By Kevin Lee Associate Editor

The idea was noble enough. The intent was fine.

When Mobile Arts Council Director Bob Burnett announced in 2004 a grand gathering of arts personnel from all disciplines around the area, it sounded like something tailor-made for Mobile, a place where people certainly are drawn together for quick events and easy crowds. At the center of it all would be the First Annual Greater Mobile Area Arts Awards.

They went to the effort of securing a downtown hotel for the occasion, which featured a lunch banquet with a keynote speaker from far away. It was all very nice.

The vision was there.

But as noted before, there was a conspicuous lack of expected faces. We fielded later feedback that noted the forum’s scheduling for a weekday as a factor in thinner crowds. A great number of arts personnel have regular jobs that prohibit attendance at such.

Regardless, the awards continued from that year forward even if the forum didn’t. Last year’s proceedings unfolded beneath a Cathedral Square sunset in a relaxed atmosphere seemed drawn from a Chamber of Commerce brochure. The crowd was modest but healthy.

This year’s throng promises to be much thicker as the awards themselves will be handed out at the LoDa Artwalk on Friday, Sept. 8. Judging from the size of recent art walks, the crowd this time will not only fill the street, but should well overflow into Cathedral Square.

The recipients this time were certainly not surprising to most, all fairly visible members of the community. We asked Burnett the inside slant on what cemented the 2006 selections.

Dr. Sue Walker will receive an award for artist. “Well, of course she’s a former poet laureate of Alabama, so that speaks for something,” said Burnett “She’s also made a tremendous impact as an educator.”

The Chesser Gallery will pick up an award as business of the year. “Well,” said Burnett, “it’s a small business that has made a big impact in a short time.”

Dr. Joseph Mitchell was named educator of the year. “We received so much of an outpouring from his students,” said Burnett, “We had so many of them writing in and talking about him.”

WHIL, public radio from Spring Hill College, was tabbed organization of the year. ””They’ve just had such quality entertainment for so long,” said Burnett. “They’ve also had quite a role in advancing all of the arts in various aspects here. They’ve got that great new program featuring live music, too.”

The recently departed Palmer Bedsole will be honored as patron of the year. “I think that’s all kind of self-evident in his record,” said Burnett, “but in particular his efforts with the Center for the Living Arts.”

Celia Mann Baehr will receive an award for volunteer work. “She’s been the force behind that symphony, the president of that whole thing for the last ten years,” said Burnett. “Her professionalism, the amount of time and resources she donates to it make her another obvious choice.”

And the biannual ArtsForum? That idea might have transpired.

“Well, our committee addressed that issue,” said Burnett, “and we determined there were other ways, more efficient ways that needed to be explored. We decided that some of those missions we meant for the forum are being met in other ways.”

“We’re still opening up opportunities for dialogue with the our new facilities. We’re also taking care of part of our mission with workshops.”

The ArtsForum struck Artifice as something unique for the area, but not so fully engaged as to be missed at this point. There are plenty of other things going on around town to capture attention.

Like the awards ceremony itself. As noted, the potential for heavy attendance should make for positive feedback. Add in some optimum weather and that could be the match to the fuse, the spark that other recent events-some more professional, some more grassroots-have caught before they burst into the realm of community-wide happenings that raise arts awareness.

And the ArtsForum’s purpose?

Kevin Lee is Lagniappe associate editor. Contact him at klee@lagniappemobile.com.

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