Maestro Peter Mark is this year’s recipient of the Vianne B. Webb Lifetime Achievement Award.  Mark was recognized for his long and successful tenure as the founding General Director of Virginia Opera.
Mark’s artistic leadership has attracted top talent to the opera and he has cultivated rising stars.  In addition his work in fundraising for the company has brought many substantial gifts to the organization.  Mark has conducted 100 productions as of this fall which put him in the orchestra pit for 700 performances.
    

Another highlight of the event was the awarding of the Bettie Minette Cooper Arts Educator ALLI Award which was presented to Shar Wolff, chair of the photography department at Thomas Nelson Community College.  Named for the long-time advocate for arts education, the award is presented annually to an educator whose mentorship and teaching practice stands out among peers.  Wolff was instrumental in updating the photography department at TNCC and chairs the Cultural Affairs committee at the college.  She instituted a visiting artist series to bring regionally and nationally recoshe  personally provides funds to ensure student participation in the Genesis art exhibition at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center.   
    

Paul Quillin Darden was presented with this year’s Media Award.  Darden is credited for creating and publishing a publication dedicated to the region’s arts industry.  “Hampton Roads BRAVO!”  is a semi-annual publication highlighting the region’s half million dollar industry.
    

Three business awards were honored with an ALLI Award:  Kathy Howell of Howell Creative Group for her efforts in publishing the Historic Triangle Arts Map; Cathy Coleman for the creation of the regional website your757.com and Barbara Vincent Hester for her work in unifying the arts in Portsmouth.
    

Arts professionals recognized include John Hightower for his accomplishments in the creation and construction of the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News; Hugh Copeland in recognition of his long term success with The Hurrah Players, and Dr. Roderic Taylor.  Taylor recently retired from Norfolk State University where he chaired the Fine Arts Department and established a reputation as an educator, administrator, artist and arts juror.    

Nancy Rhode of Hampton received an ALLI Award for her extensive volunteer work, locally and regionally, on behalf of numerous arts projects, especially in her city of Hampton
Nominees and recipients of the 2008 Governors Arts Awards were also recognized and presented with certificates acknowledging their recent honors in Richmond.
    

The Cultural Alliance sponsors the ALLI Awards annually to honor local arts and cultural organizations and those who support them through gifts of time and resources.  To be considered for an ALLI Award, nominees must have directly benefited the arts and culture community through extraordinary means such as goods and services, space, volunteer time, cash grants, publicity or other means of assistance.  Writer and publisher Tom Robotham presided as master of ceremonies over the event which also included performances by Todd Rosenlieb Dance.  Also providing entertainment were the Porte Towne Magic! Orchestra, an ensemble of the Portsmouth Schools.
    

As a regional event the ALLI Awards changes its Hampton Roads venue location each year.  The 2009 awards event will be held November 1, 2009 in Colonial Williamsburg.