Mayor thanks arts community at Excellence in Arts Awards

 

Mayor thanks arts community 

at Excellence in Arts Awards

 

During his recent State of the City address, Torrance Mayor Patrick Furey attributed Torrance’s rising reputation, in large part, to its thriving art community. He singled out the openings of new art galleries and theaters and improvements at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center.

Last Sunday, nine local artists who have made significant contributions to Torrance’s art community were honored at the 39th Annual Torrance Excellence in Arts Awards ceremony. The afternoon event was held at the Cultural Arts Center Toyota Meeting Hall.

The award for dance was presented to Diane Ratley, founder 24 years ago of The Dance Centre. The British native recalled walking on her toes when she was three, prompting her parents to enroll her in ballet. That led to career with the Royal London Ballet, before she “followed her heart” to the U.S. and began a new career as a teacher.

Painter Jody Lynn Wiggins and South Bay Lexus’ service and parts director Bill Messenger were presented with the Visual Arts and Design award. The two have collaborated on a series of arts shows at the gallery, beginning with “Flight Path,” a three-day temporary exhibit at South Bay Lexus in 2011.

 

Bondo Wyszpolski, recipient of the Literary Arts award and Torrance Mayor Patrick Furey.

Bondo Wyszpolski, recipient of the Literary Arts award and Torrance Mayor Patrick Furey.

Easy Reader arts and entertainment editor Bondo Wyszpolski received the Literary Arts award.

Wyszpolski traced his writing career back to a class assignment to write an essay on 19th century American romanticists, such as Poe and Hawthorne. He said he didn’t know what to write about the 19th century writers, but recognized himself as a romanticist. So he wrote about his thoughts  on Romanticism. His teacher praised the essay, giving him the confidence to pursue a career in writing.

Robert Minnichelli, who stars as Tevye in this year’s Aerospace Players production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” received the Drama and Theater Arts Award. The mechanical engineer with a degree from MIT, noted the contemporary themes of “Fiddler,” the 1964 Broadway hit about a 1905 Russian village. “‘Segregation, persecution, migration and family conflicts involving tradition and contemporary norms,’ — it’s a testament to theater that Fiddler is as relevant today as it was when it was written,” he said.

The Music Award was presented to Patty Breitag, who has performed as a piano accompanist for Los Cancioneros Master Chorale since 1997. Breitag talked of the satisfaction an accompanist finds in enhancing and sometimes rescuing the spotlighted artists’ performances.

The Tom Rische Arts Education Award was presented to Janene Ferguson, Torrance’s Cultural Services Supervisor for 15 years. Her involvement in the arts began when she was a young mother and volunteered for the South Bay Hands on Art program, now known as Adventures in Art. After starting work at Torrance in 2000, she increased the number of Cultural Arts Center classes from 15 to 125.

Gene and Linda Barnett were awarded the Katy Geissert Award. Gene was Torrance’s Director of Community Services for 28 years and active in the Sister City Association, Torrance Rose Float Association and the Education Council. He has been a city councilman for the past nine years.

Linda was the Torrance’s elected City Treasurer for 17 years and is the founding treasurer of the Torrance Theater Company.

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Dance Centre dancers perform at the 2016 Excellence in Arts Awards. The Center’s founder Diane Ratley was an honoree.

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