Several people from UNL were among the winners of the 2014 Mayor’s Arts Awards announced March 12 by Mayor Chris Beutler and the Lincoln Arts Council. The awards formally recognize artistic contributions and achievements in the Lincoln area and will be presented the evening of May 28 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts. More information is available at http://artscene.org.
• The Artistic Achievement Award - Performing Arts will be presented to pianist, composer and teacher Tom Larson, a lecturer in the School of Music. The award recognizes excellence and accomplishment in any of the performing arts, including film. It is sponsored by Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.
• The Heart of the Arts Award will be presented to Marthaellen Florence, a producer at university television, for her work on Jazz in June and other arts initiatives. The award recognizes an individual or organization for outstanding volunteer dedication to the arts or for making a major overall impact on the arts in Lincoln. It is sponsored by Talent Plus Inc.
• The Halcyon Allsman Benefactor of the Arts Award will be presented to Friends of the Lied, which has raised more than $4.3 million for the Lied Center for the Performing Arts. The award recognizes an individual, family, organization or business for making significant financial contributions to the arts. It is sponsored by Runza Restaurants.
• The ArtScene Backstage Award will be presented to Juliana Hagemeier, general manager of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film and former Lincoln Arts Council president. The award recognizes extraordinary service to the arts through behind-the-scenes efforts and is sponsored by A to Z Printing.
• The Kimmel Foundation Emerging Artist Awards will be presented to playwright Becky Key Boesen, an on-call worker at the Lied Center, and visual artist Ashley Ryba, a BFA student in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. The awards include $1,000 stipends and residencies at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. The awards are sponsored by the Richard P. Kimmel and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation.
