Clarksville, TN – The deadline for nominations for the coveted Acuff Circle of Excellence Ovation Awards in the artists fast approaching.
Nominees must have made significant contributions to the artistic and cultural life of the Clarksville-Montgomery County community.
Anyone can submit nominations. Nominations will be accepted through Wednesday, January 20th.
The awards ceremony will be Sunday, March 5th, at the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center.
The sponsoring Acuff Circle, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Austin Peay State University Foundation, is a patron society of the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts. The awards have been presented since 1996.
The award categories in which nominations are sought are:
Individual Artist
A living Tennessee artist, active in the field of literature, visual arts, performing arts, music, folk arts, architecture or design, who lives or lived in Montgomery County. Past winners include Susan Bryant, Charlotte Marshall, Mike Fink, Tom Rice, Mike Andrews, Billy St. John and Debbie Wilson.
Community
A Clarksville-Montgomery County community organization or institution with an outstanding arts-based community program or project. Schools and the school district are not eligible in this category. Previous winners include the Downtown Clarksville Association, Roxy Regional Theatre, Empty Bowls of Clarksville, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, the Downtown Artists Co-Op. and Madison Street Music & Arts Academy.
Business
A business or corporation that has made a significant contribution to support arts and culture in Montgomery County. Government agencies are not eligible. Past winners include F&M Bank, Silke’s Olde World Breads, The Leaf-Chronicle, Beachaven Vineyards and Winery, The Framemaker, Planters Bank and Richview Family Dentistry.
Young Artist
A high school senior in Clarksville-Montgomery County who has shown exceptional gifts through student or community performances, exhibitions or publications. Category awards are visual arts, theatre, instrumental music,vocal performance and creative writing. Winners in each category also receive preference when applying for the annual $1,000 endowed scholarship in the arts, which the Acuff Circle has established at Austin Peay.
Past Young Artist winners include Webb Booth, Elizabeth Coleman, Autumn Crofton,Haedyn King and Hugh Poland with the Roxy School of the Arts; Abigail Elmore, Northwest High School; Elizabeth Bell, Kenwood High School; Brittney Griffin, Montgomery Central High School; Clare Grady, Clarksville High School; Will Silvers, West Creek High School; Jeremy Carey, Northeast High School; Kayleigh Baird, Montgomery Central High School; Amy Wyer, West Creek High School; Terrell Boykin, Kenwood High School; Arizona Hurn, Montgomery Central High School; Jacob Capps, Montgomery Central High School; Jonathan Weidner, Rossview High School; Mercedes Johnson, Northeast High School; and Brandon Crite, West Creek High School.
The Ovation Awards also include The George Mabry Award. Nominees for this honor come from the Acuff Circle board. It recognizes a living Tennessean who has made a significant impact on arts and culture in Montgomery County through philanthropy, leadership or direct involvement, or a Tennessee individual who has advanced arts and culture through innovative work in creating or supporting the arts in Montgomery County. Past winners include Frank Lott, Anne Glass,Olen Bryant, David Alford, Joseph B. Trahern Jr., Joe Giles and Wade Bourne.
To nominate someone in the Individual, Community, Business or Young Artist categories, submit a completed nomination form that can be downloaded at www.apsu.edu/creativearts/ovation. Forms for the Individual, Community or Business categories also can be obtained at the Customs House Museum, which co-sponsors the awards ceremony; the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library, or the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce.
The nomination should include a description of up to 250 words of the individual’s or organization’s artistic contributions. Nominations can be emailed to at the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, or mailed to Ovation Awards, Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts, Austin Peay State University, Box 4666, Clarksville, TN 37044.
For more information on the nomination process or the Ovation Awards, contact the Center at 931.221.7876.
