It’s a sign of maturity that the 10th annual St. Albert Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts is a more streamlined awards show yielding an uptick in nominees, presentation and attendees.
Far from perfect – but what is – it yielded a satisfying show where recipients received big rounds of applause as congratulatory remarks were delivered on and off stage.
The biggest applause was reserved for Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Lewis Lavoie. As Mayor Cathy Heron, who met Lavoie in high school, and host Zach Polis introduced him, Lavoie walked on stage as a man genuinely humbled at accepting the recognition.
On stage he thanked one person – his wife, Renae.
“She keeps me grounded. She makes me sound better. She keeps me real. She brings me down to earth. And when I play it safe, she makes me take risks,” said Lavoie.
It was a genuine, heartfelt and quite romantic moment that beautifully capped the evening’s festive tone.
Four-time nominee Hailey Benedict, 16, was finally acknowledged for her eight-year contributions as a singer-songwriter-actress and general all-around entertainer.
Although the statuesque teen strode onstage with complete composure, she later stated she was shocked.
“There were so many amazing people in the category. Anyone was deserving of this award. But it is so great to be recognized,” said Benedict.
As a first-time nominee in the Emerging Youth Category, Stephen Badry was perhaps equally gobsmacked for the recognition.
“I did not expect this at all – not in a million years. It was a strong field of really talented artists and I appreciated walking out on top,” Badry said.
Samantha Williams-Chapelsky, a past recipient of the 2012 Emerging Artist Award, walked away with the Established Artist Award. She is the only nominee in the awards history to be a two-time recipient.
“I still feel new in my corner even though I’ve done this for 10 years. I feel I’m still expanding and developing. But as an artist I’m always trying new and different things,” said Williams-Chapelsky.
Excellence in Arts Teaching was awarded to Louise Petersen, an instructor for the St. Albert Heritage Foundation. The local potter instructs entire classes of school children during field trips to St. Albert Place.
“I feel elated. It’s nice to be appreciated. Usually teachers fly under the radar and you don’t get acknowledged. But this is special,” Petersen said.
The awards ceremony deviated from the norm this year in the Arts Champion category. Instead of presenting one award as it has in the past, it offered two.
Gazette publisher Brian Bachynski presented awards to the St. Albert Amplify Youth Advisory Committee and to art producer Phil Alain, who was unable to attend due to family matters.
Organizers planned and executed an elegant and well-thought out evening with an adventurous appetizer buffet accompanied by local entertainment.
There was only one thing that stood out like a sore thumb. The city’s planning department set up a table and was distributing information on a new municipal development plan.
While the gala attracted a large audience, people attended to pay tribute to artists – not discuss future city growth. Although the city likes to practice inclusion, this table was more appropriate for a farmers’ market.
All-in-all, the event was a success. And if there’s one truism, it’s that nothing succeeds like success.
