The speakers were preaching to the choir at Wednesday nights annual Richmond Arts Awards when they talked about the importance of art in a society.
The ceremony comprised a whos who of the Richmond art world out to show their support for a sector thats always placed first on the chopping block when it comes to budget cuts.
Art is an opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself, said Ian Forsyth, president of Creative City Network of Canada.
Its what makes a community have shared stories and shared secrets, that bring them together. Thats what creates a culture of a community, those moments, those points of contact.
With an emotional speech delivered by the first unsuspecting recipient, the night took off, awarding five other nominees who have made a difference.
We were built on one childs voice who deserved to be heard, said Debbie Tobin, from the BC Childrens Art and Literacy Centre Society, which received the first award for Arts Education. Every child needs a champion and were so lucky to have hundreds of champions who support us.
Since 2004, the society has provided teachers with the support to deliver the arts curriculum and use it to enhance learning and literacy.
It also produces the Childrens Arts Festival in partnership with the City of Richmond.
Shirley Liu, a young artist, was recognized with the Youth Arts Award, and in a touching speech, expressed her overwhelming gratitude for those who supported her.
The Steveston-London student is a visual artist who has worked on murals for charities and designed T-shirts and buttons to fundraise in aid of the Japanese tsunami relief efforts.
Other award winners included Jeanette G. Lee for Artistic Innovation; RBC Royal Bank for Business and Arts; Nes and Tonette Gatus for Volunteerism; and Gateway Theatre for Cultural Leadership. The night also included musical performances and an Indian dance by Sudnya Mulye.
