Lawrie Seligman presented with the Arts Touring Alliance’s
Rhoda Taylor Award
Rhoda Taylor was a
founding member of the Arts Touring Alliance of Alberta (ATAA), an organization
that offers programs and services that promote arts touring, and
provides networking opportunities and professional development for artists and
arts presenters.
Ms.
Taylor passed away in 1997 and since
1999 the ATTA has presented an annual award, in her name, to an individual who has
made a significant contribution to arts touring in our province. The
2012 Rhoda Taylor Award was presented to Spruce Grove’s own Director of
Cultural Services, Lawrie Seligman, on Friday, October 12.
Lawrie
has had an active and varied career in the field of the performing arts. As a
stage director, he has worked at theatres in Edmonton and across Canada
including the Citadel, the Mayfield Dinner Theatre, Manitoba Theatre Centre,
the Stratford Festival and the Banff Centre for the Arts. He has produced radio
arts at CBC Edmonton and television arts and drama at CBC Calgary. After
graduating from the Arts Administration course at Grant MacEwan, Lawrie worked
for three years as Artistic Director of Sunshine Theatre in Kelowna, before
coming to Spruce Grove in 2000.
Under
Lawrie’s capable guidance and leadership the City of Spruce Grove has built a
solid cultural foundation both within its boundaries and the surrounding areas.
A man with vision, Lawrie spearheaded
the journey that took Horizon Stage from being a small, isolated theatre to a
significant regional presenter in the Edmonton-area performing arts scene.
The
quality of entertainers that pass through the doors of Horizon Stage is second
to none, and artists and audiences truly appreciate the “Up Close and Personal”
experience. Lawrie’s commitment to presenting a variety of genres to promote
cultural diversity at Horizon Stage is a part of why he is so highly regarded
and respected. His vast knowledge of the
arts, and his willingness to share and mentor, has fellow presenters from
Morinville to Leduc and Fort Saskatchewan singing his praises.
To say
that he is loved, respected, and greatly appreciated by all those who work with
him is an understatement. Many members
of the City’s Cultural Services team and Horizon Stage volunteers were thrilled
to be on hand to see him receive this award.
“Lawrie’s
depth of commitment to his community, the arts, and all that it encompasses,
is
an example to us all.”
Lynne Bailey,
Executive Director of Prairie Debut
“This
is truly a great achievement from one who has done so much to advance the arts
in our great city.
He is
a leader and a pioneer in his field, and his achievements are
appreciated. Lawrie has truly added to the quality of life of our
residents and should be applauded.”
Tim Duhamel, Community
& Protective Services General Manager
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