The Business Council for the Arts has announced the 2017 Obelisk Awards honorees. This annual award is bestowed upon companies and leaders in business and the arts for their invaluable contributions supporting arts and culture in North Texas.
The recipients will be honored at the 29th annual Obelisk Awards luncheon on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at the Belo Mansion. Steven Roth, Senior Deputy General counsel of Parkland Health & Hospital System, and his wife Thai-lan Tran are serving as the 2017 Obelisk Awards co-chairs.
The Obelisk Awards luncheon will include a reception, seated lunch and recognition of the 2017 award recipients. The keynote speaker for the event is Karen Brooks Hopkins, who currently serves as the Nasher Haemisegger Fellow for the National Center for Arts Research and is the former president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Returning as Master of Ceremonies is Mary Anne Alhadeff, President & CEO of North Texas Public Broadcasting, which includes KERA Radio and Television, as well as KXT and affiliated programs. Ryan Anthony, Principal Trumpet of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, founder of The Ryan Anthony Foundation, and last year’s keynote speaker, will return to the Obelisk stage.
“We are thrilled to announce this year’s Obelisk Awards recipients, all outstanding individuals, organizations and businesses,” remarked co-chair Steve Roth. “The 2017 honorees are a testament to the strong partnerships between business and the arts in North Texas. From companies of all sizes, we are seeing the impact they are making in the arts community and also to our local economy.”
Said Katherine Wagner, CEO of Business Council for the Arts: “This year’s Obelisk honorees reflect the significant growth of the arts regionally – a fact underscored in our recent economic impact study, showing that the nonprofit arts and culture sector has now reached an impact of $1.5 billion annually in North Texas.”
The 2017 Obelisk Awards honorees are:
- The Arts Partnership Award: Large Business (more than 500 employees locally)
Target
Nominated by: Nasher Sculpture Center
The Arts Partnership Award recognizes businesses that have provided sustained support to an arts/cultural organization for three or more years.
- The Arts Partnership Award: Medium Business (between 50 and 500 employees locally)
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Richardson
Nominated by AIR (Arts Incubator of Richardson)
The Arts Partnership Award recognizes businesses that have provided sustained support to an arts/cultural organization for three or more years.
- The Arts Partnership Award: Small Business (fewer than 50 employees locally)
Angelika Film Center – Dallas
Nominated by: Video Association of Dallas
The Arts Partnership Award recognizes businesses that have provided sustained support to an arts/cultural organization for three or more years.
- The New Initiatives Award: Large Business (more than 500 employees locally)
Corgan
Nominated by: Creative Arts Center
The New Initiatives Awards recognizes businesses for supporting an innovative arts/cultural program created within the past three years.
- The New Initiatives Award: Medium Business (between 50-500 employees locally)
West Village
Nominated by: Dallas Film Society
The New Initiatives Awards recognizes businesses for supporting an innovative arts/cultural program created within the past three years.
- The New Initiatives Award: Small Business (fewer than 50 employees locally)
C.C. Communications, LLC
Nominated by: Esta Raza No Se Raja
The New Initiatives Awards recognizes businesses for supporting an innovative arts/cultural program created within the past three years.
- The Distinguished Cultural Organization Award:
The Cliburn
Nominated by: The Arts Council of Fort Worth/Neiman Marcus
The Distinguished Cultural Organization Award is given to recognize one outstanding nonprofit organization for a project or program that has enhanced the community
through partnership with a business.
- The Business Champion for the Arts Award:
Nancy Carlson
Nominated by: TACA
The Business Champion for the Arts Award recognizes long-term leadership and commitment to arts/culture by a business executive (president, CEO, partner).
- The Visionary Nonprofit Arts Leader Award:
Keith Cerny
Nominated by: Deutsche Bank Trust Co., NA/ Deutsche Bank Wealth Management.
The Visionary Nonprofit Arts Leader Award recognizes an arts leader who has consistently demonstrated vision, impact, innovation, and successful alignment with
business and community partners throughout their tenure.
- The Arts Education Award:
Neiman Marcus Group
Nominated by: Big Thought, Dallas Black Dance Theater
The Arts Education Award recognizes one outstanding business for its support of arts education programs.
- The Lifetime Achievement Award:
Ask Me About Art/Gail Sachson
Nominated by: Carolyn Brown Photography
The 2017 Juror’s Award recognizing lifetime advancement of the arts
- The Community Champion Award:
Kathy Litinas
Nominated by: Allen Arts Alliance
The 2017 Juror’s Award recognizing community arts advancement
Individual tickets for the Obelisk Awards luncheon are $150 each; sponsorships begin at $750. For more information about the Obelisk Awards, visit http://ntbca.org/obelisk or contact Catherine Thompson, 972-991-8300, extension 601.
About Business Council for the Arts
Business Council for the Arts (BCA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 as connector and convenor between businesses, municipalities, and arts and cultural organizations. For 29 years, Business Council for the Arts has advocated for business support of the arts, developed business leaders for nonprofit boards of directors; fostered employee creativity, engagement and creativity through the arts; guided strategic business support for the arts; and measured the economic impact of arts and culture in North Texas.