In a ceremony that included entertainment, video tributes and impassioned commentary on the arts, the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County (AC5) bestowed honors on four individuals and two institutions for their contributions to the cultural life of the region.

The event, held October 17, marked the ninth year that AC5 has formally recognized individuals and organizations for achievement in their respective fields and the arts in general.

It was the first time the ceremony took in a theater-The Willows in Concord. In the past, the event was held in ballroom-like settings.

Mark DeSaulnier, member of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, extended greetings to the audience and appreciation to the honorees. Each received a glass trophy from AC5 and resolutions from the supervisors and the State Legislature.

The careers of each honoree and the work of the two institutions were profiled in video tributes. Entertainment was provided by performers associated with each honoree, and included the orphans who will be appearing in the Willows' forthcoming production of "Annie." Other performers included Keith Barlow and Bobbie Duncan, who sang "The Last Night of the World" from "Miss Saigon;" Steven Lehning, who performed a solo on the viola da gamba; Peter Maund, who provided a percussion demonstration, and John Pangia and Martha Rosenberg, who played a selection for clarinet and flute.

The Filipiniana Dance Troupe, attired in colorful costumes, represented the Pittsburg Arts Collaborative, one of two organizations that received awards. The collaborative is a volunteer organization dedicated to provide and promote the arts throughout East Contra Costa County. Activities include art and crafts exhibits and cultural events such as torch song and doo-wop competitions, celebrations of ethnic holidays, summer art shows, and free movies. The Town Hall Theatre Company of Lafayette won the Special Commission Award, in honor of their 60th season of live performances in Contra Costa County.

The other honorees are:

Duane Carroll, of Walnut Creek, since 1981 the musical director, conductor and founder of the acclaimed Contra Costa Wind Symphony, and founder and first conductor of the Contra Costa Jazz Band in 1999. Until his retirement earlier this year, he was an educator and administrator in the Acalanes and Mt. Diablo school districts. He was a visual and performing arts director in the Diablo district.

Angene Feves, of Pleasant Hill, nationally and internationally recognized dancer and dance historian; arts educator and arts leader in Contra Costa County for more than 40 years. In the Sixties, she helped develop the Richmond Ballet and established a dance program in Walnut Creek's renowned Civic Arts Education program.

Andrew Holtz, of Martinez, managing director of the Willows Theatre in Concord, which he joined in 1987 as development director. Since 1990, he has become an award-winning director of plays and musicals and a guiding force in developing The Willows as a successful regional theater. He is also an expert in computer music technology and arts marketing.

Barrett Lindsay-Steiner, of Walnut Creek, an actor, singer, producer, director, playwright, teacher and, as colleagues point out, an overall "creative genius." For 15 years his focus has been on youth theater activities, including Starstruck, a young people's theater group of the Diablo Light Opera Company. His work has influenced hundreds of children for whom he has written and produced more than 60 musicals.

In their remarks, the honorees underscored the importance of the arts in their lives and organizations as well as the communities they serve.

AC5 Charir, District IV Commissioner

After Robert Rezak received his journalism degree from Stanford University, he worked as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco News, and the Stockton Record. In 1959 he joined Pacific Bell's public relations department, where he remained for more than 35 years until his retirement in 1994 as the director of corporate communications. He continued in a consultant capacity for over a year, managing the company volunteer program.

Commissioner Rezak helped lead the community effort to obtain the Board of Supervisors' approval to establish the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County. His tireless work on behalf of this commission-and all the arts and cultural efforts throughout this County-reflect his belief in the impact individuals can have in volunteering time and energy for community service. He has served as president of the executive board of the Concord (now Chronicle) Pavilion Associates, has been a member of the Walnut Creek Arts Commission for two terms, and serves on the boards of many arts organizations, including Festival Opera, The Eugene O'Neill Foundation, The Willows Theatre Company of Concord, The Contra Costa Children's Chorus and The Sonos Handbell Ensemble.

An Artistic Enterprise: The Pittsburg Arts Collaborative
AC5's art passages exhibit series continues with a new exhibit featuring the Pittsburg Arts Collaborative (PACO), on display now through December 3rd at the Contra Costa County Administration Building, located at 651 Pine Street in Martinez.
PACO is a unique artistic, entrepreneurial venture established in 1998 as a part of an economic development strategy for Pittsburg's downtown revitalization effort, with a strong belief that the fabric of the community is enriched through arts and cultural activities. PACO's mission is to encourage support of all forms of the arts in Pittsburg. A special focus is the development of young artists and providing appropriate venues and exposure for the serious artist. The organization strives to accomplish its mission by presenting two major art shows per year, the Winter Invitational and the Summer Open Show. PACO is sponsored by Pacific Community Services, Inc. (PCSI), a non-profit local development corporation that provides financing and technical assistance to small businesses, including artists.

At the opening of this exhibit on September 20th, County Supervisor Federal Glover (District 5) gave a presentation honoring PACO's achievements, and presented the artists with a resolution signed by the Board.

The Center for Community-Based Organizations of Contra Costa, in partnership with CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, is presenting a workshop on fundraising from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 5 in Martinez.

Registration information is available at www.compasspoint.org

As provided by the sponsors, here's what it's all about:

Do you have to ask for money, but don't like it? Have you been to a dozen workshops on fundraising, but still you don't like asking? Do you find that the standard strategies which work so well for others don't work for you? Do you blame yourself for not doing better? Would you like to try something radically different? This workshop is filled with lots of surprises and lots of support.

We'll dump the techniques and tricks. We'll turn the standard ask inside out. You'll get to find your natural love of asking. You'll get to stay true to your values. You'll get to focus on being heart to heart with your prospect. Conceptually this is so simple, but in practice it's so challenging. You won't master this contrary approach in one day, but you might break the spell and get yourself started in a new direction. You might feel a whole lot better about yourself. You might discover what it really is that you need personally so you can begin to love asking.

Harold Beaulieu, a commissioner on the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County, is spearheading an interesting community project called "Footprints."

The project involves the creation of footprints of every child in three elementary schools in the "iron triangle" of Richmond. The footprints are embedded in 16x16-inch pavers that will be used to form a safe pathway between the schools and such neighborhood sites as parks and playgrounds.

The Contra Costa Children and Families Commission, Richmond Arts and Culture Commission, and Richmond Redevelopment Agency are among the organizations supporting the project.

Commissioner Beaulieu is also involved in the upcoming "Art 4 All" project, which will take place on October 30th and 31st, 10 am to 4 pm, at various locations in Richmond. For more information about this unique public art project, please contact the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission at (510) 620-6797.

Americans for the Arts, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, has announced a new million-dollar initiative to involve individual Americans in advocating for the arts and arts education. The effort is the first to use proceeds from the $120 million gift the organization received nearly two years ago from pharmaceutical heiress Ruth Lilly.

The Americans for the Arts Action Fund initially will focus on four areas: communicating with the media and candidates for office, advocacy training at the state and local levels, evaluating members of Congress, and providing a voice for the public. Later this month, the fund will release a Congressional report card highlighting the voting records of members of the House of Representatives on important arts legislation. And in November, the organization will launch a national membership campaign designed to encourage Americans to join and support the fund.

"We are very aware of how at risk arts organizations are," said Robert L. Lynch, president of Americans for the Arts. "There is a policy disconnect between talking about the economic value of the arts in cities and towns, and the public and private investment in the arts." According to the Washington Post, the organization hopes to attract 100,000 donors over the next five years.

In the past two years, 40 percent of all funding for state arts councils has been eliminated, and in the past decade, the arts' share of private giving has declined by more than 40 percent. The new initiative is intended to help reverse those trends. "We have done a good job collectively of raising the consciousness of citizens about the value of the arts, but we have not done a good job of convincing policy makers to invest in the arts," Lynch told the Post. "Their positions haven't caught up with the people who say arts are important."

Ashraf Habibullah, a founder and supporter of the Diablo Ballet of Walnut Creek, will be recognized for "outstanding individual contribution to the arts community" at a luncheon in which actress Rita Moreno also will be honored.

Habibullah, president and CEO of Computers & Structures Inc., and Moreno will be among others who will be honored by the San Francisco Business Arts Council at its 21st annual arts award luncheon, a celebration of the "unique contributions of the arts community to our quality of life and the economic vitality of the San Francisco Bay Area."

The event will be held at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on November 5. Kate Kelly, KPIX news anchor, will be mistress of ceremonies. Tickets are available at (415) 352-8845.

Moreno, a Bay Area resident, will receive the Cyril Magnin lifetime achievement award, named in honor of the legendary San Francisco merchant and arts patrons.

Other honorees:
Hearts in San Francisco Project (Trustees Award); Peet's Coffee & Tea (Distinguished Corporate Advocate Award); ODC (Exceptional Non-Profit Arts Organization); Landmark Theatres (Exceptional For Profit Arts Related Business); Cheryl Moody, Festival Manager - Mill Valley Film Festival (Business Volunteer); and SPARK (New & Emerging Cultural Organization).