The Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Mendocino County are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Mendocino County Art Champion Awards: Ann Maglinte in the category of Artist; Helen Klembeck in the category of Individual Patron; Harvest Market in the category of Business; and Dana Gray Elementary School in the category of Education. Each year, nominations for the Art Champion awards are received from members of the community.

The winners are selected by the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Mendocino County and recognized by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.

The 2009 Mendocino County Art Champion Awards were presented by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors at their meeting on October 27th in Ukiah. An official proclamation was issued and the Arts Council of Mendocino County hosted a public reception to honor the winners.

2009 Mendocino County Art Champions

Willits artist, musician, and educator Ann Maglinte was honored for her artistic excellence in painting, drawing, and sculpture, her tireless promotion of the arts countywide, her service as a teacher, and her leadership and collaboration with others in creating the First Fridays Art Walk in Ukiah. Ann has taught art privately as well as in local charter and public schools. She has served in two schools (La Vida Charter School and Sherwood School) as an artist-in-residence. She is a recipient of multiple grants including a California Arts Council grant to teach history through the arts, and a Get Art in the Schools Program (GASP) grant to present arts programming in Mendocino County public schools. Ann is co-owner and art designer for the business Midnight Moon, which she and her husband started in 1975. She is a founding member of the Ukiah Art Center/Corner Gallery, as well as a member of the Northcoast Artists Gallery in Fort Bragg. She is also a new commissioner for the Willits Cultural Arts Commission.

Helen Klembeck, Individual Champion for the Arts, was honored for the breadth and scope of her work as both a volunteer and employee of Gualala Arts, Inc. Helen started volunteering at the Dolphin Gallery in 1999. She has served as manager of the Dolphin Gallery and Gift Shop since 2001, and has been on the board of directors for the art center since 2006. Her volunteer work for the gallery has been exceptionally generous and has included in its scope such projects as renovating the gallery and installing new display cases and lighting, and motivating others to volunteer as well. Her work as gallery manager includes organizing the schedule for over 30 volunteers who keep the gallery open 363 days a year, managing the inventory for over 100 artists and other feats of organization and management acumen. Helen was the Gualala Arts Volunteer of the Year in 2008 and is known for her openness to members of the gallery as well as to new and emerging artists. A fellow gallery volunteer writes, “She will fill in for volunteers when they cannot come just to keep the gallery open to visitors.” According to an employee of Gualala Arts, Inc., “Helen has suggested and implemented many new ideas of keeping the store open, fresh, clean, artistic, and most of all the volunteers engaged and a sense of ownership.”

Harvest Market was honored in the category of Business Champio n for the Arts. Harvest Market has supported the arts locally through monetary contributions as well as through donations of food, and food discounts for concerts. Recipients of their generosity include the Mendocino Music Festival, Gloriana Musical Theatre, Mendocino Theatre Company, Symphony of the Redwoods, MUSE and many other nonprofit organizations on the coast. In their nomination, a community member writes, “Harvest Market and its owners and workers understand that the arts are an important part of the cultural life of Mendocino County and that arts also contribute to the vitality of our local economy.”

Dana Gray Elementary School in Fort Bragg was honored for actively integrating the arts in its curriculum. Despite the challenges that face many public schools, students at D ana Gray Elementary are offered educational opportunities in music, visual arts, poetry/literary arts and performing arts. According to a community member, “The arts program at Dana Gray doesn’t just happen by accident. The principal, teachers, staff members, and PTA all work together to make sure that every student gains artistic enrichment and skills as a basic part of their education.” Dana Gray Elementary School provides an inspiring example of what a school can do to foster arts through assemblies, exhibitions of student work, and setting aside a “Fine Arts Night” to give recognition to student artists and musicians.