The Arts Awards, presented every December by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, honors the artistic excellence and outstanding achievements of visual, performing and literary artists, arts organizations, architects, arts educators, advocates and administrators whose contributions enable the arts to thrive in the region.

2010 ARTS AWARDS

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven hosted its annual Arts Awards Luncheon on Thursday, December 2, 2010, at the New Haven Lawn Club. The theme of the 2010 awards was Giant Steps, the leaps of artistic faith that can land us within reach of our aspirations.

Presenting Sponsors: Coordinated Financial Resources/Chamber Insurance Trust and Ruth Lapides.
Contributing Sponsors: Cannelli Printing, Southern Connecticut State University, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Zenith Productions.

Photo by Harold Shapiro.

Frances “Bitsie” Clark
C. Newton Schenck III Award for Lifetime Achievement in and Contribution to the Arts
Frances “Bitsie” Clark has for decades been as visible a champion of New Haven’s artists and arts institutions as she has been a loyal advocate behind the scenes. A longtime executive director of the Arts Council, Bitsie has provided support to New Haven’s cultural community through her enthusiastic service, passionate leadership, and spirited participation. Bitsie has embraced life’s challenges and found success moving seamlessly through different fields of service, eager to learn and willing to take risks. Intellectually curious and an optimist by nature, she has been and continues to be, by example, a teacher and role model. Seemingly omnipresent in every neighborhood and at every cultural event, and beloved by those whose lives she touches, Bitsie puts her popularity to effective use, bringing people together to accomplish common goals without an interest in what she might receive for all she gives.

Photo by Harold Shapiro.

Rosalyn Cama, president and principal interior designer at CAMA, Inc. and author of Evidence-Based Healthcare Design (2009, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), placed Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven at the forefront of healthcare design, introducing a compelling visual art collection into the healing process. Since founding her company in 1983, Rosalyn Cama has become recognized across the United States and beyond as a creative visionary and pioneer of evidence-based design, chairing The Center for Health Design’s Board of Directors and authoring a seminal publication in her field of expertise. At Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven, Rosalyn Cama incorporated more than 700 works of art by more than 100 artists from throughout Connecticut and the United States, including many from our region whose work reflects the lives of patients and their families and transports them to comforting environments.

Photo by Harold Shapiro.

Lou Cox, a small-business owner and community arts activist, has opened doors for local artists and urban youth, establishing a culture of inclusiveness and opportunity at his Channel 1 skateboard shop and gallery space, and fostering the creation of urban art in New Haven. In Channel 1, Lou Cox has created an artists’ collective, a creative environment in which urban artists of all disciplines are welcomed and encouraged. Through his involvement in youth-based mural projects, and his presentation of visual-art exhibitions, block parties, open-mics, film screenings, and hip-hop and spoken-word performances, Lou Cox has worked tirelessly to build bridges between communities and generations and to offer young people an outlet for their creativity. He has sought respect and validation for the artistic talents of New Haven’s urban youth and has championed all that they have to share with the Greater New Haven community.

Photo by Harold Shapiro.

Bill Collins is an established guitarist and singer-songwriter whose music is steeped in diverse musical traditions, from punk rock to country, folk, blues, and rockabilly. For 25 years, Bill Collins’ performances of original and traditional songs have lent a powerful voice to the struggles of the working class and the passions of social activists. From his work with groundbreaking punk-rock artists of the 1980s to his forays into rockabilly and explorations of Irish song, Bill Collins’ music has delivered a message. When he married a labor organizer, Collins’ found another source of inspiration, and, with a renewed dedication to political activism, he found a new movement to support and a new message to deliver. Through his rousing and inherently participatory music, Bill Collins continues to lead a spirited rally cry, providing a sturdy voice for the interests of the working class, and always choosing passion and possibility over profit and probability.

Photo by Harold Shapiro.

Shoreline Arts Alliance has much to celebrate after 30 years of vibrant arts programming across the central Connecticut coastline. Through its Shakespeare on the Shoreline productions, its annual New Voices in Children's Literature: Tassy Walden Awards, and its administration of the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism’s Peer Adviser Network, the Shoreline Arts Alliance continues to offer the community a wealth of cultural opportunities. Since its founding three decades ago, the organization has cultivated creative activity and encouraged participation in the arts through competitions, exhibitions, and performances – including a rich variety of free programming for shoreline residents and visitors of all ages. The Shoreline Arts Alliance provides vital support to its member organizations and is committed to serving the changing interests and needs of the community, and, in turn, is fueled by its constituents and all those whose lives it betters.

Photo by Harold Shapiro.