10th Annual Annie Awards

The Arts

Seven Win For Their Contributions To The Anne Arundel Arts Scene

Another historical first winner was arts educator award winner Malmgren, son of 2006 lifetime achievement winner Ebby Malmgren, making them the first mother-son Annie winners. A former fine arts instructor at St. John's College and current chair of the visual arts and humanities department at Anne Arundel Community College, Rick Malmgren is committed to inspiring artists. His work has been exhibited widely and he has been published in "Ceramics Monthly, "Potters Guide." He has been featured in seven books including Susan Peterson's "Working with Clay," published 2009.

In accepting his award, Malmgren described his "days now filled with the joys, accomplishments and complexities of leading 75 faculty members who meet with 2,600 students each week to teach them to paint, draw, sculpt, design games, make videos, design Web sites - they think, talk, make and write about art."

Despite today's economy, Malmgren noted that the department's enrollment is up 25 percent, "showing that our students see their lives as inseparable from art."

Lifetime achievement award recipient Waidner is a lifetime Annapolis resident. She developed an interest in dance at age 4 when she performed at local dance studios, including her mother's Grace Clark School of the Dance. She later became an educator for Anne Arundel public schools, serving eight years as a teacher and 36 years as an administrator, was named "Principal of Excellence" and received the Washington Post annual Distinguished Educational Leadership Award. A current member and former trustee of the Anne Arundel County Arts Council, Waidner is a trustee and former vice president of the Annapolis Opera and donor to numerous county arts organizations.

Accepting the award, Waidner said, "I'm thrilled to be here, and my mother, Grace Clark, would be proud. Today I'm remembering my violin teacher and other teachers who influenced me."

2010 nominations

Nominations for the 2010 Annie Awards are now being accepted. Applications can be downloaded from the Web site at annearundelartscouncil.org.