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Paul Kreider, former COFAC Dean; Gordon and Virginia Jockish, owners of Marketplace Selections; and Cindy and Chris McDaniel, PAS board members.
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Performing Arts Society Awards for 2010-2011

July 20, 2011

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MACOMB, IL – The Performing Arts Society recognized retiring board members and presented awards for service at its May banquet.

Nancy and Bruce Foster and Janice and John King, who retired from the board this spring, were honored for six years of distinguished service to the Performing Arts Society (PAS).

"The roots of the Performing Arts Society are grounded in volunteerism, community service and a love for the arts; and the PAS is fortunate that all of these qualities are in abundant supply at Western Illinois University and in Macomb," said Mick Cumbie, director of development in the College of Fine Arts and Communication. "The annual banquet is an opportunity to honor deserving people who make a tremendous difference at Western and in Macomb by supporting the PAS and the arts in the community."

Distinguished service awards presented include the following:

2011 BCA Award
The 2011 Bureau of Cultural Arts (BCA) Award was presented to Paul Kreider for distinguished service to the BCA over his seven-year tenure as dean for College of Fine Arts and Communication. Kreider was also presented a William E. Brattain Distinguished Service Award. See information below.

Community Service Award
The Performing Arts Society honored two women with the Community Service Award for their lifetime of service: Susan Shoemaker and Kelly Quinn.

Shoemaker, a lifelong music teacher and current choir director at Trinity Lutheran Church in Macomb, founded the McDonough Choral Society in 2002. The Choral Society is dedicated to nurturing choral music, cultivating public interest in choral music and instilling in its members a spirit of dedication and desire to excel; while also filling a need in the community by offering a choral music experience for both amateur and professional musicians, according to the group's website (http://mcssing.org ).

An accomplished artist and Macomb resident, Quinn's original mosaics can be seen throughout the community; but many were probably most familiar with her mosaic at Grant School (West Adams and McArthur streets intersection).

"Kelly is a tireless advocate for inspiring both youth and adult artists and ensures they have an outlet to properly display their creativity in the West Central Illinois Arts Center. She has been a member of the West Central Illinois Arts Center for nine years and currently serves on their board," said Cumbie.

Ruth Watts Award
Originally known as the Community Arts Service Award, the Ruth Watts Award is presented in recognition of special service to the Performing Arts Society. Watts served as the executive director of the Macomb Downtown Development Committee on a part-time basis, and, with a National Endowment for the Arts grant, she served as the first executive director of the Performing Arts Society, beginning in 1984. Along with the early board members, she enabled the PAS to grow from an idea into a viable and important organization.

The 2011 Ruth Watts Award was presented to three people: outgoing board member Janice King, Brenda Nelson and John Nelson, all of whom have dedicated countless hours and expertise in making sure PAS fundraising events such as the Gala, Wine Tasting and Beerfest are professionally run and fun for all guests, according to Cumbie.

William E. Brattain Distinguished Service Award
William E. Brattain, known as "Dr. B" to students, was the associate vice president for student services, a professor of recreation, park and tourism administration and served as the director of the University Union for more than 24 years. He was instrumental in providing leadership opportunities for hundreds of students, many of whom are now in the student affairs professions.

From his arrival to WIU in 1971, Brattain offered leadership and support in the development of the performing arts at Western and in the community with the start of Western's Bureau of Cultural Affairs (BCA) and the creation of the Macomb-WIU arts partnership, the Performing Arts Society, in 1984.

Originally known as the Illinois Service Award, the award was renamed the William E. Brattain Distinguished Service Award in his honor upon his retirement (1997) from Western. It recognizes special service to the arts in general and to the PAS.

The 2011 Bill Brattain Distinguished Service Award was presented to two of Western's administrators: President Emeritus Al and Elaine Goldfarb and former Dean Paul Kreider, from the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

Goldfarb, who became Western's 10th president in 2002, is a well-recognized and respected theatre academic. He and his wife, Elaine, were staunch supporters of the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Goldfarb provided an unrelenting strong voice to the list of legislators, local organizations and campus and community members who have worked together over the years to lobby for the center. Through what Goldfarb called "partnerships and collaboration," state money was released and other money was donated this year, and Goldfarb and Kreider participated in the April 26 ceremonial groundbreaking for the Performing Arts Center.

Kreider, who came to WIU in 2004, positively impacted the PAS when he guided it from the student services division to the College of Fine Arts and Communication, where its membership has increased by more than 30 percent. He positively influenced all of the PAS hallmark programs; providing ongoing summer music camp scholarships; increasing support to the BCA; and continuing the PAS full funding of the Youth Performing Arts Series. He also instituted the Academic Support Program to provide grant money not otherwise available to faculty; initiated Diamonds & Denim and Beerfest community get-togethers; and often sang with the WIU Opera Theatre. Kreider is also recognized for managing the detailed plans for the Performing Arts Center, which included gathering University and community input; managing the university's responsibilities in the capital development process; working with the architects; and chairing the PAC committee.

Corporate Salute
In addition to the generous support from its members, the Performing Arts Society enjoys considerable support from business and corporate partners, who make it possible to underwrite the expenses for performances brought to the community by the BCA and the Youth Performing Arts Series.

The Performing Arts Society began recognizing its corporate sponsors in the early 1990s through the Community Service Award. In 1996, the first Corporate Salute was awarded.

The 2011 PAS Corporate Salute Award was presented to Marketplace Selections, "a group of folks from Peoria who have been instrumental in the creation and success of Beerfest – the fourth social and fundraising PAS event. The award is presented not for underwriting support, but for their singularly impressive quality of service," Cumbie noted.

"Marketplace Selections is a family-owned Peoria business with a commitment to customer support. This past year, Marketplace Selections was the lone beer distributor for Beerfest and the results were simply outstanding," said Cumbie.


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