Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Arts Awards topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coeur d'Alene honors local artists and awards new performing-arts grants
Summary
Winners at the 29th annual Coeur d'Alene Arts Awards included Jenny Shotwell (Excellence in the Arts) and the Pinkertons (Support of the Arts); the city announced a new Art Spotlight Coeur d'Alene grant program awarding $5,000 each to local performing groups.
Coeur d'Alene celebrated local artists, educators and students at its 29th annual Arts Awards, honoring long‑time supporters and launching a new grant program to seed performing‑arts projects. The evening featured performances, awards presentations and a $15,000 annual Art Spotlight Coeur d'Alene fund that will provide $5,000 awards this year to three organizations.
Council member Amy Evans, the city's arts commission liaison, opened the program by praising the role arts play in community life and urging continued public support. "The arts are more than performances, exhibitions, and classes. They are what brings us together," Evans said. The event included performances from local theater companies, soloists and a choral ensemble.
Lorna Hamilton presented the Support of the Arts Award to Dan and Catherine Pinkerton, detailing the couple's philanthropy. Hamilton said Dan founded Pinkerton Wealth and, with Catherine, helped create the Idaho Character Foundation, the Idaho Wildlife Museum and donated a 10‑acre Faith Walk Community Fitness Park to the city. "Catherine and Dan are true heroes of our arts and nonprofit community," Hamilton said.
Dan Pinkerton accepted the award and reflected on his family's long connection to music and the community, thanking his parents and noting his family's 28 years in Coeur d'Alene. Catherine Pinkerton also thanked the city and described feeling humbled by the honor.
Amy D'Orozzi presented the Excellence in the Arts Award to Jenny Shotwell, citing her work as a performer, educator and voice teacher with more than 35 students. Shotwell, who performed the national anthem earlier in the program, thanked the community and said she was grateful for opportunities to teach and perform in Coeur d'Alene.
Arts commissioner Tracy Benson announced the inaugural Art Spotlight Coeur d'Alene grants, a $15,000 annual fund that will award $5,000 to selected performing arts organizations in its first year, with possible second‑year funding subject to committee, commission and city council approval. This year's recipients include Lake City Playhouse (which plans a middle‑school after‑school program and student‑led production), the Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene (which will establish a youth music scholarship fund for low‑income families) and Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre (which will expand youth programming and buy portable equipment such as a digital piano and lighting).
Other honors included the inaugural Sandy Bloom Arts Legacy Award, presented to former mayor Sandy Bloom in recognition of her efforts to expand public art and create enduring civic spaces, and the Emerging Arts Award, presented to Shakespeare Coeur d'Alene for its rapid growth and popular outdoor and theater productions. The evening also featured a new poem by city poet laureate Jennifer Pesaro, a staged excerpt from Hamlet by Shakespeare Coeur d'Alene, and musical performances from local ensembles.
The awards program concluded with a final choral performance. Organizers urged continued public support for local arts programs and said they look forward to next year's awards.
