarded the 2013 Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship ($5,000). Industrial designer Daniel Hounsell, a resident of Boonton Township graduating from Mountain Lakes High School, was awarded the Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship ($1,250).

The event was sponsored by The MCM Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Nearly 200 members of the arts community shared in this heady and exciting celebration held, for the first time, at a lovely auditorium area on the Novartis campus.

L-R; Board member, graphic designer and awardee John Weber with his daughters; Awardees:  Dick Eger (former President of the Board and current Board member) with Bill Keefauver (husband of late founder Barbara Keefauver); Founding board members Gay Culin with Barbara Moran and her husband Farley.

L-R: Awardees pose with Morris Arts Executive Director Tom Werder (on right in each photo): Paul Mandel, presenter for awardee David Clair; Barbara Reuther, presenter for awardee Bonnie Gardner; Board President Alan Levitan, presenter for awardee Dick Eger; John Weber (with presenter Tom Werder).

L-R: Anne Aronovitch (former Morris Arts Executive Director) presenter for awardee Bill Keefauver and Tom Werder, current Morris Arts Executive Director; Anne Dodd presenter for awardee Carolyn Ward (former Morris Arts Executive Director) and Tom Werder; ColadarciArts Scholarship Winner, Daniel Hounsell; Scholarship Winners Daniel Hounsell (Coladarci) and Rachel Moss (Ehlers); Ehlers Arts Scholarship Winner, Rachel Moss.

The evening concluded with an inspiring performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34, by one of Morris Arts’ Local Arts Grantees, the Lakeland Youth Symphony, conducted by Debra Seftel. It was a night to remember!

L-R: Morris Arts Development Director Gina Moran with Anne Aronovitch, former Executive Director; violinists of the Lakeland Youth Symphony; Debra Seftel conducts Lakeland Youth Symphony; Jim Mignone with Board member Cheryl Ellis and Don Smith, a founder of the NJ Hall of Fame.