Business Support of the Arts Award Winners Announced

Pictured (left to right): Marshall Butler (Sanderson High School); Art Pope on behalf of John William Pope Foundation; Judy Irwin on behalf of Golden Corral; and Tom Dowd on behalf of Jerry's Artarama.

The arts have a direct impact on our economic growth and success. That's why the Chamber is proud to partner with the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County to present the annual Business Support of the Arts Awards. These awards recognize outstanding contributions to the arts in our area by businesses, organizations and individuals.
 
Congratulations to the following winners!

Large Business: Golden Corral
Golden Corral has supported Raleigh Little Theatre, its nominator, for years both monetarily and with corporate representatives seated on its board. Golden Corral currently sponsors Raleigh Little Theatre’s Youth Education Program, which touches the lives of thousands of young people each year. Golden Corral’s emphasis on children and families runs throughout all its philanthropic endeavors, and Wake County is the better for it.
 
Small Business: Jerry’s Artarama
Tom Dowd at Jerry’s Artarama is there, unseen, with all the small, but vital pieces of support it takes to make art exhibits across Wake County happen. For example, Jerry’s Artarama loans the easels and awards the prizes for the 4th Congressional District’s High School Art Competition/Exhibit. They also frame the winning entry, which goes on display in Washington, D.C.
 
Arts Education: Marshall Butler   
Marshall Butler has led the choral wing of the arts at Sanderson High School in Raleigh for years. He has been named Sanderson’s teacher of the year, received the North Carolina Music Educators Association’s high school choral director of the year award and been recognized by the North Carolina Symphony. There are numerous young people who have gone on to college to major in music because of this one man’s inspiration and strength in teaching. Our community is the richer for him.
 
Individual/ Foundation: John William Pope Foundation
Investments by the Pope Foundation in the arts in this community over the past 25 years total over $1.9 million and include North Carolina Theatre, Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera, Performance Edge, The Raleigh Fine Arts Society and North Carolina Museum of Art’s “School Bus Scholarship Fund.” The Foundation’s support allows the North Carolina Theatre, for example, to provide tickets to clients of the Salvation Army, Raleigh Rescue Mission and Step-Up Ministries.

Learn more about the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County here.