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For Immediate Release
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
L/A ARTS PRESENTS FIRST MINERVA AWARD TO PATRICK DEMPSEY
photo credit: Daniel J. Marquis
LEWISTON, MAINE - Lewiston Auburn may not be quite as flashy as its west
coast counterpart, but on Saturday, Oct 4 the Local Arts Agency, L/A Arts,
awarded its own recognition of excellence, The Minerva Award, to a
performing artist who has ties to both LA (east) and LA (west) - actor
and philanthropist Patrick Dempsey.
Founded in 1973 and
awarded Local Arts Agency status in 1995, L/A Arts mission is to integrate
the arts into the fabric of life in the community served. Within the last
five years alone L/A Arts has maintained and expanded arts programming in
schools, opened the doors on at least four new visual arts spaces
including Gallery 5 where the award ceremony was held, provided free arts
events for all to enjoy, brought big name concerts and theatre to the
region, promoted the the region as a viable cultural destination and,
within the last couple of months, created a new intimate venue downtown,
The DownStage at L/A Arts, where new arts initiative will be encouraged
and shared! The Minerva Award can be seen, not only as a new initiative
that recognizes the power of the arts, but more importantly a summation of
all that the non-profit, grass roots organization values.
Named after the Greek
Goddess for the Arts and Sciences, The Minerva Award was conceived in
February 2009. The nomination guidelines read, "The award will be given
annually to an individual or group that has utilized the power of the arts
to enrich and enhance the lives of those in the community."
photo credit: Daniel J. Marquis
The inaugural year's
Award Committee, while charged with seeking out nominees to meet the
guidelines, also sought a candidate who would confer a significant launch
for the Minerva Award, a nominee who would establish a tradition of
excellence from the beginning and one to which succeeding recipients would
be proud to cite.
photo credit: Daniel J. Marquis
With this in mind, L/A
Arts was delighted to invite Patrick Dempsey to the organization's main
Gallery last Saturday, which coincidentally is currently displaying the
RiverWays exhibit (artwork depicting the actors hometown environs), and
present him with the very first Minerva Award, in consideration of his
tireless efforts to improve the care of cancer patients in the greater
Lewiston Auburn area through his financial commitment, energy, and
donation of his ‘household’ name to the founding and subsequent success of
The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing as well as The
Dempsey Challenge.
# # #
Digital Images:
(top image)
Patrick Dempsey accepts L/A Arts first annual Minerva Award
in consideration of his tireless efforts to improve the
care of cancer patients in the greater Lewiston Auburn area through his
financial commitment, energy, and donation of his ‘household’ name to the
founding and subsequent success of The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer
Hope and Healing as well as The Dempsey Challenge.
left to right: Cheri Donahue (L/A Arts
Marketing Director), Sandy Marquis (L/A Arts Board Chair), Patrick Dempsey
(Minerva Award Recipient 2009). photo
credit: Daniel J. Marquis
(bottom image) L/A Arts Board of Directors and
Staff pose with Minerva Award Recipient Patrick Dempsey at the initial
presentation of the arts award at L/A Arts Gallery 5 on October 4.
photo credit: Daniel J. Marquis
left to right: Jan Marston, Pauline Taylor
(Vice-Chair), Sandy Marquis (Chair), Andrew Harris (Executive Director),
Patrick Dempsey, Cheri Donahue (Marketing Director), MJ King (Treasurer),
Jeanelle Demers (L/A Arts Gallery 5 Curator), Penny Drumm, (Business
Manager). photo credit: Daniel J. Marquis
back to Minerva Award page |
