Amanda Mansfield, the Jefferson Center, and Maury Strauss have been honored with this year’s Perry F. Kendig Arts and Culture Awards.
The awards were presented during an event at Hollins University’s Wyndham Robertson Library on September 12.
Co-sponsored by Hollins University and Roanoke College, the Kendig Awards program has recognized distinction in arts and culture in the Roanoke Valley for more than 30 years. Awards are presented in each of the following categories: Individual Artist, Arts and Cultural Organization, and Individual or Business Arts Supporter. Hollins President Pareena Lawrence and Roanoke College President Mike Maxey hosted this year’s awards ceremony.
Amanda Mansfield, this year’s Individual Artist award recipient, has made a major impact on the Roanoke theater scene for more than 12 years. She has performed for numerous production companies in the area, and has led successful program development and fundraising efforts for Roanoke Children’s Theatre, Center in the Square and Mill Mountain Theatre. She was responsible for significant increases in the annual operating budgets for all three organizations.
The Jefferson Center, a premier performance venue, educational hub, and center for community life, received the Kendig Award in the Arts and Cultural Organization category. In addition to hosting world-renowned concerts and other events, the Jefferson Center is home to more than 15 regional nonprofits and small businesses, providing an environment that encourages innovative partnerships. Its Music Lab program, which offers music education to students of all ages, is a nationally recognized model for arts education beyond the classroom.
Maury Strauss was presented the Kendig Award in the Individual or Business Arts Supporter category. His support of and dedication to arts and culture in Roanoke spans a broad spectrum, including the Taubman Museum of Art, the Jefferson Center, Roanoke Children’s Theatre (which he helped establish), Opera Roanoke, Temple Emanuel, Mill Mountain Theatre, Virginia Western Community College, and many other organizations. Through his generosity, the Taubman has created the Sheila and Maury L. Strauss Art Venture Endowment.
Named for the late Perry F. Kendig, who served as president of Roanoke College and was an avid supporter and patron of the arts, the Kendig Awards program was established in 1985 and presented annually by the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge through 2012. Hollins and Roanoke College first partnered the following year to bestow the honors. Congratulations to the 2018 winners.
