Complimentary Tickets are limited and are available on a first come, first serve basis. To reserve tickets, please contact: ASF Box Office at 334-271-5353 or the Alabama State Council on the Arts at 334-242-4076.
MONTGOMERY– The Alabama State Council on the Arts will honor seven outstanding Alabamians at the Celebration of the Arts awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. The event will take place at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, located at 1 Festival Drive, Montgomery. A reception will immediately follow the awards ceremony in the lobby of the theatre. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations and tickets are required.
The Council’s “Celebration of the Arts” award program shines a spotlight on the arts in Alabama and individuals who have made important contributions to our state’s rich
Al Head, Executive Director Alabama State Council On The Arts
cultural landscape. Al Head, Executive Director of the Council stated, “These individuals represent the scope and breadth of artistic diversity, talent, leadership and generosity that is an integral part of the cultural landscape of Alabama.”
The 2015 edition of “Celebration of the Arts” highlights the work of a legend in the music recording industry, a world famous and award winning author, two major patrons and community leaders in the arts, a much beloved traditional musician and a nationally respected choral director, instructor and critically acclaimed vocalist. This year’s recipients are:
Theresa Harper Bruno, Birmingham – Jonnie Dee Riley Little Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Everett McCorvey, Montgomery/Louisville, KY – Alabama’s Distinguished Artist Award
Rick Hall, Florence/Muscle Shoals – Governor’s Arts Award
Mack Gibson, Troy – Governor’s Arts Award
Winston Groom, Mobile/Point Clear – Governor’s Arts Award
Herb Trotman, Birmingham – The Alabama Folk Heritage Award
Jim Hudson, Huntsville – The Special Council Legacy Award
In offering his congratulations to this year’s recipients Governor Robert Bentley noted, “The arts make our state a better place to live for all citizens. They play an important role in our economic development efforts, in our enhancement of education both for in-school students and in the process of life-long learning, in stimulating community revitalization and in efforts to promote cultural tourism. I have also had the opportunity to witness how the arts help us celebrate our cultural diversity and time-honored traditions in Alabama.”
Rick Hall
2015 Governor’s Arts Award recipient is Rick Hall. Hall is a record producer, songwriter, music publisher and musician who is best known as the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Hall’s life and career were profiled in the 2013 documentary film Muscle Shoals.
Hall’s earliest successes include co-writing songs with Billy Sherrill and co-founding a music publishing company known as Florence Alabama Music Enterprises or FAME. When the partnership dissolved, Hall obtained all rights to the FAME Studios and expanded it with a new studio band, which came to be known as the Muscle Shoals sound. In 1966, Hall helped license Percy Sledge’s When a Man Loves a Woman, to the Atlantic Records label. This led to Atlantic Records sending musicians on a regular basis to Hall’s Muscle Shoals studio to record. Hall produced hits for Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Otis Redding among others. Hall gained a reputation as a white Southern record producer who could consistently produce hits with black Southern soul singers.
In the early 70s, Hall turned his attention from soul music towards mainstream pop, producing hits for The Osmonds, Paul Anka, Tom Jones, among others. In 1971, he was named Billboard Producer of the Year, the year after having been nominated for a Grammy in the same category. Later in the decade Hall moved back towards country music, producing hits for Mac Davis, Bobbie Gentry, Jerry Reed and the Gatlin Brothers. In 2014, Hall received a Trustees Award Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Rick Hall is internationally known and respected as a “legend” in the music recording industry.
Jim Hudson DirectorHudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville.
The Special Council Legacy Award recipient is Jim Hudson of Huntsville. Hudson is co-chairman of the board of directors of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville. The non-profit research institute uses biotechnology to improve human health, stimulate economic development and inspire Alabama’s youth to seek careers in science. He also serves as vice president of CityScapes LLC, a company focused on downtown revitalization projects, particularly those appealing strongly to young professionals.
Hudson is a passionate advocate for local arts and entertainment. In 2001 he purchased Lowe Mill — originally a textile mill– and gave new life to what was Huntsville’s first suburb. Lowe Mill supports a diverse community of artisans and businesses dedicated to the free expression of the arts. The venue features several entertainment and exhibition events each month, as well as nearly 100 individual studios where the public is encouraged to interact with the artists. Lowe Mill serves as a state and national model for adaptive reuse of an old structure as a multi-purpose arts center. Lowe Mill is now the largest multi-discipline arts center in the United States. Jim Hudson is a perfect example of private sector leadership creating an innovative public use facility serving artists and an expansive diverse audience.
MEDIA RELEASE/ALABAMA STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS
