The Annual OC Arts Awards is a benefit evening that recognizes & celebrates the arts organizations, artists, and arts patrons in the OC community whose significant contributions during the past year, or over the course of a lifetime, have notably impacted the arts in Orange County. This celebratory event brings together the entire arts community for an uplifting evening that includes an honoree and sponsor reception and dinner, an awards ceremony and an after-party for all guests.
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 22nd OC ARTS AWARDS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2022
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS OPEN!
Enjoy This Gallery of Images from the 2021 OC Arts Awards
Hover over image for caption, Click on image to view full-size. All pictures by Tony Lattimore Photography.
(Clockwise from bottom L): Brien Amspoker, Kirsten & Greg Springer, Sarah Little, John Fleming, Margaret Gates, Tommy Phillips, Ellen Breitman
(clockwise, from bottom L): Tom Rogers, Supervisor Katrina Foley, Judith Posnikoff, Dawn Reese, Stacey & Scott Fitzpatrick, Nick Anas, Sally Anderson
(from L): Doug & Lynn Freeman, Ling & Charlie Zhang, John Forsyte, David Dunford, Sherry & Ralph Opacic, Prana & Walter Yenkowsky
(from L): Jessica Guerrero, Chris Ahola, Karen Ahola, Co-Emcee & Performer Marleena Barber, Marc Barber, Todd Hanson
(seated, from L): Oreleda Azavedo, Karen Hanlon, Casey Long, Irene Klepp, Irene Samadoff (standing, from L): Alice Wong, Cheri Smetanka, Rick Smetanka
(from L): Representing Honoree FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy Mural - John Park, Julie Hunter, Meg Gullo, Chad Clanton, Yuval Borochov
(clockwise from bottom L): Elizabeth Stahr, Walter Stahr, Monica Guillena, Susan Hori, Bob Davis, Socorro Vasquez, Heidi Zuckerman, Meagan Burger
Anne Wareham, Dee Dee Irwin, Kathryn Burton-Gray, Glenn Gray, Veltria Roman, Ellen Richard, Denys Baker, Representing Honoree Laguna Playhouse
(Clockwise from Bottom L): Jan & Mark Hilbert, Julianne O’Brien Pedersen, David Pedersen, Cheryl & Giulio Ongaro, Supervisor Don Wagner, Megan Wagner
Representing Honorees Orange County Board of Supervisors, (from L): Jessica Guerrero, Supervisor Katrina Foley, Supervisor Don Wagner
(from L), Presenter Susan Hori, TBA, Parke Miller, John Park, Yuval Borochov, Meg Gullo, Chad Clanton - accepting on behalf of FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy Murals
(From L): Glenn Gray, Ellen Richard, Anne Wareham, representing Honoree Laguna Playhouse, and Presenter Rick Smetanka
Our 2021 Honorees
2021 HELENA MODJESKA CULTURAL LEGACY AWARD HONOREES

Jonelle Allen

Laguna Playhouse

Tom Titus
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PUBLIC ART

Flight at Tustin Legacy Murals
EMERGING ARTS LEADER

Maurizzio Hector Pineda
SPECIAL AWARD

Orange County Board of Supervisors
And Your Hosts For the Evening

Richard Stein
ArtsOC President & CEO

Marleena Barber
VSA Director & Visual and Performing Arts Consultant
We Gratefully Acknowledge Our Early Arts Awards Sponsors
VIP Reception Sponsor
Phil & Mary Lyons
After-Party Sponsors
Thanks to the generosity of
Charlie & Ling Zhang
Shakespeare Circle
Da Vinci Circle
The Laguna Playhouse
Richard and Elizabeth Steele Fund of Orange County Community Foundation
Diaghilev Circle
Chapman University, College of the Arts
Margaret Gates
Hemingway Circle
Sally Anderson and Tom Rogers
Ellen Breitman & Brien Amspoker
Faubel Public Affairs
Jan and Mark Hilbert
Susan K. Hori
Carl Neisser
Sheila & Jim Peterson
Judith Posnikoff
Janet and James "Walkie" Ray
Elizabeth Stahr & Walter Stahr
The Steele Fund at Orange County Community Foundation
Ernesto & Socorro Vasquez
Rembrandt Circle
Anaheim Ballet
Mike Anderson, RYTMO
Arts & Learning Conservatory
Bowers Museum
Andrew Brown
CSUF College of the Arts
Vance & Gloria Coulston
Thúy Võ Đặng
Janet Owen Driggs
John Evans
The Frida Cinema
G. Patrick Gandy
Heritage Future
Huntington Beach Art Center
Irvine Barclay Theatre
Cherie Kerr
Laguna Art Museum
Laguna College of Art + Design
Laguna Dance Festival
Amy Larson & Jake Smith
Joseph S. Lewis III
LPC West
Molly Lynch & Alan Andrews
Media Arts Santa Ana
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Harish Murthy & Ramya Harishankar
Greta K. Nagel
Newport Beach Film Festival
Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center
Orange County Fine Arts, Inc.
Orange County School of the Arts
OC Fair & Event Center
Pacific Symphony
Jose H. Pineda
Karen Raab, Chemers Gallery
Saddleback College
Tim Shaw
Soka Performing Arts Center
South Coast Repertory
Christopher Trela
UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Voice of OC
VSA Orange County
Statuette Sponsor
Festival Ballet Theatre
The Frida Cinema - in honor of FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy Murals
Margaret Gates – in honor of Ellen K. Lee, biographer of Helena Modjeska
Susan K. Hori – in honor of FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy Murals
Joseph S. Lewis III – in honor of Maurizzio Hector Pineda
Barbara Roberts – in honor of Tom Titus
Tina Van Dam
The Wooden Floor
Other Gifts
Backhausdance
Susan Condrey
Dance4Joy
Sara Guerrero
Susan Heiligman
Hidden Truths Project
Mary & Bill Langsdorf
Kim Le, Pacific Conservatory
Mindy Mills
Orange County Center for Contemporary Art
Orange County Musicians Union, Local 7, American Federation of Musicians
Christopher Peterson
Relámpago de Cielo Grupo Folklorico
Karin Schnell
South Coast Symphony
Barbara Steck
Voice of OC
Karen Wood
Carmen Zella
Past Arts Awards Honorees
Since 2000, we've honored an incredible array of organizations and individuals who have had a legacy-level impact on the artistic and cultural landscape of Orange County
(Listed in Alphabetical Order)
Allen Adham, Michael Morhaime, and Frank Pearce (Artistic Visionary, 2010)
Wylie & Bette Aitken (Arts Patrons, 2015)
John Alexander (Artistic Visionary, 2003)
Jonelle Allen (Artist, 2021)
Roger Armstrong (Artist, 2003)
Bob Bassett (Artistic Visionary, 2006)
Martin Benson & David Emmes (Artistic Visionary, 2000)
Peter Blake (Artistic Visionary, 2013)
Rex Brandt (Artist, 2000)
Beth Burns (Artistic Visionary, 2004)
Mark Chamberlain (Artistic Visionary, 2014)
Arlene Cheng (Community Visionary, 2005)
Dean Corey (Artistic Visionary, 2011)
Dick Dale (Artist, 2010)
Tony DeLap (Artist, 2000)
Richard Doyle (Artist, 2009)
John Forsyte (Arts Visionary, 2016)
Rod Gilfry (Artist, 2011)
William Gillespie (Community Visionary, 2006)
Marie Gray (Artistic Visionary, 2009)
William Hall (Artist, 2005)
Don Ed Hardy (Artist, 2014)
Ramya Harishankar (Artist, 2007)
Mark and Janet Hilbert (Art Collectors, 2018)
Hans & Valerie Imhof (Patron, 2014)
Chuck Jones (Artist, 2001)
Damien and Yvonne Jordan (Arts Philanthropists, 2016)
Peter Keller (Artistic Visionary, 2013)
Dorothy & Donald Kennedy (Community Visionary, 2004)
Cherie Kerr (Artistic Visionary, 2019)
John Koshak (Artistic Visionary, 2008)
Don Laffoon & Victoria Bryan (Artistic Visionary, 2001)
Laguna Art Museum (Arts Organization, 2018)
Laguna Playhouse (Arts Organization, 2021)
Hal Landon Jr. (Artist, 2009)
James Luna (Artist, 2017)
Molly Lynch (Arts Visionary, 2017)
Phil & Mary Lyons (Community Visionary, 2008)
Greg MacGillvray (Artist, 2008)
Jerry Mandel (Visionary Arts Leader, 2019)
Eric Marienthal (Artist, 2010)
Mike McGee (Arts Visionary, 2016)
Donald McKayle (Artist, 2002)
Mission San Juan Capistrano (Community Visionary, 2011)
Judith O’Dea Morr (Artistic Visionary, 2002)
Marcelina Arroues Mulville (Community Visionary, 2000)
Marybelle & S. Paul Musco (Arts Philanthropist, 2013)
Mary Muth (Community Visionary, 2001)
Founders of the Newport Harbor Art Museum - Joan Irving Brandt, Thelma Chastain, Em Crary, Dorothe Curtis, Kay Farwell, Allene Hays, Judy Hurndall, Gloria Irvine, Jane Lawson, Betty Mickle, Flo Stoddard, Dottie Ahmanson Sullivan, and Betty Winckler (Community Visionary, 2000)
Tom & Marilyn Nielsen (Community Visionary, 2003)
Dwight Richard Odle (Artist, 2006)
Ralph Opacic (Artistic Visionary, 2007)
Orange County Community Foundation (Community Visionary, 2010)
Douglas C. Rankin (Artistic Visionary, 2012)
Elaine Redfield (Community Visionary, 2000)
Relámpago del Cielo (Arts Organization, 2015)
Cathy Rigby (Artist, 2015)
Salwa Rizkalla (Artistic Visionary, 2014)
William & Barbara Roberts (Community Visionary, 2012)
Carol Saindon (Artist, 2018)
Jerry Samuelson (Community Visionary, 2009)
Floss Schumacher (Community Visionary, 2000)
Henry Segerstrom (Community Visionary, 2000)
Helen & Edward Shanbrom (Community Visionary, 2004)
Gordon Shaw (Community Visionary, 2005)
Joan Irvine Smith (Community Visionary, 2007)
Carl St.Clair (Artistic Visionary, 2009)
John & Elizabeth Stahr (Community Visionary, 2002)
The Harry & Grace Steele Foundation (Community Visionary, 2001)
Beulah Strickler (Community Visionary, 2013)
Tom Titus (Arts Journalist, 2021)
Paula Tomei (Community Visionary, 2018)
Elizabeth Turk (Artist, 2012)
Ernesto and Socorro Vasquez (Visionary Arts Patrons, 2019)
Carol Wilken (Community Visionary, 2010)
David Young (Community Visionary, 2004)
James Young (Artist, 2005)
Charlie & Ling Zhang (Arts Philanthropists, 2017)
Gloria Zigner (Community Visionary, 2012)
(Listed in Alphabetical Order)
Roberta & Howard Ahmanson (Patron, 2010)
John Alexander (Artist, 2000)
The All-American Boys Chorus (Arts Organization, 2011)
Anaheim Ballet (Organization, 2008)
Darrel Anderson (Volunteer, 2003)
Marsha Anderson (Volunteer, 2008)
Art & Creativity for Healing (Educator, 2003)
Arts & Learning Conservatory (Organization, 2014)
Assistance League of Irvine (Volunteer, 2007)
Backhausdance (Organization, 2012)
Ballet Pacifica (Organization, 2001, 2000)
Donald & Joan Beall (Patron, 2001)
Robert Becker (Artist, 2009)
Phyllis Berenbeim (Educator, 2000)
Suki Berg (Artist, 2008)
The Boeing Company (Patron, 2006)
Troy Botello (Educator, 2002)
Bowers Museum of Cultural Art (Organization, 2007, 2001)
City of Brea (Patron, 2008)
Brea, Blackstone 2017 (Outstanding Contribution to the Built Environment, 2018)
Brethren Christian Junior & Senior High School (Arts Organization, 2011)
Laurie Brown (Artist, 2002)
Austin Buffum (Educator, 2006)
Jerry Burchfield (Artist, 2001)
California State University, Fullerton Performing Arts Center (Built Environment, 2006)
Capistrano Unified School District (Educator, 2003)
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, San Clemente (Arts Organization, 2017)
Beverly Chaffee (Educator, 2002)
The Chance Theater (Organization, 2009, 2004)
Children’s Museum at La Habra (Educator, 2001)
Joshua Colover (Artist, 2004)
Vesta Curry (Volunteer, 2002)
John & Sandy Daniels (Patron, 2002)
James Dinh (Artist/Arts Leader, 2019)
Jane & Jim Driscoll (Patron, 2008)
Leslie Feibleman (Volunteer, 2006)
Eliot Feld/Ballet Tech (Artist, 2000)
Festival Ballet Theatre (Organization, 2002)
Festival of Arts Laguna Beach (Organization, 2008)
FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy Murals (Public Art, 2021)
Paul Folino (Patron, 2003)
Robin Follman (Artist, 2008)
Robert Frelly (Artist, 2011)
JoAnn Fuerbringer (Educator, 2004)
Fullerton Museum Center (Organization, 2003)
Fullerton School District Foundation For the Arts (Volunteer, 2000)
Fulton Middle School (Educator, 2000)
Sarah Rafael Garcia (Emerging Arts Leader, 2018)
Garden Grove Unified School District (Educator, 2000)
Michael & Eleanor Gordon (Patron, 2005)
Grand Central Art Center (Organization, 2019, 2000)
Guilds of the Orange County Performing Arts Center (Volunteer, 2005)
Ramya Harishankar (Artist, 2003)
Kathleen Harris (Educator, 2005)
Martin Hubbard (Volunteer, 2001)
Huntington Beach Art Center (Organization, 2006)
Irvine Barclay Theatre (Organization, 2006, 2002)
Irvine Unified School District (Educator, 2008)
Janice Johnson (Volunteer, 2004)
Richard Kaufman (Artist, 2006)
Raymond Kobler (Artist, 2003)
Laguna Art Museum (Organization, 2002)
City of Laguna Beach (Patron, 2002)
Laguna College of Art & Design (Organization, 2013)
Laguna Dance Festival (Organization, 2015)
Laguna Playhouse (Organization, 2008, 2000)
Timothy Landauer (Artist, 2005)
Jan Landstrom (Volunteer, 2007)
The Legacy Project (Artist, 2007)
Phil & Mary Lyons (Patron, 2000)
Madison Elementary School (Educator, 2003)
Jim & Suzanne Mellor (Patron, 2006)
Yevgeniya Mikhailik (Emerging Artist, 2016)
Todd Miller (Artist, 2010)
Mission Viejo High School (Educator, 2001)
Allen Moon (Impresario, 2016)
The Muckenthaler Cultural Center (Organization, 2010)
Paul & Marybelle Musco (Patron, 2006)
MUZEO (Built Environment, 2008)
National Choreographers Initiative (Organization, 2007)
City of Newport Beach (Public Art Program, 2014)
Newport Beach Film Festival (Organization, 2001)
New Swan Theater, UCI - Claire Trevor School of the Arts (Outstanding Contribution to the Built Environment, 2013)
Oanh Nguyen (Artist, 2007)
Noelle Corporate Communications (Patron, 2005)
Northwood High School Performing Arts Department (Educator, 2005)
Orange County Board of Supervisors (Special Award, 2021)
Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (Organization, 2001)
Orange County High School of the Arts Foundation (Volunteer, 2001)
Orange County Museum of Art (Organization, 2005)
Orange County Performing Arts Center (Built Environment, 2007)
Orange County Register (Patron, 2000)
Orange County Women's Chorus (Organziation, 2014)
Orange County Youth Symphony (Educator, 2005)
Pacific Chorale (Organization, 2002)
Pacific Symphony League (Volunteer, 2008)
Pacific Life Foundation (Patron, 2001)
Pacific Symphony (Organization, 2004, 2002, 2001)
PBS SoCal (Organization, 2016)
Brian Peterson (Emerging Artist, 2018)
Philharmonic Society of Orange County (Organization, 2000)
Committees of the Philharmonic Society (Volunteer, 2002)
Maurizzio Hector Pineda (Emerging Artist, 2021)
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (Educator, 2001)
Patricia Poss (Patron, 2011)
Teri Ralston (Artist, 2002)
Jerry Rothman (Artist, 2004)
Rude Guerrilla Productions (Organization, 2002)
Susan & Henry Samueli (Patron, 2004)
City of Santa Ana (Patron, 2002, 2000)
David Schramm (Volunteer, 2006)
Gregg Schwenk (Volunteer, 2004)
The Hal & Jeanette Segerstrom Family (Patron, 2009)
Helen Seigel (Educator, 2002)
Shakespeare Orange County (Organization, 2005)
Anne Shih (Volunteer, 2001)
Doris Shields (Volunteer, 2000)
Kevin Staniec (Emerging Arts Leader, 2017)
Soka Performing Arts Center (Built Environment, 2012)
South Coast Repertory (Organization, 2003)
South Coast Plaza (Patron, 2009)
South Orange County High School of the Arts (Educator, 2007)
STAGEStheatre (Organization, 2002)
Carl St.Clair (Special Recognition, 2019; Artist, 2001)
STOP-GAP (Organization, 2001)
Alan Terricciano (Artist, 2006)
Jim Thomas (Educator, 2004)
Catherine Thyen (Volunteer, 2005)
Peter Tiner (Educator, 2004)
Tom Titus (Artist, 2005)
Trio Céleste (Emerging Artists, 2017)
Richard Turner (Artist, 2001)
University of California, Irvine Arts Plaza (Built Environment, 2006)
Sister Madeleva Williams, C.S.J. (Artist, 2011)
Wells Fargo Bank (Patron, 2007)
Kurt Weston (Artist, 2010)
The Wooden Floor (Educator, 2010)
Andre Woodward (Artist, 2013)