The Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council established the Arts
Supporter of the Year Award in 1995 to recognize the
outstanding contributions to the arts by special people in the Tri-Valley
area. The award consists of a book selected by the recipient, and PCAC
donates another copy of the book to the Pleasanton Library.
The 2010 Arts Supporter of the Year Award Winner:
Margene Gerton Rivera
Margene Gerton Rivara,
who has been our PCAC president for the last two years, has been presented
the “Art
Supporter of the Year Award.” This Award is given
to an adult who has shown outstanding support for the arts in the community.
The award was presented to Margene by Rob Woodworth, the new president
for PCAC, on June 3, 2010, at the Youth Excellence in Art Awards (YEA!)
Ceremony.
Margene came to Pleasanton as a teenager in 1960, danced and taught ballet,
played the violin; later she designed rugs in China (and holds 47 U.S.
Copyrights for rug designs) has designed childrens clothing for Storybook
Heirloom (a $20 million a year company, 60% of whose product lines come
from Margene's designs.) Margene is also a stained glass artist, and is now
a successful realtor in Pleasanton. However, Margene was not being recognized
for any of those accomplishments. The award goes to her because of her support
of the arts in our community during the last ten years or so.
In addition to leading PCAC as President for the last two years, Margene
has been a member of the PCAC board for 10 years, acted as chair to organize
the grand opening of the Firehouse Arts Center (upcoming this September),
served on the Pleasanton Civic Arts Commission for ten years, served on
the Firehouse Task Force to insure that the facility was designed and built
properly, and she serves as a founding board member of the Pleasanton
Cultural Arts Foundation to raise money for the Firehouse Arts Center.
One stained glass guitar which she designed, fabricated, and donated for
auction raised $28,500. A few of her stained glass pieces are over the
front door of the Museum on Main and in a local church. Margene painted
the mural at the back of the Pleasanton City Hall Council Chamber, a venture
of the Tulancingo Sister-City Project. She recently designed costumes for
the upcoming Children's Opera for
the Cantabella Childen’s Chorus and acts as a member of the Cantabella
Advisory Board. Margene designed the logo for PCAC and has donated her
artistic talents and vision to many worthwhile projects in Pleasanton
related to the arts. So there is good reason to honor her as "Art Supporter
of the Year."
Annual Awards Banquet
The annual Awards Banquet recognizes the Arts Supporter of the Year
and the winners of the Young
Artist Awards. The public is invited to join us at the
Awards Banquet. (Check back for date, time and location.)
Previous PCAC Arts Supporters of the Year
2009: Diane Wardin
Diane Wardin, long-time Pleasanton resident and Amador Valley High School
graduate, has served PCAC for more than twenty years, serving as Secretary,
Treasurer, and President.
Diane has given broad support to PCAC and the arts over the years — by
writing grants, selling tickets to events, supporting concerts, supervising
PCAC finances and insurance needs, guiding the organization through the
computer revolution and then promoting our quality website.
In recent years, Diane has been Chair or Co-Chair of PCAC's Arts in
the Schools grant program. She wrote grants — securing
funds in addition to what PCAC could provide — and she coordinated
the allocations of grant funds, often delivering checks personally to
schools. Diane was unswerving in her devotion
to provide arts enrichment opportunities for students of all Pleasanton
schools.
2008: Linda Ebright
Linda Ebright was recognized for her many years of effort in behalf of
the arts, both for her work for Pleasanton's Civic Arts Program and for
her support of the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council.
Linda's work for the Civic Arts School Concert Series brought music and
drama to thousands of school children. She has been a stalwart for years,
producing the Civic Arts Coffee House Events and coordinating ticket sales
for the Amador Theater.
For the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council, Linda had responsibility for
several programs, including the Arts in the Schools Program, the annual
concert, the awards dinner and grant writing. She has also served as PCAC
treasurer, vice president and president.
2007: Kirk Ridgeway
Though he never wrote poetry until age 42, Kirk Ridgeway is admired
in Pleasanton as the inspired poet who performs from the heart and memory,
not from a hand-held script. Impassioned in his commitment to the written
and spoken word and to his community, he has served as third Poet Laureate
of Pleasanton, championing the Century House readings, 2 years of workshops
for youths at the Pleasanton Library, many adult workshops — in and
out of town — and thrilling audiences with his performances at public
ceremonies. Of his accomplishments as Poet Laureate, what he cherished
most was working personally with poets and "the fire in the poetic
dialogue."
For the last five years, as co-chair of the annual Poetry,
Prose and Arts Festival, Kirk has helped shape this jointly sponsored
City of Pleasanton/PCAC event into a high quality literary and arts celebration
which has put Pleasanton on the literary map in Northern California.
Kirk presently serves on the Poet Laureate Selection Committee for the
city, continues to perform publicly, advises the city on literary matters
and supports the Tri-Valley Branch of the California Writers Club. His
leadership, dedication and networking skills in the poetic arts are unmatched
in the Pleasanton community. His forte: detailed planning, collaborative
leadership, hard work — and quality as
the prize! Kirk Ridgeway, indeed, deserves the title "Art Supporter
of the Year."
2006: Dave Wright
Dave Wright has supported the arts vigorously for many years. For 20 years
Dave created and managed the Las Positas College prose and poetry contests
and Spring Arts Festival Awards Ceremony open to the Tri-Valley communities.
Dave served for 5 years as chair of the Humanities and Arts at Las Positas
College. He also served for 10 years as President of the Yuki Teikei Haiku
Society of the U.S. and Canada, sponsoring two Haiku North America Conferences
at Las Positas College and ten conferences for haiku writers at Asilomar.
In addition, Dave helped found the Pleasanton Civic Arts Commission where,
as a founding commissioner, he promoted the City Arts Grants to be overseen
by the Civic Arts Commission, helped with the City Cultural Plan, worked
to create the successful City Poet Laureate Program and advocated for the
arts and arts facilities on the Bernal Property and downtown.
For the last 6 years Dave has served on the Pleasanton Cultural Arts Council
Board, serving as president for three years. He was co-founder of the Pleasanton
Poetry, Prose and Arts Festival, helped the PCAC Board increase
PCAC membership and its support of arts organizations in the community,
and created the Young Artist Achievement Awards.
Dave has supported quality concerts, the Arts-in-the-Schools Program, the
Firehouse Arts Center, the Pleasanton
Cultural Arts Foundation. He has written many arts grants and is editor
of "Arts in Season," the PCAC Newsletter.
2005: Rebecca Bruner
Rebecca has worked behind
the scenes for numerous PCAC events, including hosting receptions to support
local arts groups and organizing PCAC awards banquets. She serves on
the board of the Main Street Museum, a Pleasanton cultural icon which supports
the arts as well as preserving local history. Rebecca is chair of the Museum
Fundraising Committee and Chair of the Friends of Pleasanton Heritage Realty
Group, a small enclave of dedicated business people who have raised $30,000
for the Museum through Historic Home Strolls.
2004: Charlene Villella
Charlene was recognized
in 2004 for her work on behalf of the literary arts in Pleasanton. She
was Pleasanton's first Poet Laureate, and she has been the generating force
behind Pleasanton's annual Poetry, Prose &
Arts Festival. She was also
a major pillar of support for Across the River Writer's Roundtable.
2003:
Mark Anderson and Tamriko Siprashvili
The pianists Mark and Tamriko were awarded the 2003 PCAC Arts Supporter
Award in appreciation for their participation in the annual benefit concert
for support of the PCAC Arts in the Schools program. Mark has given that
concert every year since 1992, and his wife, Tamriko, has joined him since
1994.
2002:
Charlotte
Severin
Charlotte was founding president
of PCAC and was chairperson of the 10-year renovation of the Amador Theater,
and she never gave up in spite of the difficulties. She started the Bicentennial
Community Band in 1975 (now the Pleasanton Community Concert Band). She
co-founded Community Television "CTV" and served as Board Chair for
20 years. She started the PCAC Arts in the Schools program, and she currently
co-chairs the fundraising committee for the Old Firehouse Theater and Galley
project. She also teaches watercolor at the Senior Center and in the schools,
coaching teachers in the teaching of watercolor.
2001:
Andy
Jorgensen
Andy is Civic Arts Manager for the City of Pleasanton. His visionary support
helped create a Civic Arts Commission. His Civic Arts Presents program
brings quality entertainment to the City. Because of his efforts, the city
co-sponsors the Mark Anderson and Tamriko Siprashvili
benefit concert in support of
funding for the PCAC Arts in the Schools Program.
Andy also served as founder, director, executive director, playwright,
and producer for Children's
Theater Workshop, which gave years of outstanding children's
theater productions.
2001: Bev
Hamlin
A special additional "Arts Angel Award" was given to Bev
for her tireless support to the Livermore Amador
Symphony, the children's
downtown window decorating, chairing the "Taste of the Valley" benefit
for the Pleasanton Volunteer Center, and for creating the "Bed Race" to
benefit Kaleidoscope for developmentally disabled young people.
2000: Darla
Stevens
Darla is the Executive Director of Community
Television "CTV." She founded and continued to direct this public-service
television station until her retirement in 2003. After beginning with a
little red wagon and one camera, the station has gone far under her direction.
It now has the sophisticated nightly news "580/680 News" and it supports
the arts with superb coverage of all events.
1999: Pleasanton
Community Concert Band
The award was given to its
director, Bob
Williams. The band was started in 1975 as the Bicentennial
Community Band, and Bob was a charter member. The band performs free at
all important civic events and is a great enhancement to the community.
1998: Renee and Bob
Lewis
Renee and Bob received the 1998 honor for founding Pleasanton
Playhouse and for producing
years of outstanding musicals. They performed in the Amador Theater while
it was undergoing renovation, and they assisted with theatrical advice
and with the donation of theater lighting.
1997: Phyllis Wentworth
Phyllis was
given the honor for her years of dedication to the arts. She co-sponsored
the "Holiday Reflections" fund-raising ball at Stoneridge Mall to
raise funds for a renovation of the Amador Theater. She also encouraged
the Taubman donation of two of Pleasanton's first public art pieces: "Yak"
and "Sing
a Song of Sixpence."
She also co-chaired the Amador Theater renovation.
1996: Janet Armentrout
Janet is
editor of the Independent newspaper, which gives outstanding
coverage to the arts, with photographs and feature articles.
1995:
Roberta
Seabury
Roberta was the first recipient of the Arts
Supporter of the Year Award in
recognition of her articles in the Valley Times covering arts
events in the Tri-Valley area.