2010 Arts Champions

Meet the 2010 Arts Champion Award recipients.

2010 Arts Champions in Education

• Jeremy Long

  

  ArtStarts in Schools presented an Arts Champion in Education award to Jeremy Long, the former Executive Director for the BC Arts Council for his work in promoting the arts in schools. Long has a lifelong commitment to the arts, having served as Canada Council theatre officer, General Manager of Vancouver's Tamahnous theatre collective, and Executive Director of the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

   

2010 Arts Champions in Community

• Bill Usher

  Executive Director, Kicking Horse Culture

  

  Bill Usher, has been the driving force behind a revitalization of his community through the development of the arts. Originally a professional musician based in Ontario, as well as working in TV and acting, he worked with the Ontario and Toronto arts councils, and the Ontario Ministry of Culture before moving to BC in 2002. Using the skills and knowledge he had accumulated through the various aspects of his previous careers, he has been able to forge a collaboration between the arts council, businesses, local government, the school district and volunteers to form Kicking Horse Culture, an economic driver in Golden.

• Doti Niedermayer

  

  Doti Niedermayer, has worked in arts and culture in BC for over 20 years in the lower mainland and Whistler. Her willingness to work tirelessly and devote much of her personal time to attending and promoting events to ensure their success, her dedication and commitment to the arts has contributed to her community being known for arts and culture as well as a tourist destination for outdoor sports. The partnerships she has created and fostered over the years with all three levels of government, businesses and other non-profit organizations, her personal and professional integrity, her belief in the value of the arts in the creative economy, are just some of the reasons why the Whistler Arts Council was invited to co-produce Whistler Live! the cultural programming offered during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

• Yvonne Elden

  Yvonne Elden has also brought her community together through arts projects. Yvonne Elden has lived in the small town of Chetwynd since she earned her teaching certificate many years ago, and has been a tireless advocate for quality education throughout her life. Upon being asked about her, one person said that she had been the person behind the arts in the community as long as the speaker could remember. Each year this award winner has brought together many organizations to create an impressive line-up of events for Arts and Culture Week, including First Nations, health and arts programs, literacy, coffee houses and much more.