Papp Family to Receive 2015 Shelley Award at Governor's Arts Awards

The Papp Family, whose history of support for the arts as both advocates and donors extends over many decades, will receive the 10th annual Shelley Award at the 34th Governor's Arts Awards on Tuesday, March 24 at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, 340 N. 3rd St.

The award, named in honor of former Arizona Commission on the Arts Executive Director Shelley Cohn, is presented to an individual who has advanced the arts through strategic and innovative work in creating or supporting public policy beneficial to the arts in Arizona.

The Papp Family is represented by: family patriarch the late L. Roy Papp and his wife, Marilyn A. Papp; their son, Harry A. Papp, and his wife, Rosellen Papp.

L. Roy Papp, a former United States Director and Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank, established an investment counseling practice in Phoenix in 1977 and served on the board of four New York Stock Exchange companies. He served twice as Chairman of the Phoenix Art Museum Board of Trustees and was a member of the boards of the Desert Botanical Garden and Thunderbird Graduate School.

Marilyn A. Papp's community involvement began in Chicago. After moving to Phoenix, she joined the Phoenix Art Museum docent program and ultimately became president, eventually pursuing her interest in Asian art. Marilyn and Roy built an extensive collection of Chinese paintings which have been exhibited three times at Phoenix Art Museum and at 17 other locations in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Roy and Marilyn have made several gifts and loans of their Chinese paintings to the Museum.

Shortly before his death, as a 60th wedding anniversary gift, Roy funded the Marilyn A. Papp Foundation, which provides scholarships for graduate students in the study of Chinese arts and culture. In addition to her passion for art, Marilyn has also been on the boards of the Arizona Theater Company and Arizona Opera where she has served as president.

Harry Papp, Managing Partner and Portfolio Manager with L. Roy Papp & Associates, serves on the board of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, currently as chair. He is a longtime trustee of The Phoenix Zoo and chairs the Investment Committee for the Arizona State University Foundation, for which he is a director. He also serves on the board of the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Art Museum and Ballet Arizona and is President of the Arizona Five Arts Circle.

Rose Papp, Partner & Research Director at L. Roy Papp & Associates, is on the board of directors of the Flinn Foundation, currently serving as Treasurer and Chair of the Investment Committee. She also is a member of the board of trustees of the Phoenix Art Museum and the Desert Botanical Garden, where she was the former chair. She is a member of the Arizona's Women's Forum and ASU Foundation's Women & Philanthropy Program.

The Papp family's devotion to arts and culture endeavors also is shared by Marilyn and Roy's daughter, Victoria Papp Cavallero and her husband, Patrick F. Cavallero. Formerly of Phoenix, they now reside in Port Townsend, Washington, and support numerous Seattle area arts and culture organizations. Both also have supported and loaned art to Phoenix Art Museum and supported the Phoenix Zoo.

The Papp Family joins previous winners Cohn, Kathryn "Sam" Campana, Dennis Kavanagh, Gerry Murphy, Shirley Chann, Carolyn Allen, Bill Sheppard, Darryl Dobras. Jim Ballinger and John and Helen Schaefer.

The 34th annual Governor's Arts Awards will recognize individuals and organizations in categories that include: Artist, Arts in Education - Organization, Business, Community, Individual and Arts in Education - Individual.

Tickets are $150 for Arizona Citizens for the Arts members and $200 for nonmembers. Sponsorships are available.

For more information and to buy tickets visit azcitizensforthearts.org/governors-arts-award.

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