St. Louis Arts Awards
The 630 attendees of the 17th Annual St. Louis Arts Awards ended their work day on January 28th with a dazzling celebration of the arts as the Arts and Education Council presented the 2008 St. Louis Arts Awards. Each year the Arts and Education Council honors those who make the arts in St. Louis truly special. And this year was no exception. Event Chairs, Cary Hobbs, Senior VP–Strategy & Business Implementation at Centene Corporation and Bill Donius, Chairman and CEO of Pulaski Bank announced the event raised $400,000 for the arts.
Our sponsors helped make this evening possible. The 2008 St. Louis Arts Awards PRINCIPAL SPONSORS were
The Boeing Company and Edward Jones
A complete list of 2008 sponsors is below.
The 2008 St. Louis Arts Awards Honorees
Front row: Gyo Obata, Mary Ann Lee, David Balding, Linda Packard
Back row: Tom Minogue of Thompson Coburn LLP, Gerald Early, Jack Lane and Craig Conway of STAGES ST. LOUIS
The 2008 Honorees - The St. Louis Arts Awards have been presented since 1992 to honor groups and individuals who are integral to the success of the arts in our community and make St. Louis a unique arts community. This year’s honorees are especially representative of the diversity and variety of the arts in St. Louis.
Lifetime Achievement in the Arts - GYO OBATA
A world-renown architect whose career in architectural design has spanned the globe over 50 years
Excellence in Philanthropy - MARY ANN LEE
An enthusiastic and committed board member and supporter of numerous arts organizations
Excellence in the Arts
IVOR DAVID BALDING – The founder and artistic director of Circus Flora, St. Louis’ very own “theater under a big-top tent”
GERALD EARLY – A noted essayist and American culture critic, Mr. Early is the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University
STAGES ST. LOUIS – A professional musical theatre company dedicated to performance and devoted to education and outreach through its Performing Arts Academy and Access the Arts program
Corporate Support of the Arts - THOMPSON COBURN LLP
A law firm dedicated to the support of the arts through volunteerism and philanthropy
Art Educator of the Year - LINDA PACKARD
An art teacher at Reed Elementary School in the Ladue School District
The Carolbeth True Trio provided entertainment during the cocktail hour. Jim Connett of Classic99 was the emcee for the evening.
Program entertainment included Dwayne Estes on the Calliope, Mardra Thomas accompanied by Phil Dunlap, Sasha NevidonskI, Tino Wallenda and daughter Aurelia and TeamSTAGES.

Click here to read more about the 2008 event.
View Blacktie St. Louis photos by clicking here.
To see a complete list of past St. Louis Arts Awards Recipients, click here.
2008 ST. LOUIS ARTS AWARDS SPONSORS
PRINCIPAL SPONSORS
Boeing and Edward Jones
AWARD SPONSORS
Brown Shoe Company, Inc./Charter Communications, Centene Corporation, Emerson, Nancy and Ken Kranzberg, Monsanto Fund, Boeing, Edward Jones
COCKTAIL RECEPTION SPONSOR
Pulaski Bank
MAJOR BENEFACTORS
Ameren Corporation, AT&T, Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, Fox Associates Foundation, HOK, Macy’s, Thompson Coburn LLP
BENEFACTORS
Bryan Cave LLP, Fifth Third Bank, Hunter Engineering Company, KWMU 90.7, Laclede Gas, Lumiere Place, Novus International, Inc., Michael and Carol Staenberg in conjunction with THF Realty, Washington University in Saint Louis, Webster University
HONOREES LUNCHEON SPONSOR
The Regional Business Council
TABLE SPONSORS
Arch Coal Foundation, BJC HealthCare, Centene Corporation, Circus Flora, Classic99 KFUO-FM,
Community Music School of Webster University, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Grand Center, Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation, HOK, Jazz St. Louis, Jack Lane, Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts, Sanford and Priscilla McDonnell, Kimball and Lisa McMullin, Nestle Purina, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, RubinBrown LLP, Sachs Properties, Inc., Saint Louis Art Museum, Springboard to Learning & Young Audiences of St. Louis, St. Louis Rams, Switch, The Center for the Humanities at Washington University in St. Louis, UMB Bank, University of Missouri – St. Louis, U.S. Bank.
St. Louis Arts Awards Past Recipients |
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Excellence in the Arts |
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Lifetime Achievement in the Arts |
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Leonard Slatkin, Robert McFerrin and |
1992 |
Evelyn Newman |
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Colin Graham, Steven Woolf and Katherine Dunham |
1993 |
Joseph Pulitzer |
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Arthur Osver, Henry Townsend, Mona Van Duyn and Jarvis Thurston |
1994 |
Katherine G. Wells and Ben H. Wells |
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John Kendall, Robert Orchard and |
1995 |
Margaret Grigg |
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Heikki Seppa, William Gass and Josephine Throdahl |
1996 |
Dr. Leigh Gerdine |
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Ethelyn Sparfield and Jane Sauer |
1997 |
Margie Wolcott May |
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Marita Woodruff, Annelise Mertz and |
1998 |
Judith Aronson, Ph.D. and Adam Aronson |
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Alexandra Zaharias, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack |
1999 |
Norman Goldberg |
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Charles MacKay, Ernest Trova and |
2000 |
Joanne Kohn |
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Dance St. Louis |
2001 |
Charles Guenther, Ruth Slencynska and Ron Himes |
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David Halen, Patrick Schuchard and |
2002 |
Emily Rauh Pulitzer |
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Johnnie Johnson, Peter Sargent and Agnes Wilcox |
2003 |
Alice Gerdine |
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Young Audiences of St. Louis and Willie Akins |
2004 |
Peter Bunce, Nancy & Ken Kranzberg |
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Reggie Thomas, Craft Alliance and |
2005 |
Priscilla McDonnell |
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Christine Brewer, Herb Drury and Jazz St. Louis |
2006 |
Joneal Joplin and Douglas Turpin |
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Susan Slaughter, Carolbeth True, |
2007 |
Mary Strauss |
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Excellence in Philanthropy |
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Corporate Support for the Arts |
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1997 |
E. Desmond Lee |
1992 |
Southwestern Bell Corporation |
2002 |
Lucy & Stanley Lopata |
1993 |
Union Electric Company |
2003 |
Whitaker Foundation |
1994 |
The May Department Stores Company |
2004 |
Marilyn & Sam Fox |
1995 |
Emerson |
2005 |
Alison and John Ferring |
1996 |
Mark Twain Banks |
2006 |
Anabeth and John Weil |
1997 |
Monsanto Fund |
2007 |
Sally S. Levy |
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Art Educator of the Year |
1998 |
Edward Jones |
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Kemara Skinner, Soldan Intl. Studies H.S., St. Louis |
1999 |
Commerce Bank & William T. Kemper Fnd. |
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Suzanne Bushey, Ames Visual & Perf. Elementary |
2000 |
UMB Bank, N.A. |
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Gary Lang, Seckman High School, Fox |
2001 |
Maritz Inc. |
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Fredrick J. Nelson, MICDS |
2002 |
Bank of America |
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Sr. Gail Buckman, St. Gabriel the Archangel |
2003 |
The Boeing Company |
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Mary Eichenberger, Ferguson-Florissant |
2004 |
Anheuser-Busch Companies |
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Jan Davis, PhD., Ferguson-Florissant |
2005 |
Centene Corporation |
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Joseph Schulte, SLUH |
2006 |
Sachs Properties |
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Sr. Gabriel Mary Hoare, SL, Nerinx Hall High School |
2007 |
Brown Shoe |
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Young Artist of the Year |
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2002 |
Melanie Hadley |
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