The Studio@620 has announced this year's Studio Honors will be held tonight, November 1st at 6:20 PM for the first time at the historic Coliseum in St. Petersburg. The Studio Honors program will recognize five couples/10 individuals in celebration of its 10thanniversary. The "Magic of Community" will feature an evening of arts, culinary tastes, and community.
The community honors program began in 2009 as the Social Justice Pioneer Awards and in 2011 was renamed Studio Honors. In 2012, Ola Mae Jones Emerging Artist Award was established honoring Studio Co-Founder and Director
Bob Devin Jones' mother who passed in 2011 and was a profound influence on his life.
These honorees have been volunteers or artists at the Studio and the award includes a monetary stipend for the emerging young artist's artistic endeavors and/or college expenses.
Special Honors:
This year's Studio Honors, on the 10th Anniversary of the Studio@620, we dedicate our celebration to Dave and Astrid Ellis. Dave Ellis, Bob Devin Jones, and many members in the community created the Studio@620 in 2004. Dave became Artistic Director Emeritus in 2009, continuing participating with programs and service on the Board of Trustees. Dave is also a member of the Board of Consultants for the Florida Orchestra, serves on the Board of Hands On, Inc., and sings in a band. He created the First Night Labyrinth in 1996 which still appears every New Year's Eve.
Dave graduated from
Syracuse University in industrial design and spent much of his career in museum exhibit design in Washington, D.C. He was a consultant for the Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, U.S. Navy, as well as the Museum of History and Culture in Philadelphia, the Royal Commission, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Government of Haiti and more. He came to St. Petersburg in1986 to create Great Explorations with his two partners.
Astrid Ellis has spent her 39 year career as an administrator in health care with emphasis on obstetrics and pediatrics. At Bayfront Medical Center, she created a pediatric unit that remained open until the expansion of All Children's Hospital. She has served on the boards of Health and Human Services, CASA, National Conference of Community and Justice, Pathfinder Outdoor Education, Inc., and others. Her volunteer activities include Guardian ad Litem, International Museum, CASA advocate in the court house for injunctions, and together with Dave, in many Anytown programs. Astrid is currently treasurer of the Board of Trustees for the Studio and works with its volunteers.
The 2014 Honorees:Dr. Susan Beers Betzer and Dr. Peter Betzer - Suzy Betzer is a volunteer physician at the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, retiring from her medical practice as a Primary/Family physician in 2013. A graduate of the University of Miami Medical School, she has received several professional awards, including named by peers as Best Doctors in America since 1996 and Humanitarian Physician of the Year, Tampa Bay by Florida Medical Business (2004). Suzy has contributed her talents to various organizations in the community, including St. Petersburg Public Schools, The Florida Orchestra, Suncoast Center for Community Mental Health, Bayfront Medical Center, and been recognized with numerous honors for her volunteer service.
Peter Betzer is the President of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership since 2008. He was previously the Dean and Professor of the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science, serving 37 years on the faculty. Dr. Betzer received his Ph.D. in chemical oceanography from the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography. His prestigious career in oceanography, demonstrated in awards, presentations world-wide, scholarly publications, and appointments to the Ocean Sciences Advisory Panel by the National Science Foundation, and participation in numerous oceanographic expeditions, continue to develop St. Petersburg as an internationally prominent center of marine research as an entrepreneurial leader in our community. Peters has received civic awards from the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, Leadership St. Pete Alumni, and the St. Petersburg Bar Association, as well as distinguished achievement awards from his alma mater schools, University of Rhode Island and Lawrence University.
Suzy and Peter have resided in St. Petersburg since 1971, have two daughters, and live in the Crescent Lake neighborhood.
David Warner and Larry Biddle --
David Warner has been Editor in Chief of Creative Loafing since summer of 2004, and recently launched Ask the Locals, a guide to Tampa Bay from the perspective of notable residents. CL and cltampabay.com have won numerous awards for political coverage, cultural criticism, column writing and design. David has a B.A. in English from Harvard and an M.A. in Theater from Villanova, and was a 2001-02 National Arts Journalism Fellow at Columbia University.
Larry Biddle is the Director of the LGBT Welcome Center Development for Metro Charities, one of only three in the country. Larry was previously Executive Director of Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and co-chaired 2014's Equality Florida Gala. Larry has been a leading national fundraiser for more than 46 years for non-profit and political causes, and noted for cutting edge internet fundraising and promotional campaigns. Larry has a degree from the University of Delaware and is an E-Commerce Fellow at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
David and Larry have lived in St. Petersburg since 2004 and reside in the Historic Roser Park Neighborhood, where Larry served as the neighborhood association president for 5 years.
Dr. Nancy Bryant, MD and Dr. Kenneth Bryant, MD -- Nancy is a physician specializing in ophthalmology. Practicing for 32 years, she is a University of Florida medical school graduate. Dr.
Kenneth Bryant is a board certified physician specializing in urological surgery at Suncoast Medical Clinic. Practicing for 36 years, he graduated from the University of Florida Medical School. Both have been active in the St. Petersburg community in Academy Prep and the LINKS organization.
Dr. Peter Meinke and Jeanne Meinke -- Peter is the Poet Laureate of St. Petersburg. He's published over 20 books and his work has appeared in numerous journals and received many prestigious awards. Peter retired from Eckerd College where he founded and directed the Writing Workshop, one of the first undergraduate majors in Creative Writing in the country.
Jeanne Meinke's illustrations have graced the pages of The New Yorker (appearing 127 times), Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Early American Life, as well as Literary Magazines. Jeanne has collaborated with her husband as an illustrator on several books and newspaper columns. Jeanne and Peter have resided in St. Petersburg since 1966 (with brief residence in Europe as a Fulbright Fellow). Their four children are graduates of Eckerd College.
Dr. Richard Rice and Mimi Rice -- Richard is Director Emeritus of Eckerd College Theatre Department after 21 years of teaching and following directing theatre programs at SUNY-Potsdam, New England College, Univ. of NH, and Univ. of Memphis. Richard founded WordBridge, a professional playwrights laboratory, at Eckerd College in 1994 until it transitioned after 10 years to Clemson University and he now serves on its National Advisory Board. He is a frequent contributor to the Radio Theatre Project, founded by his wife Mimi.
Mimi founded the Studio@620 WMNF Radio Theatre Project (RTP Live!) in 2009, serving as Artistic Coordinator for its first five seasons; RTP Live! has broadcast and podcast 47 plays and counting. Mimi is a professional actress (AEA and SAG) and a Guild Certified Awareness Through Movement® teacher in the Feldenkrais Method®(GCFP). She was an integral part of WordBRIDGE during its 10 year tenure at Eckerd College.
Ola Mae Jones Emerging Artist -- Cassidy Mae Routh - Cassidy was one of the Studio@620's first volunteers beginning when she was 11 years old, earning her Florida Bright Futures Academic Scholarship volunteering for the Studio@620 and the former Studio Annex. Additionally, she was a summer camp student in the Sunscreen Film Camp held at the Studio@620 for 2 years and then as an Intern/Production Manager for 2 years. Cassidy received a Judge's Choice award at the Studio's first Member's Art Show in 2012, earning an exhibition at the Studio. She is entering her senior year at Florida State University in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, with an English Minor, and graduated from St. Petersburg High School's IB program. Cassidy serves as the President of the Student Art League at FSU. This summer she interned in New York City at Jax Media, a film and TV production company, and hopes to become a television comedy writer/performer.
Since its inception, the Studio has honored these local and global leaders:
2009 - U.S. Representative
John Lewis,
John Hope Franklin (posthumously),
Susan Sarandon, Ray Arsenault, Surprise Honoree - Herb Snitzer; 2010 - Buster Cooper; 2011 - Goliath Davis, Pat Mason, Dennis Lehane,
John Prendergast; 2012 - Johnnie Mack, Bill Maxwell, Dave Fischer, Jai Hinson,
Monica Raymund,
Mark Medoff; Ola Mae Jones Emerging Artist - (Inaugural) Glen Grieves; 2013 - Bill Heller, Terri Lipsey Scott, Cynda Mort, Special Surprise Award - Dar Webb, Ola Mae Jones Emerging Artist - Marcus Floyd
Studio Honors Committee - Sherry Sacino+ and Michele Routh+*, Co-Chairs; Studio Director
Bob Devin Jones, Robin O'Dell*, Alizza Punzalan Randle*, Bill Felice*, Bonnie Agan, Catherine Woods, Dr. Karen Monroe, Lisa Powers, Colleen Vieux, Matt Cowley, Marcia Crawley, Gail Eggeman, Diane Bailey Morton, Diane Shelly, Sandra Gadsden*+, Scott Schecter+, Matt Donahue+, Derek Keys+, Michelle Bauer+, Hal Freedman+, and the Studio Staff. *Current or Past Presidents Studio Board, +Current Trustees Studio Board
The Studio@620 is a non profit arts venue located at 620 1st Ave. South, St. Petersburg FL 33701. Visit The Studio@620 online at
www.studio620.org or call 727-895-6620 for more information.
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