And the Gold Crown goes to Steve Nowlin
Artists come and artists go. Philanthropists: same. College presidents: same. Galleries: same. But Art Center College of Design Vice President Stephen Nowlin, an Art Center grad in painting himself, has been the rock of the Pasadena and Southern California art scene for many decades. As the director of the Alyce Williamson Gallery at Art Center's Lida Street campus, he's hung dozens of brilliant shows, challenging and uplifting the culture.
That's why the Pasadena Arts Council, for 45 years supporting arts and artists in the Southland, went the highly unusual route of giving not three or four or half a dozen people its annual Gold Crown Award for distinguished service to the arts this year -- it just gave it to Steve. Who deserves it. It's a good thing among the bad stuff that surrounds us -- as was the party Alyce threw Wednesday to celebrate Steve and the winners of the Young Artist Awards: Chloe Cheney-Rice for dance; Lesly Glaeana for music; Allison Dufford for theatre; Arnulfo Reyes for visual art.
That's Art Council Executive Director Terry LeMoncheck and Nowlin above with Art Alliance member Joan Aarestad.