BRATTLEBORO — River Gallery School is a finalist for the 2019 Ewing Arts Award for Excellence in Community Engagement. The winner is kept secret until the annual Ewing Arts Awards Ceremony.
The awards are named for Ruth and James Ewing, founders of The Keene Sentinel. They are given to local artists who, through the quality of their work, demonstrate excellence and make important statements.
The awards are made in 10 categories: Performing Arts, 2-D Visual Arts, 3-D Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Interdisciplinary Arts, Folk Traditional Arts, Presenter of the Arts, Student Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Excellence in Community Engagement.
The Keene Sentinel and Arts Alive! will present the fifth annual Ewing Arts Awards Ceremony Gala at Keene State College's Redfern Art Center on the evening of Wednesday, July 24.
RGS was nominated by Leigh Niland, a teaching artist at the art school, who is receiving an award herself this year for Excellence in 2-D Visual Art. Donna Hawes, executive director, and Lydia Thomson, artistic director, will represent RGS at the ceremony.
The other finalist organization for Excellence in Community Engagement is the Monadnock Folklore Society of Peterborough, N.H.
Winning artists, craftspeople, organizations, and performers in various categories will be feted that evening, some of them performing during the ceremony, which will be followed by a reception.
RGS, a 43-year-old nonprofit art school, was founded in Brattleboro by Ric Campman and Barbara Merfeld Campman to serve the creative needs of the community. It has grown to serve people of all ages and levels, with studio classes and workshops and a robust outreach program.
The past few years have seen an increase in free programming for underserved segments of the community, including residents of Great River Terrace, the Root, Youth Services, and area caregivers, underwritten by generous grants from The Thomas Thompson Trust, The Kahn-Mason Foundation, and other funders.