Louisville Glows Orange In Celebration Of The 2019 Awards In The Arts

Tonight, Louisville was awash with orange-the color of creativity-in celebration of the 2019 Awards in the Arts, presented by Kindred Healthcare and Joy Mangano, and hosted by The Fund for the Arts, Churchill Downs and the Lawrence Family Foundation.

The Awards in the Arts annually celebrates Greater Louisville's vibrant arts and culture scene by honoring passionate artists and organizations-some well-known, some rising stars-for their role in advancing our city's arts community. This year's ceremony, which was attended by award winners and local celebrities like Jim James and Bryson Tiller, was complemented by an orange glow from the local The Big Four Bridge, Humana Building, LG&E Building and the Churchill Downs Twin Spires- a fitting backdrop for the event.

Now eclipsing its fourth year, the Awards in the Arts have become recognized city-wide as the premiere awards event for artistic excellence and engagement, and more recently, as an additional opportunity for Greater Louisville to recognize and honor our city's extraordinary talent and quality of place.

"Each year, The Awards in the Arts recognizes the artists and organizations that make Greater Louisville a world class city for arts and culture," said Christen Boone, president and CEO of Fund for the Arts. "As we kickoff the Derby season, this signature event brings us together as a city to celebrate our most accomplished, innovative and visionary artists, who inspire, challenge and thrill us each day. The arts, like Derby and bourbon, are a powerful force and defining strength, fueling this creative, vibrant community we love."

Envisioned by a unique partnership with Fund for the Arts, Churchill Downs, and the Lawrence Family Foundation, the awards were created to recognize artists from a variety of creative disciplines-which over the years have included performing, theatre, music, visual arts, dance and more. Award winners are as follows:

• Trifecta Gala National Award in the Arts: Bryson Tiller (singer/songwriter/hip-hop artist)
• Unbridled Charitable Foundation National Award in the Arts: Jim James (singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist)
• WeWork Arts Impact Award: Commonwealth Theatre Center (theater training and arts education organization)
• Post Parade Wines, Brook & Pam Smith Arts Innovation Award: Kim Baker (president and CEO of The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts)
• Kosair Charities Arts Education Award: Louisville Youth Orchestra (youth orchestral training and arts education organization)
• Lift a Life Foundation Emerging Leader in the Arts Award: Brandon Ragland (ballerino and choreographer)
• Carnival Corporation PLC Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award: Ruth French (violinist, retired Louisville Academy of Music educator and president)
• Derby Diversity & Business Summit Cultural Equity Award: Bill Carstanjen (CEO of Churchill Downs Inc.)

Winning artists and organizations were nominated by their colleagues and selected by the previous award recipients. Each award winner took home a statue created by local artist David Nichols and a $5,000 cash grant from the Fund for the Arts. For more information about Awards in the Arts, please visit www.fundforthearts.org/awardsinthearts.

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