Former arts director receives top education honor

Former director of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at Missouri State University, Julie Bloodworth, has received the Arts Education award from the Missouri Arts Council.

The Missouri Arts Awards ceremony will be held in February in Jefferson City, which Bloodworth said she will attend.

"It's a great thrill and a great honor, of course," she said. "I feel as if I kind of got an award for doing my job, which is always nice."

Bloodworth worked for 10 years as director of the MFAA before announcing her retirement in September.

She said she didn't find it strange to be selected for the award following her retirement.

"I think that happens sometimes after a career, people kind of look back on it," Bloodworth said. "I'd rather be retired than dead."

In her time with the MFAA, Bloodworth said her commitment to making the arts part of everyone's education has grown.

"It has renewed my commitment to the arts and education in all facets," she said. "All the sorts of things that make people successful in their work lives make them successful in the arts."

Other award recipients selected by the Missouri Arts Council were:

• Jazz St. Louis for the Arts Organizations award;
• the city of Chesterfield for the Creative Community award;
• Juan Williams Chavez of St. Louis for the Individual Artist award;
• Betty Schaper of Park Hills for the Leadership in the Arts award; and
• Barbara Cooney of Sedalia for the Philanthropy award.

"It is an honor to serve as the chairperson for this distinguished committee, and I am very pleased for the well deserved 2011 Missouri Arts Awards recipients,” said Cynthia Cartwright, chair of the Missouri Arts Awards selection committee, in a news release.

In addition to providing statewide awards, the Missouri Arts Council - a state agency and division of the Department of Economic Development - provides more than $8 million a year to nonprofit organizations in the arts, according to its Web site.

Julie Bloodworth was interviewed by Springfield Business Journal and will appear in the Five Questions section of the Nov. 15 print edition.[[In-content Ad]]