TAMPA, FL (October 9, 2014) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) announces the finalists for its annual Impact Awards, which will take place on Thursday, October 23, 2014 at The Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg. This year marks the 25th Anniversary for the TBBCA and will include a special tribute to the history of the organization and all its past presidents.
The Impact Awards were created in 1989 to honor those leaders who have elevated Tampa Bay’s arts and cultural community through significant financial or in-kind contributions, volunteer service and/or innovative programming. A total of nine recipients will be selected in three categories: Business, Individual and Nonprofit. Winners will be selected based on level of involvement or support of the arts, impact of contribution, originality, quality, and depth of service.
This year’s event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will feature a cocktail reception and silent auction, seated dinner and live entertainment by The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. Honorary chairs include Helen & Peter Wallace of St. Petersburg and Cynthia & Peter Zinober of Tampa. Event chair is Stephen Gay. The evening will be hosted by emcee, Russell Rhodes, co-anchor of FOX13’s Good Day Tampa Bay.
2014 Impact Award Finalists:
Businesses: BUILT; CASS, Contemporary Art Space and Studio; The DRI; Hill Ward Henderson; Solace Insurance; Wannemacher Jensen Architects.
Individuals: Rudy Ciccarello, Ronald Christaldi, Hope Donnelly, Pat Fenda, John Thompson and Kimberly Finn.
Nonprofits: Capitol Theatre, Glazer Children’s Museum, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus, Tampa Bay Arts & Education Network, The Margaret Acheson Stuart Society.
Lifetime Achievement Award: In addition to its Impact Awards, the TBBCA will bestow St. Petersburg-based architect, Yann Weymouth with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. Weymouth is best known for his design of St. Petersburg’s Salvador Dali Museum. He served as Chief of Design under I.M. Pei for the Grand Louvre Project in Paris, France and the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. In addition, Mr. Weymouth has worked on the Hazel Hough Wing of the Museum of Fine Arts, the John and Mable Ringling Museum and Cultural Complex of Sarasota, The Patricia and Philip Frost Art Museum at the Florida International University in Miami, the Interdisciplinary Science Facility at the University of South Florida in Tampa, and The University of Miami’s Philip and Patricia Frost School of Experimental Music which is currently under construction and whose doors will open in early 2015.
Featured Artist: Douglas “Firebug” Taylor, resident glass artist at The Morean Art Center’s Hot Shop will create this year’s awards. After graduating with a BA in Ceramic Engineering and Sculpture from the University of South Florida, he began working with Dean James Glass Works of Ybor City where he made production glass full-time for the American crafters market. At that time, Douglas developed new techniques from combining his many other art talents to create mixed media sculpture. He also learned advanced techniques from artists such as Fritz Driesbach, Tim Miller and Susan Gott.
The Impact Awards are open to the public. Ticket prices start at $150 with a discounted rate of $125 for TBBCA pARTners and their employees. Nonprofit/artist tickets are $100.
Presenting sponsors include Alex McKnight, ChappellRoberts, Cox Media Group Tampa, Gay and Associates, GreenbergTraurig, Premier Eye Care, Tampa Bay Times/tbt*, Tampa Bay Magazine and The Wilson Company. Gold sponsors include: Hill Ward Henderson, Phelps Dunbar LLP, Vantage Point Advisors of Raymond James, and Helen & Peter Wallace.
For more information or to purchase tickets call 813-221-2787, or visit www.tbbca.org.
About the TBBCA:
Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts is a nonprofit organization serving Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties with the mission to unite Tampa Bay businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community. This is achieved through advocacy, research, targeted communications, scholarship funds and innovative programs.