ArtsFairfax Awards Honors
Capital One Hall, Gary and Tina Mather,
Mark Brutsché, and Fall for the Book
Annual Event Raises Record $186K
Fairfax, VA (November 1, 2022) – On Friday, October 28, 2022, the ArtsFairfax Awards honored Capital One Hall with the Jinx Hazel Award, Gary and Tina Mather with the Philanthropy Award, Fall for the Book with the Innovation Award, and Mark Brutsché with the Achievement Award, raising a record of over $186,000 in support of ArtsFairfax’s services to arts and culture organizations and programs in Fairfax County.
“The ArtsFairfax Awards honor remarkable contributions to the lives of our citizens and the quality of life in our communities. This annual event demonstrates the support and appreciation of our leadership for the essential role that the arts play in Fairfax County,” said Scott Cryer, ArtsFairfax Chair of the Board of Directors.
“Each of our honorees has created ways for residents of Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church to access, participate, and immerse themselves in the arts, and we are so thankful to community stakeholders, including this year’s event sponsors, for their commitment to the arts,” added Linda S. Sullivan, ArtsFairfax President & CEO.
U.S. Congressman Gerry Connolly, a long-time champion of the arts, kicked off the ceremony commenting, “It’s so wonderful to see you all here and in such large numbers to support what we do here in Fairfax County through ArtsFairfax. For me, and I know for you, art is a form of self-expression by a community, and we need a lot more of it.”
Congressman Connolly was soon followed by Chairman Jeff McKay of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, who presented a County Proclamation with the Board’s earlier decision to declare October as Arts & Humanities Month in Fairfax County. Said Chairman McKay, “All the people who celebrate the arts build each other up and understand that this work is essential to our wellbeing. On behalf of the entire Board of Supervisors, we as Fairfax County will continue to be a strong partner not just in support of the arts but also in making sure the arts are contributors to our own public health.”
Punctuated with performances, the ArtsFairfax Awards was a lively event, beginning with “Extra! Extra!,” a musical number by Young Actors’ Theatre alumni Elisa Bartakke, Isabel Oliver, and Nicole Ollerhead in dedication to ArtsFairfax Achievement Award recipient Mark Brutsché, who for 40 years has inspired confidence and creativity for hundreds of young people through the theatre education program.
In honor of Fall for the Book, 2022 ArtsFairfax Innovation Award recipient, poet Sara Burnett recited via video her “Ethnic Arithmetic” from Seed Celestial with live dance interpretation by Nolan Eisenhauer, exemplifying how Fall for the Book uses different media and art forms to reimagine the traditional book festival and celebrate literary arts.
The luncheon playlist was thoughtfully curated by this year’s ArtsFairfax Philanthropy Award recipients, Gary and Tina Mather, whose love of fine art and music is matched by their shared belief that the arts are powerful tools to teach, heal, and transform.
County Executive Bryan J. Hill then took to the stage to announce Danielle Badra as the 2022-2024 Fairfax Poet Laureate, who plans to extend her love of poetry through community engagement at Fairfax County Parks locations.
Finally, in the venue’s soaring atrium, Capital One Hall was awarded the ArtsFairfax Jinx Hazel Award, the premier honor for an individual or organization that has made a significant and lasting impact in the County. Celebrated for bringing national and global talent to its venue, Capital One Hall is lauded for its partnership with the County to invite local arts and culture groups to use its stages. In the first season alone, more than 30 local nonprofit organizations benefited from Capital One Hall’s community arts use opportunity.
ArtsFairfax awardees received original paintings by Foon Sham, an internationally renowned artist most recognized for his wood sculptures seen throughout Fairfax and around the world.
“Reston Community Center is thrilled to be the Premier Sponsor of the ArtsFairfax Awards. We’re delighted so many organizations and businesses are joining us in supporting ArtsFairfax,” said Leila Gordon, Executive Director of Reston Community Center.
Lead Sponsors for the event are Dominion Energy, Federal Realty, McGuireWoods, and The Watermark Hotel.
Event Sponsors include Boston Properties, Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, Cooper Carry, Gupta Family Foundation, Shelly Hazel, HGA, Inova, Leidos, LF Jennings, Peterson Family Foundation, Reston Town Center Association, Sandy Spring Bank, Whiting-Turner, and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Table Sponsors include Jose Banzon and Michael Liberman; Suzanne Bissell and Julie Carter; The Bright Solutions; BSB; Clark Construction; Engineering Consulting Services; Hoar Construction; Fairfax County Economic Development Authority; Gensler; Macerich; Marian Perkins; and Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh.
About ArtsFairfax Awards
The ArtsFairfax Awards bring together business professionals, elected officials, and arts and community leaders to celebrate the extraordinary contributions of local artists, arts organizations, and the private sector. Honorees are celebrated at the annual ArtsFairfax Awards luncheon.
About ArtsFairfax
ArtsFairfax is the nonprofit designated as Fairfax County’s local arts agency. Dedicated to the belief that arts are essential to a thriving community, the ArtsFairfax mission is to expand support for and access to arts and culture opportunities for Fairfax County’s more than 1.2 million residents. By offering informational, financial, and programmatic services, ArtsFairfax promotes the role of arts and culture to deepen social engagement, create a sense of place, and fuel economic growth. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) since 1964, ArtsFairfax provides these services to all who contribute to and experience arts in Fairfax County, and is funded in part by the County, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as corporations, foundations, and individuals.
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