Columbus, Ohio – Columbus performer, director, and educator William Goldsmith will receive the $10,000 fellowship named in memory of former Greater Columbus Arts Council president Raymond J. Hanley, The Arts Council and the Columbus Arts Endowment announced today.
An anonymous panel of judges, along with the trustees of the Columbus Arts Endowment, chose Goldsmith as the sixth recipient of the Raymond J. Hanley Fellowship, an award for an individual artist who has demonstrated a high level of achievement while working for at least five years in the visual arts, performing arts, literary arts or any other arts discipline. Fellowship money is awarded to the recipient without restriction, so the artist can use it to further his or her career as needed. The fellowship is administered by The Arts Council and supported through the Hanley Arts Fund of the Columbus Arts Endowment, created upon Hanley’s death in 2006.
The award will be presented at a private reception September 11, 2014 at the Columbus Children’s Theatre.
After establishing youth performing companies in Texas and California, Goldsmith became the first youth theatre director at Players Theatre based in Columbus where he developed the Youth Theatre Program. He currently holds the position of artistic director at the Columbus Children’s Theatre. With over 36 years of experience working with youth audiences, Goldsmith has directed over 170 productions, authored 35 scripts, and taught theatre classes ranging from middle school ages to professional level performers across the nation.
Goldsmith has made significant advancements within theatre education by implemented the distinguished International Youth Theatre Program at Columbus Children’s Theatre, which he took 26 young adult actors in the CCT Pre-Professional Company (ages 16-21) to Britain and Scotland to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Their performances included, Into The Woods in 1993, Pippin in 1995 and The World Premiere of The Druid Tree in 2000. The company also traveled to France in 1994 showcasing Sweeney Todd and performed at the Avignon Festival in France.
His original scripts have toured the state of Ohio playing to over 800,000 youth audiences including his writing of the world premiere of Ebenezer!, a musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol which premiered at CCT in 2004.
Each year, the identification of a recipient is made based upon the panel of judges’ knowledge of individual artists working in the Columbus area and does not involve any application process. Based on the panel’s nomination of a recipient, the final award is approved by the Columbus Arts Endowment board.
As president of the Arts Council from 1985 through April 2006, Hanley helped to create a national image for Columbus as a city deeply committed to the arts. The award honors his legacy.
About the Greater Columbus Arts Council: Through vision and leadership, advocacy and collaboration, the Greater Columbus Arts Council supports art and advances the culture of the region. A catalyst for excellence and innovation, the Arts Council funds exemplary artists and arts organizations and provides programs, events and services of public value that educate and engage all audiences in our community. The Arts Council thanks the City of Columbus and the Ohio Arts Council for their continued support. The Arts Council has been recognized as one of the “5 Nonprofits to Watch” in 2014 by The Columbus Foundation. www.gcac.org
About the Columbus Arts Endowment: Created by past chairs of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, the Columbus Arts Endowment continues the spirit of advocacy and partnership that The Arts Council has encouraged since its inception. Culture is the exclusive focus of the endowment, which is intended to supplement, not replace, existing broad-based philanthropic support. The Board of Trustees of the Columbus Arts Endowment consists exclusively of past chairs of the Greater Columbus Arts Council.
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CONTACT: Jami Goldstein
(614) 221-8492
jgoldstein@gcac.org
