April 19, 2011

Wendy Newman, Arts Champion in Education

Each year during Arts and Culture Week, ArtStarts presents an Arts Champion award to someone who has made a significant contribution to the lives of young people through the Arts in Education.

ArtStarts is pleased to announce that Wendy Newman has been selected as the 2011 recipient of the Arts Champion in Education Award.

As the founding Executive Director of ArtStarts, Wendy Newman led the organization towards its vision of a society where the arts are regarded as an essential part of educating young people and a catalyst for creating innovative, engaged and contributing members of society.

Accomplishments in Arts Education

Her accomplishments not only include securing the City-owned amenity office and gallery near the corner of Richards and Robson Streets in downtown Vancouver, but also her initiative to create artist residency programs in BC schools and for setting an environment that saw increased artistic quality and diversity of professional touring artists performing in schools throughout BC.

Wendy Newman’s 15 years of dedicated service to ArtStarts have been highly appreciated by artists, school teachers and administrators and her legacy of providing a foundation for the important role of arts in BC’s schools has had a significant impact.

Past President of ArtStarts, Jeff Oliver says, “Wendy’s entrepreneurial talents have been crucial to building a provincial arts organization that is now the leader in the field of delivering an innovative range of creative arts programs for the benefit of BC’s children, artists and educators.“

Thank you Wendy for all that you have done for the Arts in Education.

To find out who the 2011 Arts Champions in Communites are, as awarded by the Assembly of BC Arts Councils, visit www.bcartsweek.org/arts-champions.