Meriden Arts Council Looking to Recognize Artists
Ralph Hohman Record-Journal staff

MERIDEN - Last year, after the Meriden Arts Council decided to honor three of the city's major arts contributors, the planned gala dinner never came off. But the awards themselves were eventually given, and this year the MAC is back at it, taking nominations for Artist of the Year in four categories.

"We'd like to give at least three awards," says Arts Council President Staci Roy, "but we could give four. Or we could be giving only one." The categories for nomination are literary, performing, and visual arts, plus a new, catch-all category that could include arts patronage, culinary arts, education or anything else that doesn't fit in the first three.

Nominees and nominators don't have to be members of the Meriden Arts Council. Nomination forms are available at the group's Web site, www.meridenartscouncil.org. The site also has application forms for the two $250 scholarships the Arts Council gives to graduating high school seniors.

Last year, the MAC prizes went to Nicholas Scalise for visual arts, Laura Van Wormer for literary arts and Warren Stephan for performing arts. The Arts Council planned to present the awards
at a big dinner, but it was postponed once and later canceled when the rescheduled date conflicted with a grand reopening party at Gallery 53.

That lack of communication led to a membership drive by the Meriden Arts Council, and increased emphasis on calendar coordination. Roy, who became president last year after the awards dinner fell through, says membership is up to 53 now, from nine in September 2005.

Members are eligible to have arts events listed in a quarterly arts calendar (the April-June issue is out now) that's distributed free around town. The next step, Roy says, is to place copies in Meriden hotels.

There's no MAC awards dinner planned this year, although Roy says in future years a MAC ball could act as a fundraiser.

For this year's awards, she says, "What we're trying to do is work with the Bicentennial Committee to award (the winners) something during Founders' Week," which is June 10-18. If that doesn't work, she says there will be an awards presentation at the Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, where Roy is executive director.

John Kenney, who with Mario Cavallo chairs the MAC Committee that reviews the awards and scholarship applications, says there's been talk of creating a permanent display of the awards plaques, along with some artwork from the winners.

"I think a lot of it will depend on what happens downtown," Kenney said, referring to possible scenarios for new arts development. "I think you need to have a central area."