ArtsQuest 2016 Linny Award Recipients

Steve Tobin, Quakertown
Lifetime Achievement Artist Award

This award celebrates an artist whose work in the arts symbolizes the highest level of excellence, commitment, and achievement in his/her field over a period of 20 years or more. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant, longtime contributions to the visual, literary, or performing arts. Tobin is a world-renowned sculpture who is perhaps best known for his Trinity Root, the large-scale sculpture placed at St. Paul’s Chapel in Lower Manhattan after the 9-11 attack.

Joe Brake, Bethlehem
Lifetime Achievement Volunteer Award

Each year, countless individuals throughout the region generously donate their time and talents to make a difference in arts organizations, arts programs, and scholastic art initiatives. This award recognizes one individual who has served in a volunteer leadership role in one or more arts organizations and whose hard work, dedication and passion for the arts have led to a significant difference for the organization(s) and our community. A longtime volunteer in the Lehigh Valley region, Brake has been involved with numerous community, arts, and cultural organizations for more than three decades.

Ann Roth, Bangor
Pinnacle of the Arts Award

Each year the Linny Awards Committee may, at its discretion, offer this prestigious award to an individual who has lived or currently resides in the Lehigh Valley and has achieved national or international distinction in the visual, literary, or performing arts. While the honoree may or may not be a resident of the Lehigh Valley, the individual will embody and recognize the importance that the Lehigh Valley has in nurturing the creative spirit. Roth is an Oscar, Tony and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award winning costume designer. She has worked on more than 100 movies and plays, including The Odd Couple, The Nance and Midnight Cowboy.

Paul Farr, Center Valley
Philanthropy in the Arts Award

This award recognizes an individual, family or foundation that has made a major commitment to supporting multiple arts and cultural organizations or programs in the region. Farr serves on the ArtsQuest Visual Arts Board and Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center Honorary Board, and he previously served on the Board for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and was its 2013 Campaign Chairman. In 2016, he and his wife, Kym, founded the Cesar Bourdon Memorial Fund through the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation to honor organizations or individuals dedicated to helping neighbors in Allentown’s inner city.

Concannon Miller, Bethlehem
Small Business Supporter of the Arts (under 100 employees)

This award is presented annually to a small business for dedication to and support of arts and culture in the region for five or more years. The award is given to a business that has a presence in, or does the majority of their business in, the region.

Embassy Bank, Bethlehem
Medium Business Supporter of the Arts (100-199 employees)

This award is presented annually to a medium business for dedication to and support of arts and culture in the region for five or more years. The award is given to a business that has a presence in, or does the majority of their business in, the region.

Air Products, Allentown
Large Business Supporter of the Arts (200 or more employees)

This award is presented annually to a large business for dedication to and support of arts and culture in the region for five or more years. The award is given to a business that has a presence in, or does the majority of their business in, the region.

Knoll, Inc., East Greenville
Excellence in Product Design

This award honors a Lehigh Valley-based business or corporation for the quality, innovativeness and creativity of its goods and products.

Jeremy Gipson, Orefield
Emerging Artist of the Year

This award honors an artist from 18 to 30 years of age who demonstrates excellence in his/her field. This award is designed to honor an up-and-coming artist or an artist who has had a breakthrough year, and through his or her work has contributed to the region’s culture and community in a very positive way. Gipson creates both visual art and music and was the winner of the inaugural ArtPop Lehigh Valley Scholastic Billboard Competition presented by Adams Outdoor Advertising in 2016.

Jordie Werner, Bethlehem
Penn State Lehigh Valley Scholarship Award

This $1,500 award goes to a high school junior or senior planning to pursue a career in arts administration. Werner is a senior at Liberty High School and a film/video producer. “We are very fortunate to have such an extraordinary array of highly talented artists in our region; however, it made the selection process very difficult,” says Jeffrey Parks, Executive Director of the ArtsQuest Foundation. “It was also a challenge to select only three businesses and one philanthropist, as we are extremely grateful to all those who continue to support the arts in the region.”

Denise Parker, Bethlehem
Arts Educator of the Year

This award is dedicated to a Lehigh Valley-based educator, teaching artist or arts administrator who has made a profound impact on students and/or the community through his or her work in the arts. This award is open to any individual working
with students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, or high school. Parker is the vocal music/choral director at Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem, teaching all 790 students there. She has been described as “deeply dedicated to her students and passionate about helping them create music.”

Vicki DaSilva, Allentown
Visual Artist of the Year

This award is for two- and three-dimensional visual arts such as painting, sculpture, digital, fiber, glass, ceramics, jewelry, metal, and photography, as well as designers of fashion, musical instruments, furniture, and other handcrafted works. DaSilva has been credited with the term “light graffiti” and was the first to use the medium as a solo art practice, as well as to create text-based work and work using fluorescent tube lamps as light painting tools.

Craig Thatcher, Coopersburg
Performing Artist of the Year

This award recognizes a Lehigh Valley performing artist whose work symbolizes excellence in his/her field. This category includes but is not limited to theater, film, dance and other forms of performance art, animation, comedy, music, as well as literary art, playwrights, and screenwriters. Thatcher is a renowned rock and blues musician who has toured across country and around the
globe, while also opening or performing with artists ranging from Roseanne Cash and Roger McGuinn to Jonny Lang and Ted Nugent.