Roanoke College, Hollins Announce Perry F. Kendig Award Nominees

Roanoke, Va. - Artists, arts advocates, and arts and cultural organizations are among the nominees for the 2017 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 in Olin Galleries at Roanoke College on Thursday, September 28, at 5:30 p.m.

Here are the nominees for the 2017 Kendig Awards:

• Grandin Theatre: The Grandin is the economic and cultural anchor of the Raleigh Court and greater Grandin areas and supports educational outreach and program development.
• Kathy Guy: Through her work with Showtimers and The Acting Company, Guy has been a leading force for creating independent theatre productions in the Roanoke community.
• Roanoke Ballet Theatre: RBT provides dance education, outreach programs, and professional performances in the Roanoke Valley and beyond, promoting ballet as an exciting art form.
• John Sailer (deceased): Sailer was the set and lighting designer for Roanoke Valley theatres for decades, working with Mill Mountain Theatre, Opera Roanoke, and many other venues.
• Science Museum of Western Virginia: Ever evolving, the museum spearheads new and traveling exhibits, outreach to schools, field trips, and other initiatives to provide informal science education to the community.
• Judy and Joel Tenzer: For more than four decades, the Tenzers have distinguished themselves with their devotion to and patronage of the arts in the Roanoke Valley, serving with such organizations as the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Taubman Museum of Art, the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, and Mill Mountain Theatre.
• Margaret Sue Turner Wright: Wright is a tireless working artist and fierce advocate for the arts, holding workshops, exhibits, classes, and other artistic gatherings.

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 2017 slate of distinguished nominees.

August 28, 2017