DONNA CUPELO
Donna Cupelo, president and chief executive officer of Bell Atlantic’s
Rhode Island office will receive the Business Volunteers for the Arts’
(BVA) Encore Award, its highest honor, at the BVA’s annual awards dinner
on Thursday, Jan. 28 at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet in Cranston.
The hosts for the dinner are Peter and Bobby Farrelly of Dumb and
Dumber, Kingpin, and Something About Mary fame. The Ocean State Chamber
Orchestra, Strong Woman, and the John Hope Settlement House Step by
Steppers will provide the entertainment. Artwork will be on display from
CenterCity Artisans with additional artwork by Jeremy Woodward. Karin
Reed of WJAR-TV is the emcee.
Cupelo is being recognized for “her outstanding leadership in support of
various cultural initiatives.” According to the BVA, Bell Atlantic has
contributed more than $275,000 to the Rhode Island’s arts community
since 1996.
Other award winners are:
Looking Glass Theatre and the Providence Children’s Museum, will
receive the Jabez Gorham Award as exemplary arts organizations. Created
in 1962, Looking Glass Theatre is a touring professional theater company
that works with youngsters, who then become part of the productions. The
Children’s Museum opened in its new home on Oct. 18, 1997, tripling the
size the size of the facility. In the first year in its new home, The
Children’s Museum welcomed more than 125,000 visitors.
Trinity Repertory Company’s Eugene Lee will receive the Individual
Achievement Award. A Tony Award and The Outer Critics Circle winner, Lee
is currently represented on Broadway by Ragtime and is production
designer for Saturday Night Live. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from
the Art Institute of Chicago, a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University, and
an MFA from Yale University.
BVA’s Arts Advocate award will be presented to Paula Martiesian for her
long-term dedication and support of the arts. A visual artist,
Martiesian is publisher of Quix Art Magazine, chairman of the board of
CenterCity Artisans, and a member of the steering committee for Gallery
Night, Providence. She received her BFA in painting from Rhode Island
School of Design.
John Custer, director of the Rhode Island College Performing Arts
Series receives BVA’s Special Award. Custer has been at Rhode Island
College for 30 years, the last 20 as director of its performing arts
series. Before joining RIC, he was lighting director at Trinity
Repertory Company.
BVA’s Volunteer of the Year is Frank Dempsey, a business systems
planner at Fleet Technology Solutions. As a BVA volunteer he has worked
with several organizations, including the Rhode Island Committee for the
Humanities, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, and The All
Children’s Theatre Ensemble. His work has ranged from design and
implementation of a data base system at the Committee for the
Humanities, to technology training at the Council on the Arts.
Tickets for the event are $150 for individuals. There are special rates
for artists and staff members of arts and cultural organizations. For
tickets and information contact BVA/RI at 521-5000.
