The Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame (FVAHF) is accepting nominations of outstanding visual, literary, media, and performing artists, for its 2022 class of inductees until November 1. Forms can be found at foxvalleyartshalloffame.org. Past honorees include Jeffrey Hunt, Paula Zahn, Guy J. Bellaver, John Drury, Frank Catalano, Margaret Hillis, and Sandro Miller.
The Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame (FVAHF) was a dream of Lucille Halfvarson and other Fox Valley arts leaders that took tangible form during the millennium (2000) celebrations in Aurora. A series of two-minute history sketches for public television briefly put the spotlight on the renowned violinist Maud Powell, an Aurora native whom a century earlier had the musical world at her feet.
That project evolved into the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame; a non-profit organization that gives public recognition to artists associated with the Fox Valley. A second objective of the FVAHF is to ensure a strong cultural legacy for future generations.
“It’s especially important during these days to promote and participate in the arts” said Board president. “The shut-down of arts and entertainment venues due to the pandemic has demonstrated how necessary the arts are to our well-being and enjoyment on both a personal and on a social level.
“Whether it’s visual art, movies, books, music, or dance, those expressions of our human experience have sustained us while sheltering at home. But the pandemic has also shown how we gather and connect in community around the arts and how critical the arts are to society in economic, social, and spiritual terms.”
Anyone may submit a name for consideration to the Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame (FVAHF) at no fee. The nomination form is at foxvalleyartshalloffame.org. The deadline for nominations is Monday, Nov. 1, and 2022 honorees will be announced at a press conference.
The inductees will be feted at a grand gala Friday, April 22, 2022, at Villa Olivia in Bartlett, which will include FVAHF 2020 inductees because that event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inductees are honored with engraved plaques that are displayed at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin.
The Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame recognizes artists associated with the Fox Valley by birth, education, residence, or service, who have achieved international, or national, acclaim. Candidates should have completed 20 years in their professional field and received recognition for excellence. The honor is for living artists, or can be awarded posthumously. Artists previously recommended may be nominated again, but a new form is necessary. Foxvalleyartshalloffame.org will have both nomination forms and more information.
— Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame