Piedmont Arts Receives Dominion ArtStars Award

Virginians for the Arts (VFTA) announced today that Piedmont Arts is a recipient of a Donimion ArtStars Award. The awards recognize two arts organizations in each of the five regions of the Commonwealth that best demonstrate the ability to enhance communities, lift our spirits and build a better quality of life. The awards are made possible by a $30,000 contribution from The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources.

“We are honored to join with VFTA in recognizing the Commonwealth’s best,” said Virginia M. Board, president of The Dominion Foundation. “We value and appreciate the efforts of each organization to enrich our lives and strengthen our communities.”

The ArtStars Shining Star Award is bestowed upon an arts organization in each region that has an extraordinary impact on the community, successfully develops community partnerships, as well as business, legislative, and local community support; contributes to K-12 education; and that has stood the “test of time.”

Nominated by Senator Roscoe Reynolds, Piedmont Arts was chosen for this award because of their 50-year history of providing ongoing enrichment of the lives of the people of Martinsville, Henry County and the surrounding area, through positive exposure, education and experiences in the visual and performing arts. Through these efforts, Piedmont Arts contributes to the economic, educational and cultural vitality of the region. ArtStars judges called Piedmont Arts a “model of the arts in creating a cohesive community.”

Other organizations to receive the Shining Star Award include the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, the Richmond Symphony, Signature Theatre in Arlington and the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton.

An additional five organizations were recipients of The Rising Star Award, which is presented to an arts organization in each region that meets all of the criteria for the Shining Star Award, but that is not as well established.

Through the generosity of Dominion, cash prizes of $5,000 for each Shining Star and $1,000 for each Rising Star will be distributed to the winners at upcoming celebration events being held in each region. Winners also will be recognized at the January 2012 ArtWorks conference in Richmond.

Expecting about 60 nominations for the awards contest, VFTA received 99, which were carefully evaluated over the summer by a top-notch panel of judges from around the Commonwealth. “We couldn’t be more pleased with this inaugural awards program,” said Suny Monk, VFTA president. “The competition was fierce as each organization brings a unique and worthwhile arts program to these communities, and in the end, the judges had to make some very difficult choices.”

Dominion, a longtime supporter of the arts in Virginia, has agreed to fund the ArtStars initiative for one additional cycle over the next two to three years.

For a complete list of winners by region, click here.