The Springfield Regional Arts Council is slated to honor late businessman and philanthropist John Q. Hammons during the 2013 Ozzie Awards, scheduled Sept. 7.
Hammons, the first individual Ozzie Award recipient who died May 26 at age 94, is being honored posthumously with SRAC's Legacy Award, recognizing his passion and giving to the Springfield arts community, according to a news release.
According to the SRAC, Hammons was picked for the Legacy Award to honor philanthropic arts contributions, including donations to create the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for Performing Arts at Missouri State University; the school's JQH Arena - which provides an 11,000-seat venue for musical and arts events in addition to sports; and the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University.
"Although John Q. Hammons has often been imitated, his success and passion have seldom been duplicated," the SRAC wrote in a bio provided by Membership Developer Coordinator Lexy Saner. "With a heartfelt commitment to giving, Mr. Hammons’ entrepreneurial spirit and legacy will continue through those he mentored and trusted, and they will carry on his enterprises with the same passion he always exhibited."
This year's individual Ozzie Award winners are Russ and Pam RuBert, Springfield artists and contributors.
Russ RuBert, the designer of K-Man in Jordan Valley Park, was part of the group who secured tax credits for the renovation of The Creamery Arts Center and has served as president of the Springfield Sister Cities Association and the International Sculpture Center.
Pam RuBert, an international award-winning fiber artist, is known for promoting the economic welfare of local artists by helping them develop professional business skills, according to SRAC.
Both have served terms as president of the SRAC board, and the RuBerts founded the ideaXfactory, a downtown city-owned contemporary art gallery.
The Regional Impact Award will be presented to the Springfield-Greene County Library District. In 2012, nearly 2 million people visited the district's libraries, which serve as a "workshop and public stage for arts education, expression and performance for all ages," according to the SRAC.
The Springfield Ballet has been chosen to receive the Organization Award, recognizing the ballet for reaching more than 7,500 people each season.
The SRAC is slated to present the Individual Art Collector Award to William Branson Bowman, whose collection includes works from 19th century realism to 21st cenutry avant-garde pieces.
The Ozzie Awards are scheduled Sept. 7 at the Springfield-Branson National Airport.[[In-content Ad]]
April 7 was the official opening day for Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant Show Me Chuy after a soft launch that started March 31; marketing agency AdZen debuted; and the Almighty Sando Shop opened a brick-and-mortar space.
