Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2025 Annual Rockford Area Arts Awards!
Previous years Arts Awards
2024
Arts Educator of the Year | New Genres Art Space
Distinguished Artist of the Year | Nancie King Mertz
Excellence in Service to the Arts Award – Individual | Jennifer Kuroda
Excellence in Service to the Arts Award – Organization/Company |Maze Books
Innovation in the Arts Award | Rock & Roll Institute
Literary Excellence | Kimberla Lawson Roby
Performing Artist of the Year | Caitlyn Baylor & Meghan Baylor
Placemaking + Spacemaking | Domingos En El Parque
Production of the Year | Soar Awards
Visual Artist of the Year | Molly Carter
Young Arts Ambassador | Dice White
Lifetime Achievement | Jeff Hendry
2023
Lifetime Achievement in Memoriam | Bruce McDonald
Distinguished Artist of the Year | Betsy Youngquist
Visual Artist of the Year | Brett Whitacre
Performing Artist of the Year | Micky Torpedo
Production of the Year | The Studio: The Girls of Summer
Innovation in the Arts | SOMNIUM: The Book of Dreams and Nightmares
Arts Educator of the Year | Judith Meyer
Young Arts Ambassador | Lincoln Halverson
Excellence in Service to the Arts Award – Individual | Norm Knott
Excellence in Service to the Arts Award – Organization/Company | Tad More Tailoring
Placemaking + Spacemaking | Stay and Sew
2022
Lifetime Achievement Award | Dorothy Paige Turner
Distinguished Artist of the Year | Fatherless Print Posse
Visual Artist of the Year | Jenny Mathews
Performing Artist of the Year | Robert Rub
Innovation in the Arts | 317 Art Collective
Arts Educator of the Year | Brian Hierstein
Youth Arts Ambassador | Juwayria Zahurullah
Excellence in Service to the Arts | Stars of Light – Stepping Stones
Placemaking + Spacemaking | Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Public Art of the Year | Women’s Suffrage Centennial Plaza & Committee
2021
Lifetime Achievement in Memoriam | Deborah Newton
Distinguished Artist of the Year | Steven Larsen
Visual Artist of the Year | Manny “Chinacat” Tang
Performing Artist of the Year | Richard Raether
Film of the Year | Bryan Nambo
Innovation in the Arts | Eddaviel Montero
New Media Artist of the Year | Iga Puchalska
Placemaking + Spacemaking | Dance at the Dells (Meghan and Caitlyn Baylor)
Public Art of the Year | Scott Yates
Arts Educator | Maria Castello
Youth Arts Ambassador | Tamir Bell
Excellence in Service to the Arts | The Arc of Winnebago, Boone & Ogle Co
