The International Council of Fine Arts Deans
Award for Arts Achievement and Excellence

The Award(s)

By action of the Board of Directors and as presented to the membership at the 2003 Conference of ICFAD, the organization has created two juried recognition awards, each to be called The International Council of Fine Arts Deans Award for Arts Achievement and Excellence. These will be presented to individuals or arts organizations that have made significant contributions to the advancement or support of the arts. The award will consist of a specially designed medal and certificate signed by the President of ICFAD on behalf of its membership.

Purpose

The purpose of the awards is: To honor an individual or organization that has demonstrated significant advancement or support of the arts on an international, national or regional scale. Two separate awards may be made each year:

  1. To a national/international individual or organization. Nominations for this award will be sought from the ICFAD membership.
  2. To a local/regional individual or organization. Nominations for this award will be sought from ICFAD members who reside in the region of the upcoming ICFAD conference.

The awards are designed to raise the visibility of ICFAD in national and international arts advocacy. In addition, the local/regional award is intended to give recognition to a deserving individual or organization and encourage the awardee’s participation in ICFAD’s annual conference.

Eligibility

Those eligible for the national/international award include any person or organization known nationally or internationally who has contributed significantly towards the advocacy, support, visibility, or creativity within the arts.

The local/regional award shall recognize any individual or organization within the community, area, region, or state in which the upcoming ICFAD conference will be held, who have contributed significantly towards the advocacy, education, visibility, support, or creativity within the arts.

Adjudication

The awards shall be selected by the Board of Directors, headed by the President of ICFAD.

Nominations

Potential recipients for the awards shall be nominated in an open, public process. The host dean(s) of the upcoming conference shall work with the chair of the committee to disseminate information regarding the awards and the nomination process to the entire ICFAD membership and the appropriate community, state, regional, and academic organizations. The host dean(s) are particularly encouraged to nominate individuals or organizations from their own institution, and individuals who have no affiliation with the host academic institution(s) may self-nominate. No organization or institution may nominate more than a single individual or entity. Nominations must be accompanied by supporting documentation. All nominations shall be sent to the ICFAD Board of Directors.

Procedures

The following procedure for the awards is recommended:

  1. The call for nominations shall be given at the annual meeting of ICFAD during the year preceding the award. This call shall also be posted on the ICFAD website (with public access), as well as distributed to the Conference Planning Committee, who in turn will distribute it to the appropriate nominees/nominators within the community, academy, area, region, or state.
  2. Nominations shall be received no later than April 1 of the year of the conference. The nominations must be complete, including nomination form and supporting documentation.
  3. ICFAD Board of Directors shall meet to adjudicate the nominations and make a selection.
  4. Upon approval, appropriate media announcements shall be made. The President of the ICFAD Board or his designee in conjunction with the Executive Director of ICFAD shall initiate these announcements.
  5. The actual presentation of the award(s) shall occur at the annual conference of ICFAD. It is appropriate to honor the recipient at either a plenary session or some other public occasion.
  6. It is not mandatory that either award, or any award, be given each year. The ICFAD Award shall be based on meritorious contributions in support of the arts and the decision(s) on the awards is final and not subject to revocation or appeal.

Implementation

  1. The President/Board shall oversee the selection process.
  2. The ICFAD Board will select the design of a generic medal which will be given to the awardee. This design must be "generic," reusable, and shall be funded in part from the interest from the ICFAD Endowment, including initial costs, such as a one-time stipend for the artist chosen, and the costs of making a re-usable mould. Free and unlimited use of the design and medal shall be granted to and remain with ICFAD. An appropriate certificate signed by the President also shall be provided to the awardees.
  3. Determination of media advertisement, the need for a nomination form, and the details on the supporting documentation required will be determined be by the Board.
  4. The Award will be given to a local and/or national individual who will be able to designate a $1,000 Prize to a young artist or arts organization in the local region with ICFAD making the actual grant to this individual or organization.
  5. Awardees will receive a Certificate and/or Plaque recognizing their achievement and selection.

National/International Awards Conferred:

    [Inaugural Award]

Local/Regional Awards Conferred:

2004 Lily Yeh, artist, activist, community leader
2005 Shelley Cohn, arts community leader
2006 Gunther Schuller, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Practitioner
2007Joseph P. Riley, Mayor of Charleston
2007Mary Jackson, national craft artist