Kathleen Coudle King to be honored at An Evening with the Arts The North Valley Arts Council (NoVAC) invites you to attend An Evening with the Arts, a celebration of the arts community, Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the First National Bank Building, 322 DeMers Ave., downtown Grand Forks. At the event, we will thank the community for contributing time, resources and talent to the arts, celebrate another successful year of service, and hold NoVAC’s annual meeting. An Evening with the Arts will feature the presentation of NoVAC’s fourth annual Arts Awards and “The Grand Picture,” a silent art auction of artwork created by local artists. The 2009 Annual Arts Awards will be presented to honor exceptional artists and arts supporters in our community. NoVAC initiated the awards in 2006 to honor those individuals who most actively produce quality art, and to show appreciation for members of the community who support the production of art through their volunteerism, financial contributions, purchase of art, and attendance at arts events. The 2009 award recipients are: * Kathleen Coudle King, who will receive the Artist of the Year award. This award recognizes extraordinary artistic achievement with a gift of $1,000, underwritten by the Grand Forks Herald. King is a playwright and co-founder of the North Dakota Playwrights’ Co-op. She is also a fiction writer, essayist and screenwriter. She has written works that will be performed at First Night Greater Grand Forks and has written "Companeras," a play about political prisoners in Uruguay based on Elizabeth Hampsten’s translated testimonies. She has organized summer community writing workshops and film camps, teaches in the UND English department, and serves as administrative coordinator for the UND Writers Conference. * Tamar Read, who will receive an Individual Support of the Arts award in recognition of her extraordinary support of area arts organizations and artists. * Dakota Harvest Bakers, which will receive a Corporate Support of the Arts award in recognition of its extraordinary support of the arts. * Benjamin Klipfel, who will receive an Outstanding Achievement Award for his extraordinary dedication to the arts in Greater Grand Forks. Previous award recipients include: Artist of the Year Michael Blake (2008), Job Christenson (2007) and Adam Kemp (2006); Individual Support of the Arts: Jean Holland (2008), Bruce Gjovig (2007) and Tom Edwards and Jackie McElroy Edwards (2006); Corporate Support of the Arts: Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops (2008), Sanders 1907 (2007) and Hugo’s (2006); and Outstanding Achievement: Laurel Reuter (2008), Lee Barnum (2007) and the late Carol Graham (2006). A silent auction fundraiser to benefit NoVAC programming will feature original artwork by local artists, many of whom have rarely shown their work. This will be an opportunity to purchase paintings, sculpture, and other unique objects d’art created by local and regional artists at reasonable prices. Artists included in the auction include Amy Uthus, Jackie Uthus, Mary Haustad, Diane Paulson, Mark Larson, Bonnie Sobolik and many others. Traie Dockter, president of the NoVAC Board of Directors, said, “We are honored to present these awards to those who have distinguished themselves in the support of the arts in our community. Grand Forks is fortunate to have a strong arts and culture component generally only found in much larger cities. Sustaining these groups is a priority for the quality of life we are privileged to enjoy, and we want to say ‘thank you’ publicly to the individuals and corporations who make commitments year after year.” An Evening with the Arts will also include NoVAC’s annual meeting. Wine and hors d’oeurves will be served. Admission is $10 at the door. Advance reservations are not required. The event is sponored by the Grand Forks Herald and Happy Harry's Bottle Shops. The North Valley Arts Council supports arts and culture for the artists, arts organizations, and citizens of Greater Grand Forks. Visit www.novac.org for more information. -- Nicole Derenne, Executive Director, North Valley Arts Council, nicolederenne@novac.org, 701-772-3710