Piedmont Arts Honors Supporters with Clyde Hooker Award

2014 Clyde Hooker Award winner Kay Ascough Smith’s son William Smith;
Kay Smith’s husband Frank Smith; Kay Smith’s daughter Julie Klingman;
winner Julie Ascough Work; David Stone, founder and president Solid Stone
Fabrics; and Piedmont Arts  Executive Director Kathy Rogers.

On June 9, Piedmont Arts presented Kathryn Ascough Smith, Julia Ascough Work and Solid Stone Fabrics with the 2014 Clyde Hooker Award at a special reception at the museum.

Sisters, Kathryn "Kay" Smith and Julia "Julie" Work have been supporters of Piedmont Arts since 1981, when the descendants of the Schottland family deeded their grandparents’ home, The Historic Schottland House, to the organization for the creation of a new art museum. 

Kay Smith, who passed away in March of this year, was co-chair of the Piedmont Arts' Shared Vision Capital Campaign in the 1990s, which enabled the museum to add state-of-the-art galleries, a performance hall, classroom space and a full-service kitchen to the original house. Kay was an ardent supporter of the arts and during her lifetime served on Piedmont Arts' Board of Directors, education committee and special events committee.

2014 Clyde Hooker Award winner Kay Ascough Smith’s son William Smith
and husband Frank Smith

Although she now lives in Dallas, TX, Julie Work continues her support for Piedmont Arts by attending events and through monetary donations for performances, including Richmond Ballet and Virginia Symphony Orchestra. In 2007, Work endowed Piedmont Arts with funds for the Harold Knowlton Work Memorial Scholarship, which provides scholarships for rising college sophomores, juniors and seniors who are pursuing a degree in the fine arts. The Work Scholarship is named in memory of Julie's husband who was a life-long supporter of the arts. In the past seven years, the Work Scholarship has benefited nearly a dozen students from Martinsville-Henry County.

Julie work accepts the 2014 Clyde Hooker Award at Piedmont Arts.

Since it opened in 2003, Solid Stone Fabrics has been an active supporter of arts and culture in Martinsville-Henry County. Founder and company president David Stone has served as president of Piedmont Arts' Board of Directors and oversaw the museum's strategic planning process. In 2014–2015, Stone will serve on the museum's board as treasurer. Solid Stone Fabrics has made numerous gifts to Piedmont Arts which display the company’s generosity and talent, including a red carpet for the museum's bi-annual fundraiser, Dancing for the Arts, backdrops displaying the Dancing for the Arts logo and banners for Piedmont Arts' 50th Anniversary gala.
“People like Kay Smith and Julie Work and the corporate support of companies like Solid Stone Fabrics enable Piedmont Arts to continue its legacy of bringing high-quality arts programming to Martinsville-Henry County,” said Executive Director Kathy Rogers. “We are so pleased to be able to spotlight their support of the arts through the Clyde Hooker Award."

(L–R) Harold Knowlton Work Memorial Scholarship recipients Byron Carter and Haley Ferguson with Nicodemus Hufford MemorialScholarship recipient, Cody McVey. 

In addition to the recipients of the Clyde Hooker Award, the reception also recognized the museum's scholarship and Arts In Education Award recipients.

Nicodemus Hufford Memorial Scholarship recipient:

• Cody McVey of Martinsville ($1,500)

Harold Knowlton Work Memorial Scholarship recipients:

• Damaris Dailey of Ridgeway, music therapy major at Radford University   

  ($1,000)

• Haley Ferguson of Ridgeway, visual arts major at Virginia Commonwealth University ($1,000)

• Rebecca Moore of Martinsville, vocal performance major at Salem College 

  ($300)

• Mariah Shaffer of Magna Vista, attending School of Art, Design and Art History at James Madison University ($500)

• Byron Carter of Martinsville, music performance major at North Carolina A&T 

  ($1,500)

Arts in Education Award recipients:

• Cameron Cooper, 5th grade teacher at Patrick Henry Elementary

• Ama Waller, 5th grade teacher at Patrick Henry Elementary

• Gracie Agnew, Principal of Magna Vista High School

About the Clyde Hooker Awards

The Clyde Hooker Award was created by Piedmont Arts’ board of directors in 2003 and is named for J. Clyde Hooker, Jr. in grateful appreciation of his generous support of the arts and culture in Martinsville and Henry County.

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