For the second time in three years a theatrical set designer has been named the top individual artist in the region, garnering Jimmy Ray Ward a coveted Perry F. Kendig Award.
Ward collected his hardware last night at Roanoke College’s Olin Hall as Susan Jennings, Roanoke’s recently-retired Arts and Culture Coordinator, and the Studio School were presented awards for Individual or Business Arts Supporter and Arts and Cultural Organization.
The Kendigs are given in honor of the late Roanoke College president, a noted patron of the arts, and they were presented by Roanoke College President Mike Maxey and Hollins University Interim President Nancy Gray.
Ward’s honor comes just two years after that spotlighting the late John Sailer, a much beloved set designer for both organizations in this region and all over the country. Ward has designed exhibits for 159 theater productions, ranging from historical pieces to whimsical stagings. He has taught at Radford University.
Jennings is responsible for the placing of much of the public art in Roanoke City and is a former executive director of the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge. She has been in the lead for programs like Art for Everyone, Parks and Arts and the restoration of Elmwood Park and its notable visual art component. She also played a vital role in the renovation of Center in the Square and the construction of the Taubman Museum of Art.
The Studio School is a 28-year-old organization that offers art classes in all mediums to any students who are interested, regardless of skill levels. The school’s mission, says the Kendig citation, “is to enhance lives through art. Students recognize the school as a fundamental piece of their artistic journey and success.”
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). His blog, fromtheeditr.com, is widely read and he has authored seven books, including the novel CLOG! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005).
