The Mobile Arts Council marked a milestone in September 2013, celebrating the tenth year of its Greater Mobile Art Awards with a ceremony honoring the artists, educators, organizations and volunteers who have shaped the region’s cultural life. For a decade, the awards have served as one of the primary ways Mobile’s creative community publicly recognizes the people working behind the scenes to keep local arts and culture thriving.
To mark the anniversary, organizers made a few changes to the usual format. Rather than presenting the awards in Cathedral Square during the September LoDa Artwalk, as has been customary in years past, the ceremony moved indoors to the 1927 Room next to the Saenger Theatre on Joachim Street. Organizers also scheduled the event two weeks ahead of its normal date so that it would not compete with Artwalk responsibilities for the honorees and other cultural figures in attendance.
The shift appeared to pay off. Turnout was strong, and many guests dressed more formally than is typical for an Artwalk evening. A saxophonist playing softly from an elevated corner of the room added to the atmosphere, giving the celebration an unusually polished, big-city feel for a gathering built around recognizing hometown talent.
Mobile Arts Council Executive Director Bob Burnett addressed the crowd from the podium, framing the evening as more than a formality. “These are the people that built our community and have made a huge difference in so many people’s lives,” Burnett told attendees, describing the awards as a small measure of thanks for individuals who have given part of themselves to enrich the community around them.
Mike McKee received the Artist Award for his work shaping the Mobile Theatre Guild into a company known for prioritizing quality over quantity, an approach reflected in the national recognition the guild has earned. McKee has also passed his passion for the stage on to students at Davidson and LeFlore high schools.
The Business Award went to the Crescent Theater, which has made an outsized impact on Mobile’s cultural scene in a relatively short time. Max Morey opened the arthouse-style cinema in 2008, giving the city a venue for independent film screenings, student projects and creative collaborations that might not otherwise have a home. The theater’s importance to the community was underscored when it needed an emergency infusion of cash for a costly technical upgrade and was able to raise $75,000 in just 11 days.
Lori Bilbrey-Vaghefi, honored with the Educator Award, has spent 25 years as a principal dancer with Mobile Ballet, but it was her work teaching others that earned her recognition. She has served as a dance specialist for Mobile County Public Schools and its magnet programs, in addition to her roles on the faculty of Southern Edge Dance Center and as artistic director of Project Mouvement in Art.
The Mobile Symphony Orchestra received the Organization Award, an honor organizers described as overdue given the orchestra’s 14 years as a steady presence in Mobile’s cultural scene and its record of bringing high-caliber musical talent to local audiences.
Dr. Thomas Rosandich was recognized with the Patron Award for his contributions through the United States Sports Academy, where the art collection he assembled has benefited both artists and art lovers in the community.
Dr. Dan Silver received the Volunteer Award for more than two decades of service to Mobile Chamber Music, an organization he has supported in nearly every capacity imaginable for more than half of its existence, driven largely by his love of the art form.
A new category, the Emerging Artist Award, went to Riley Brenes, recognized for a range of projects that includes his involvement with the Boys and Girls Clubs and his creation of a guerrilla gallery on Dauphin Street. Burnett specifically highlighted Brenes’ work connected to Mobile’s Christmas tornadoes, describing the emotional thanks Brenes received from survivors who said his work helped them process the disaster’s impact.
The evening’s largest ovation may have gone to Carmen Brown, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. For decades, Brown has been a fixture of Mobile’s cultural life, performing on stage with South of the Salt Line, introducing audiences to local artists and musicians on the radio, and volunteering and serving on the boards of numerous community organizations.
The physical awards themselves were glass bowls crafted by artist Rachel Wright, designed with patterns inspired by the wings found in nature.
Organizers noted the timing of the celebration felt especially meaningful, coming just days after a contentious mayoral election that had exposed real divisions in the community. For many in the room, an evening built around recognizing shared creative achievement served as a reminder of the connections that hold a community together, regardless of the disagreements that can surface during a heated election season.
The Greater Mobile Art Awards continue to serve as one of the clearest annual snapshots of who is driving Mobile’s arts scene forward, from established institutions like the Mobile Symphony Orchestra to individual volunteers and emerging artists just beginning to make their mark on the community.