The Sioux Falls Arts Council is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2012 Mayor’s Award for the Arts. They are:
The Individual Excellence Award in the Arts
Phil Baker, musician
Jerry Fogg, visual artist
Nancyjane Huehl, visual artist
WINNER: Phil Baker, musician
The Organizational Achievement Award in the Arts
8th & Railroad Center, Erika Billion
Cherapa Place, Jeff Scherschligt
WINNER: 8th & Railroad Center, Erika Billion
The Charlotte Carver Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts
Sheila Agee
Debra J. Klebanoff
Trudy Peckham
Dr. Raymond Sidoti
WINNER: Trudy Peckham
The 12th Mayor’s Award for the Arts will be presented at a reception on Thursday, November 29, at 7:00 p.m. at the Museum of Visual Materials, downtown Sioux Falls. A social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the awards will be presented at 7:00 p.m. Speakers will include Tim Hoheisel, Executive Director, Sioux Falls Arts Council; Molly McCarthy, President of the Board of Directors, Sioux Falls Arts Council; Mike Huether, Mayor of Sioux Falls, and the award winners.
Light complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be available and there will be a cash bar. The event is free and open to the public.
The Individual Excellence Award in the Arts will be presented to an artist whose contributions have significantly impacted the arts in Sioux Falls. Eligible nominees include any artist who works in the arts as defined by the SFAC: visual arts (painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, or artists working in other visual media), theater,
dance, music, film, or literary arts (writers, poets, play-wrights, or other literary arts). The Organizational Achievement Award in the Arts will recognize an arts organization or business that excels in supporting and/or enhancing the arts through contributions of
time, talent, or funding. The Charlotte Carver Lifetime Achievement Award will recognize an individual who has shown a life-long commitment and dedication to the arts either as an artist, through an arts organization, or a business.
HISTORY
In 1999, Sioux Falls Mayor Gary Hanson agreed to host the first ceremony honoring individuals and organizations that played a vital role in community artistic achievement. Thus was born the Mayor’s Award for the Arts, patterned after the statewide South Dakota Governor’s Award in the Arts. The Sioux Empire Arts Council, in conjunction with the City of Sioux Falls, received nominations and organized the award ceremony. In the first year, awards were given in three categories: Outstanding Artistic Achievement, awarded to Tom Roberts; Outstanding Business Support of the Arts, awarded to Norwest Bank; and Outstanding Advocacy for the Arts awarded to Mary Sommervold. 
The award categories changed through the years and the last time the awards were presented, 2009, awards were given in the following categories for individual artists: Excellence in Visual Arts, Excellence in Performing Arts, and Excellence in Literary Arts. The other two categories were Outstanding Organizational Advocacy and Outstanding Individual Advocacy. Twice in the history of the Mayor’s Awards a special Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed. In 2003, Rosella Blunk was given the Lifetime Educational Advocate in Performing Arts and in 2008, Glenyta Hanson was given a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Sioux Falls Empire Council underwent restructuring in 2010 and became the Sioux Falls Arts Council in 2011. The mission of building a stronger and more vibrant arts community, however, did not change. The Sioux Falls Arts Council continues to aid and advocate for all members of the art scene in Sioux Falls, hoping to make the arts bigger, better, and more vibrant.
The Mayor’s Awards for the Arts have also undergone some changes and restructuring since 2010. The five awards have been narrowed down to three and they will be presented on a biannual basis instead of annually. The three award categories are: Individual Excellence Award in the Arts, Organizational Achievement Award in the Arts, and the newest award is the Charlotte Carver Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.
The Sioux Falls Arts Council is located in the Crane Centre at 8th and railroad, 326 East 8th Street, Suite 106B. Hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and by appointment. For more information, please, call 605.271.6696, email info@ArtsSiouxFalls.org, or visit the Arts Council website at www.ArtsSiouxFalls.org.
Past award winners:
Mayors award 1999-2009 (PDF, 5 pages)
