33rd Annual Mayor’s Awards for the Arts Recipients Announced!
By NewsPress Now
St. Joseph, Missouri — The 2024 Mayor’s Awards for the Arts celebrated 33 years as the awards were presented at the Allied Arts Council’s annual meeting on July 18, 2024. St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale spoke about the arts in St. Joseph as the ceremony began.
“St. Joseph is known for its outstanding programs of visual and performing arts, arts education, and advocacy, and as mayor, I am pleased to continue the Mayor’s Awards for the Arts. It’s only fitting that we recognize arts leaders in our community who work to bring arts and people together,” said Josendale.
Mayor Josendale then presented the awards to individuals and organizations in multiple categories for their dedication to the arts in the St. Joseph community.
Wanda Taylor was awarded Artist of the Year. She is an award-winning colored pencil artist who loves teaching color pencil techniques to others. She has taught classes for nearly 20 years at many venues including the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, Missouri Western State University and the Allied Arts Council’s Artscape summer camp. Her work is currently on exhibit at Northland Artists Gallery, the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art and Mosaic Life Care Art Experience Galleries.
Annie Bramlage received Arts Educator of the Year. She just completed her 25th year of teaching and is the Central High School Theater teacher where her classes are in high demand and students flock to performances. Her recent production of “Mean Girls the Musical” earned top awards including Outstanding Overall Production and Outstanding Technical Crew.
The award for Outstanding Volunteer went to longtime Saint Joseph Symphony volunteer Lori Boyer. Her contributions include running the will call desk at concerts, serving as the Symphony house captain at the Beer Walk for the Arts, leading the finance committee, and serving on the board of directors. She also serves as the treasurer of the David H. Morton Memorial Fund for the Arts Trustee Committee and leads that Committee’s Derby Fundraiser.
Youth Artist of the Year went to Ashlyn Ford who is an actress, singer and musician who has invested time and talents into the St. Joseph community for the past 11 years. She graduated from Central High School with Magna Cum Laude honors, National Honor Society honors, and Thespian honors, and was a member of the Student Government Leadership her senior year. She was named Female Thespian of the Year and was also a member of the New Generation Singers.
Sandy Burg was honored with the Individual Leadership award. She has served as Executive Director of Robidoux Resident Theatre for over 10 years, and her efforts have led to steady growth in the organization, enabling RRT to produce stage productions for performers of all ages, from theater camps for kids, to engaging plays at RRT’s own Ruby Theatre, to musical productions at the Missouri Theater, and to dedicated theater opportunities for the 50+ community.
The Organizational Achievement in the Arts award was given to the St. Joseph Community Chorus, which for the past two seasons has had extensive outreach and high-quality performances which highlight its dedication to fostering a love for choral music in the community. The collaborations with professional artists, local musicians, and regional bands, along with its robust performance schedule and outreach programs, underscore its impact and success.
The Mayor’s Awards for the Arts doesn’t always include a lifetime achievement award. It is an honor reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts community over the course of their careers. This year the Extraordinary Lifetime Achievement Award recipient was Teresa Fankhauser. Teresa served as Executive Director of the Allied Arts Council for 19 years. She brought to the St. Joseph community the downtown Sculpture Walk, Beer Walk for the Arts as a fundraiser for the Arts Fund, and helped with the creation of the Traffic Box Art. As she continued the mission of bringing arts and people together, she served as president of the Missouri Association of Community Arts Agencies and president of the Missouri Citizens for the Arts. Teresa emerged as a statewide leader in the non-profit arts sector and has brought about growth in all her arts endeavors.
