The Springfield Regional Arts Council this morning announced the honorees for its annual Ozzie Awards that recognize local contributions to the arts community.
Four individuals and one organization are slated to be honored at an awards ceremony on Oct. 11 at the downtown Gillioz Theatre, according to a news release.
The honorees are as follows:
• Bucky Bowman Lifetime Achievement: David Harrison, author of more than 108 books and Missouri poet laureate
• Arts Champion: Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield, for including music, theater, dance and visual arts in its programming
• Excellence in Arts Education: Kat Allie, department chair of arts, design and humanities at Ozarks Technical Community College
• Volunteer of the Year: Molly Healey, musician and founder of Springfield's Earth Day Festival
• Arts Ambassador: Samuel Knox, co-founder and president of Unite of Southwest Missouri Inc. and event planner for the Springfield Multicultural Festival
Honorees are chosen from submitted applications by a committee comprising community arts leaders, patrons and creatives, said Shannon Cay, marketing and communications director for SRAC.