2016 Kendig Award nominations announced

Fourteen artists and arts advocates are among the nominees for the 2016 Perry F. Kendig Arts and Culture Awards.

Co-sponsored by Hollins University and Roanoke College, the Kendig Awards program recognizes exemplary individuals, businesses, and organizations in the Roanoke Valley that support excellence in the arts.

This year's winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony to be held at Hollins University on Wednesday, September 14, at 5:30 p.m.

Here are the nominees for the 2016 Kendig Awards (one award will be presented in each category):

Arts and Cultural Organization
• Science Museum of Western Virginia
The museum has dedicated itself to making science and technology more accessible, igniting life-long learning, and engaging in community outreach.
• Taubman Museum of Art
The Taubman is a vibrant fine arts museum that attracts diverse audiences and provides exceptional visitor experiences.
• Attic Theatre
The theatre is recognized for its family-friendly programming and pricing, community value-oriented mission, and an annual showcase of five productions each year.
• Fleda A. Ring Artworks
Ring strives to bring people of various backgrounds together and features innovative, curated exhibitions of new local work.

Individual Artist
• Ed Bordett
Bordett has been a staple of the arts in the Roanoke Valley through his work establishing the Roanoke City Open Studio tour and a studio tour in Botetourt County.
• Ginger Poole
Poole's work as an actor, choreographer, director, educator, and collaborator have helped reinvent Mill Mountain Theatre, and ensured its continued vibrancy as a professional regional theatre.
• Eric Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick is renowned for his work as a painter, sculptor, lecturer, supporter, and leader of the arts in the Roanoke Valley.
• Beth Macy and Tom Landon
Through written and visual works of storytelling, Macy and Landon have brought cultural awareness to the community, both individually and together.
• Richard Cummins
Cummins served with distinction for 37 years as the organist, music director, and fine arts director at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church in downtown Roanoke.

Individual or Business Arts Supporter
• The Roanoke Women's Foundation
The foundation is recognized for its support of the arts, particularly with grants to Mill Mountain Theatre, Roanoke Children's Theatre, and the Jefferson Center Music Lab.
• Barbara Dickinson
Among her many contributions to the art world in the Roanoke Valley, Dickinson founded the Sidewalk Arts Show and supported many aspects of the Fine Arts Center.
• Jack Avis
Avis helped Mill Mountain Theatre bounce back after financial struggles and helped restructure MMT's debt with a sound business plan.
• Friendship Foundation
The foundation consistently funds organizations and events that enhance arts and culture in the Roanoke Valley.
• Bev Fitzpatrick

Through his work as executive director of the Virginia Transportation Museum, attendance from local, national, and international visitors has more than tripled.

Named for the late Perry F. Kendig, who served as president of Roanoke College and was an avid supporter and patron of the arts, the Kendig Awards were established in 1985 and presented annually by the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge through 2012. Hollins and Roanoke College first partnered the following year to bestow the honors, and congratulate the 2016 slate of distinguished nominees.

For more information about the Kendig Awards, visit http://kendig.press.hollins.edu/.