CECA seeking Ovation Awards nominations
Nominations are being sought for the 2019 Ovation Awards, presented by the Advisory Board of the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts (CECA, or “seek-ah”). The Ovation Awards will take place on Sunday, March 31, at 2 p.m. in the George and Sharon Mabry Concert Hall on the campus of Austin Peay State University. The awards will follow last year’s successful format, a showcase-style event featuring collaborative performances from both APSU and community arts groups.
The Ovation Awards recognize an individual’s or group’s dedication to building and sustaining arts and culture in Montgomery County through active participation in the arts and/or support of the arts. The awards have been presented since 1996.
The nominees must have made significant contributions to the artistic and cultural life of the Clarksville-Montgomery County community. Anyone can submit nominations. Nominations will be accepted through Sunday, Feb. 10. To make a nomination online or to download a printable nomination form, visit www.apsu.edu/ceca/ovation. Nomination forms are also available at the Public Library, Customs House Museum and the Downtown Artists Cooperative and may be mailed to the address on the form.
The award categories in which nominations are sought are:
- Individual Artist: A living Tennessee artist, active in the field of literature, visual arts, performing arts, music, folk arts, architecture or design, who lives or has lived in Montgomery County.
- Community: A Clarksville-Montgomery County community organization or institution with an outstanding arts-based community program or project. Schools and the school district are not eligible in this category.
- Business: A business or corporation that has made a significant contribution to support arts and culture in Montgomery County. Government agencies are not eligible in this category.
- Young Artist: A high school junior or senior in Clarksville-Montgomery County who has shown exceptional dedication, skill and talent in the arts through student or community performances, exhibitions or publications. Category awards are visual arts, dance performance, theatre performance, instrumental music, vocal performance and creative writing. Winners in each category will receive a $75 cash prize. Winners in each category will also be strongly considered when applying for one of two annual $1,000 endowed arts scholarships at APSU, established by the CECA Advisory Board.
- New Category! Arts Educator: An exemplary K-12 teacher of any art form working full-time in Montgomery County who has made an exceptional impact on students and his/her school environment. The winner of the Arts Educator award will receive a cash prize of $100 and an additional $100 for his/her school arts program.
The Ovation Awards also include The George Mabry Award. Nominees for this honor come from the CECA Advisory Board. The Mabry Award recognizes a living Tennessean who has made a significant impact on arts and culture in Montgomery County through philanthropy, leadership or direct involvement, or a Tennessee individual who has advanced arts and culture through innovative work in creating or supporting the arts in Montgomery County. Past winners include Evans Harvill, Frank Lott, Anne Glass, Olen Bryant, David Alford, Joseph B. Trahern Jr., Joe Giles, Wade Bourne and Gregory Wolynec.
For more information on the nomination process or the Ovation Awards, contact CECA at 931-221-7876.