ArtsQuest 2024 Linny Award Recipients
Laurie Hackett, Bethlehem
Philanthropy in the Arts Award
The Philanthropy in the Arts 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, and through their work has truly enhanced access to the arts and the quality of life in our region. Laurie Hackett is Air Products’ Director of Corporate and Community Relations, where she works to advance the company’s mission and strengthen its communities. Passionate about supporting the arts, she champions organizations like ArtsQuest and highlights the work of Lehigh Valley nonprofit leaders on her NPR podcast. She serves as vice chair of the boards of Miller-Keystone Blood Center, Century Promise, and the Lehigh Valley Chamber and is an active board member of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Valley Youth House, Greater Easton Development Partnership, United Way and other nonprofit organizations. She served as the first solo Chair of the 2022 United Way Campaign and raised a record $19.7 million for the Lehigh Valley community. Laurie is the grateful recipient of the United Way Betsy Torrence Philanthropist of the Year Award, Chamber Athena Award, and Girl Scouts Take the Lead Honor.
Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, Lehigh Valley
Business Supporter of the Arts Award
The Business Supporter of the Arts Award is presented annually to an area business for their dedication and support of arts and culture in the region for five or more years. The award is given to businesses that have a presence in or do the majority of their business in the region. Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, founded by John Walson, Sr. in 1948, pioneered cable television with the nation’s first community antenna system. Now under the leadership of John M. Walson, the third generation of the Walson family, the company continues its legacy of technological innovation and community support in the Lehigh Valley. Its television production arm, the Service Electric Network (SEN), covers everything from high school sports to professional hockey, Musikfest, and other community events. As the exclusive TV provider for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Phantoms, and more, Service Electric also supports numerous nonprofits while showcasing local stories on its flagship program, Lehigh Valley Sports Scene.
Anthony Smith, Jr., Allentown
Visual Artist of the Year Award
This award honors a Greater Lehigh Valley visual artist whose work embodies excellence in its field. This category includes but is not limited to 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. Anthony Smith Jr. holds a B.A. in Fine Arts from Amherst College and an M.F.A. in Painting from the University of Michigan. His work has been exhibited nationally, including in the “Mighty Real/Queer Detroit Exhibit” (2022) and at the David Driskell Center, as well as regionally at the Bethlehem House Gallery and Moravian University’s Payne Gallery. Smith has been an artist-in-residence at esteemed programs like the MacDowell Residency (2023) and the Banana Factory Art Center, where he has maintained a studio since 2014. Currently teaching at Kutztown University, he resides in Allentown, PA, and continues to engage in international art programs, such as recent residencies in Senegal and Scotland.
Dina Hall, Bethlehem
Performing Artist of the Year Award
This award recognizes a Greater Lehigh Valley performing artist whose work symbolizes excellence in its 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. Dina Hall, a lifelong vocalist and self-taught guitarist, relocated to Bethlehem in 2000, where she honed her craft through busking, hosting open mics, and volunteering as a WDIY radio programmer. She began songwriting in her 30s, releasing her debut album, Logic and the Heart, in 2011 and her sophomore album, Firefly, in 2023, featuring collaborations with regional musicians and produced at Red Rock Recording Studio. Over the past 25 years, Dina has produced community concerts, performed at activism rallies, PRIDE events, and Musikfest, while also creating initiatives like the Flex: Adapt with Intent webcast and the Songwriters-in-the-Round concert series. She has shared the stage with notable artists such as KT Tunstall, Joan Osborne, and John Gorka, maintaining a full-time performing schedule across the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Sammy Wendland, Easton
Student Art Scholarship Award
The Student Artist Scholarship Award, in the amount of $2,500, will be presented to one student in the region who demonstrates significant talent and promise in the visual, literary or performing arts and is looking to pursue a degree in arts, art therapy, arts education or arts administration. High school juniors to seniors are eligible for this award. Sammy Wendland, a freshman at Kutztown University, plans to double major in Fine Arts and Biology with aspirations of pursuing a career in Medical Illustration. Her vibrant, Art Nouveau-inspired artwork explores themes of growing up and life’s “in-betweens,” drawing inspiration from her personal experiences. Working across various mediums, including oil paint, colored pencil, graphite, and digital art, Sammy has earned regional recognition with 16 Gold and 7 Silver Scholastic Keys. Known online as “sikeitssammy,” she shares her creative journey on TikTok and Instagram, aiming to evoke nostalgia and foster a sense of community through her art.
Daniel Zettlemoyer, Bethlehem
Arts Educator of the Year Award
This award is dedicated to a Greater 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. Daniel E. Zettlemoyer is the instrumental music director at Nitschmann Middle School, where he conducts multiple ensembles, teaches instrumental lessons, and has led student performances at notable events like Phillies games and the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. A graduate of Liberty High School, he earned his Music Education degree from West Chester University and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Wilkes University. Throughout his career, he has taught in various schools, directed award-winning bands, and performed with prestigious ensembles such as the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps and the Allentown Band. Mr. Zettlemoyer believes that music education offers students an emotional outlet, improves their cognitive skills, and provides them with a community of friends on which they can rely. “I love teaching music because music is expression, music is community, music is life.”
Lilly Moss, Bethlehem
Emerging Artist of the Year Award
The Emerging Artist honor celebrates 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. Lilly Moss, a rising singer-songwriter from Bethlehem, PA, discovered her passion for music in sixth grade, started writing songs at 16, and performed live for the first time at 17. In 2023, she released original songs produced by Grammy-nominated Dan Malsch, garnering over half a million streams and placement on prominent playlists. Her upcoming debut country album, Meet Me on Broadway, features singles like “Heartbreak Summer,” which landed on Spotify’s “All New Country” playlist. A pediatric cancer survivor, Lilly uses her music and art to support charitable causes, performing at events like the Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s Hearts of Gold Gala and co-hosting the Dream Come True Telethon, all while pursuing a degree in government and law at Lafayette College.
Roger & Dawn Cressman, Bethlehem
Volunteer of the Year Award
This award recognizes an 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. Dawn and Roger Cressman have been dedicated volunteers for ArtsQuest for over 30 years, beginning with pouring beer at Musikfest and expanding their roles to events like Oktoberfest, Christkindlmarkt, and SangriaFest. Roger has served on the Performing Arts Committee since 2012, joined the Musikfest Staging Team in 2014, and became a Performing Arts Board member in 2024, leveraging his flexible schedule as a Realtor to support various events. Dawn, a paraeducator in special education, has been a Stage Manager at Musikfest, poured beer at Oktoberfest since its inception, and served as an usher, while also joining the Levitt Pavilion Board of Directors. Both are long-time ArtsQuest Members, known for their generous donations and hands-on commitment to fostering the arts in their community.
Jeff Parks, Bethlehem
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates and honors those who have given 25 or more years of service to the arts. It is because of their commitment, dedication, and/or support of the arts that the Greater Lehigh Valley’s art community thrives. This award is open to artists or philanthropists whose work symbolizes the highest level of excellence, commitment and achievement. Jeffrey A. Parks is an attorney, author, and social entrepreneur renowned for leveraging arts strategies to foster community and economic development. He founded Musikfest, a free music festival in Bethlehem, PA, to revitalize the downtown area, which has since grown into a non-profit agency attracting a million guests annually. As the founder of ArtsQuest, Parks oversaw initiatives like Christkindlmarkt, the Banana Factory Arts Center, and the $90 million SteelStacks Arts & Culture Campus, transforming the city’s tourism and cultural landscape. After retiring as Chief Quest Officer in 2015, Parks became an advocate for the role of arts in community development and authored Stronger than Steel, detailing Bethlehem’s revitalization. He chaired the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (2016–2024), where he launched the Creative Communities Initiative to integrate arts into community development projects. Parks is now Chief Operating Officer of Alibi Music, LP, managing its global music publishing operations while working alongside his son, who founded the business.
