The television industry has its Emmy, Broadway theater has its Tony and film has its Oscar, all awarded at ceremonies steeped in rivalry. Anne Arundel County has its Annie Award, bestowed on seven local arts contributors at a casual ceremony.
In recent years this ceremony has been staged at Severn School's Price Auditorium, where local arts celebrities gather in camaraderie with their peers.
At the 10th annual Annie Awards program, founding Arts Council member Cynthia McBride gave a brief history of how the award was designed, and the early decision to award Annies to a select few who had made lasting contributions to Anne Arundel arts.
Recalling the first awards ceremony, McBride said, "The Annies were born on June 23, 2000, on the banks of College Creek at St. John's College. Among those first recipients were artist John Ebersberger and posthumously honored Annapolis guitarist Charlie Byrd for lifetime achievement."
On Oct. 21, the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County awarded Annies to Victoria Clark Waidner for lifetime achievement, Lee Boynton for visual arts, Nadja Maril for literary arts, William B. Ray for performing arts, James and Sylvia Earl for arts patronage and Rick Malmgren for arts education. After the Annies were accepted, the Arts Council distributed grant awards totaling $291,500 to 31 nonprofit county arts and cultural institutions.
Recipient of the 2009 award in literary arts, journalist/editor Maril accepted the honor in reflective comments recalling writing a play in first grade and noting the satisfaction budding writers experience when their first work is published. In 2005, Maril became editor of "What's Up, Annapolis" and after expanding the contents of that publication, helped to create two sister publications. A past president of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, she currently serves as vice president on Bay Theatre Company's board of trustees and on the advisory board of Mitchell Gallery of St. John's College.
Recipient of the visual arts award, Boynton acknowledged the influence of Cedric Egeli when he arrived in Annapolis, along with Cynthia McBride, owner of McBride Gallery.
Of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Boynton said, "Here was established an incubator for the arts where emerging artists could create quality work," a place where Boynton has worked for 25 years, painting and teaching. Boynton co-wrote a book, "Painting the Impressionist Watercolor," and is founder and president of Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association. Creator of commissioned City Hall historical murals, Boynton's paintings and watercolors are prized for their luminous capture of light.
