Arts council rolls out awards at annual dinner

In past years, the name of the Otto Dingeldein Award's recipient was kept secret until it was announced at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri's annual meeting and dinner.

But this year called for special measures to be taken because the recipients, Dr. Robert and Ann Gifford, are currently living six hours away from Cape Girardeau in Warrensburg, Mo., where they are visiting professors at Central Missouri State University.

The Giffords were told they were the award's recipients about three weeks ago so they could arrange time to travel to Cape Girardeau and receive it in person during the intermission of the Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company tonight.

While Robert Gifford will not be able to attend, his wife, Ann, will be present to accept the award.

"I'm thrilled to death," Ann Gifford said. "I consider it a top honor to be associated with the people who have previously received it."

Established in 1975 and named after the founder of the arts council, Otto Dingeldein (its first recipient), the award is intended to honor those who have made a considerable impact on the cultural enrichment of the community.

Anyone in the community is allowed to nominate candidates for the Dingeldein Award. The arts council's board of directors then chooses the winner from the nominations. This year there were 13 nominations, more than usual, according to arts council director Rebecca Fulgham.

Past recipients include Freck Shivelbine, Craig Thomas, Wendy Rust and Dr. Jean and Nona Chapman.

"We were excited because we've been very supportive of the arts council and were on the board for six years each," Robert Gifford said.

Robert Gifford was a professor of music at Southeast Missouri State University until his retirement last year. In the 22 years he was at the university, Gifford served as the director of bands, director of summer music camps, coordinator of winds and percussion, professor of conducting and conductor of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. He also founded the Southeast Chamber Players, a professional wind chamber group, through a grant he wrote.

His wife, Ann, is a professor of early and special education at the university, although she is taking a year off to work in the same capacity at Central Missouri State University. Ann Gifford has been especially involved in children's literacy. She was co-chair of the university's Children and Young Adult's Literature Festival, was a charter member of the Vision 2000 Literacy Committee and served as the president of the Missouri State Council of the International Reading Association.

"They have contributed to the arts in this community in a multitude of ways," Fulgham said. "They were just involved in so many different levels in the community. They are very dedicated to arts education and have worked diligently."

The Giffords were behind the Goals 2000: Fine Arts program at the university, which integrated arts into school classrooms through such methods as visiting artists and clinics. It also led to the creation of the Children's Arts Festival, a music and art program now managed by the arts council.

In addition to honoring the services provided by the Giffords, the arts council will posthumously honor Jeffrey Maguire, who died in a tractor accident in June.

What was formerly the Friends of the Arts Award, which was first presented two years ago, will now be known as the Jeffrey S. Maguire Friends of the Arts Award. During the arts council's dinner tonight, the award will be presented to Maguire's family.

The award is presented to someone who has supported the arts through volunteer work and/or contributing numerous hours to that endeavor.

"Jeffrey Maguire fit that bill," Fulgham said. "He and his family have supported the arts for years and this is our way of honoring them."

Maguire was a lawyer with Cook, Barkett, Maguire and Ponder in Cape Girardeau, as well as an amateur musician, who served on the board of the arts council and the Southeast Music Academy and was also involved in music at his church, First Christian Church.

"He represented what this award stands for," Fulgham said.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

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