Marilynn Wick Inspires NSAL Scholarship Winners At Star Maker Awards

The National Society of Arts & Letters, Florida East Coast Chapter recently held their Star Maker Awards at Boca West Country Club where local NSAL scholarship recipients performed, and Marilynn Wick was honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Marilynn Wick's contribution to the theatrical community is unprecedented," said event co-chair Kim Champion. "Her preservation of Broadway's history through her world-renowned costume collection and her magnificent productions at The Wick Theatre have made her an industry treasure."

Upon receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from NSAL President Judi Asselta, Wick delighted the audience with humorous and heartfelt anecdotes about her inspiring rise in the costume and theater industries. Wick recognized the important contributions of both her daughters, Kimberly and Kelly and she thanked the many supporters who have made The Wick Theater and Costume Museum such a beloved cultural venue.

"I was honored and thrilled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters for my contribution to the arts," said Wick. "I have had the pleasure of collaborating with so many artists in my journey - including my daughters Kelly Wick Kigar and Kimberly Wick - and I share this honor with all of them. Creating theatre and preserving treasured costumes has been an undertaking that I am so proud of. Seeing the faces of our patrons when they are moved and entertained by our productions means the world to me. Thank you for the support we've received. Thank you to NSAL for this prestigious award, I will treasure the memory of this evening forever!"

NSAL also recognized Donald Mandich with the Member Emeritus Award and honored Christopher Wittig for his length of service. Renowned visual artist Duaiv served as Honorary Chair and donated two stunning paintings for the silent auction.

The evening was punctuated with dazzling performances from NSAL scholarship recipients and competition winners.

The Florida Atlantic Scholarship recipient for piano performance was Juan Upequi and the theatre arts recipient was Martyna Reczka. The Lynn University piano performance recipient was Kimiea Rafieian and the strings recipient was Yue Yang.

First Place Collaborative Piano and Brass Duo Competition winners were Kristine Mezines and Sodienye Finebone.

The 2019 Chapter level Drama Competition winner was Darius J. Manuel, the 2019 recipient of the Winston Voice National Scholarship was Laura Santamaria-Mendez, and the Winston 2-D Art National Scholarship recipient was Kathryn Dennison.

"The depth of talent that we have in our community is truly outstanding," said event co-chair Howard Schwartz. "Our chapter is thrilled to be able to support these incredible emerging artists through our scholarship and competition programs. And we encourage everyone who is interested in helping students ascend to the next level of artistic success to join NSAL and become a Star Maker!"

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