Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Arts Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Vermont Arts Awards recognizing outstanding individual and organizational contributions to the arts. Awards honor educators, artists, performers, advocates, administrators, volunteers, and scholars.
Vermonters are recognized for their contributions in five categories.
Sculptor and multimedia artist Leslie Fry of Winooski will receive the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the highest honor presented to an artist by the state of Vermont.
Filmmaker and former executive director of the Vermont International Film Festival Orly Yadin of Burlington will receive the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts.
Master dancer and choreographer Sidiki Sylla of Burlington will receive the Ellen McCulloch-Lovell Award in Arts Education.
Multimedia producer Eva Sollberger of Burlington will receive the Margaret L. (Peggy) Kannenstine Award for Arts Advocacy.
Photo: Matt Thorsen
Nonprofit arts leader Matthew Perry of North Bennington will receive the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts.
Photo: Andrew Walker
Sculptor and multimedia artist Leslie Fry of Winooski will receive the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the highest honor presented to an artist by the state of Vermont. The award has been presented annually in conjunction with the governor's office since 1967.
In selecting Fry for this award, Gov. Phil Scott said, “Your many public sculptures within Vermont and around the world have no doubt made a lasting impression on those who have seen your work firsthand. I admire your desire to showcase the connections between humans and nature, and your many years of sharing your passion for art with others.”
In addition to the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the other awardees are as follows:
Filmmaker Orly Yadin of Burlington will receive the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts for her sustained contribution to the arts and its impact on Vermont’s cultural life.
Master dancer and choreographer Sidiki Sylla of Burlington will receive the Ellen McCulloch-Lovell Award in Arts Education for his longtime dedication to teaching dance and music of West Africa to Vermonters of all ages.
Multimedia producer Eva Sollberger of Burlington will receive the Margaret L. (Peggy) Kannenstine Award for Arts Advocacy for her years-long commitment to bringing Vermont arts and culture to life through masterful storytelling.
Matthew Perry of North Bennington who is the co-founder and executive director of Vermont Arts Exchange will receive the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts for his decades long contributions to community engagement, partnering, and reaching underserved and underrepresented populations through the arts.
“The Vermont Arts Council is honored to celebrate the accomplishments of these incredible, creative, dedicated Vermonters,” said Arts Council Executive Director Susan Evans McClure. “They exemplify the best of our creative state and their passion and dedication to the arts in Vermont is inspirational and so worthy of recognition.”
The winners are reviewed by an outside panel, except for the recipient of the Arthur Williams Award for Meritorious Service to the Arts who is chosen by the Vermont Arts Council staff.
The 2023 awardees will be honored at a public ceremony with Gov. Scott on Sept. 28 at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. The annual event was postponed for three years during the pandemic.
More information about the recipients and the awards ceremony can be found at vermontartscouncil.org/2023artsawards.
About the Vermont Arts Council
The Vermont Arts Council envisions a Vermont where all people have access to the arts and creativity in their lives, education, and communities. Engagement with the arts transforms individuals, connects us more deeply to each other, energizes the economy, and sustains the vibrant cultural landscape that makes Vermont a great place to live. Since 1965, the Council has been the state's primary provider of funding, advocacy, and information for the arts in Vermont. Learn more at www.vermontartscouncil.org
Source: 8.21.2023. MONTPELIER—Vermont Arts Council
