John W. Rutherford will receive the 2022 Birmingham Bloomfield Cultural Arts Award ‘for nurturing artistic voices.’ Rutherford enjoys an extraordinarily loyal following of generations of parents, students, and members of the community. He is a teacher/director at Birmingham Groves High School, the artistic/educational director of Village Youth Theatre and uses his own funds to run the independent “Barebones Theatre Productions" company. During the pandemic, Rutherford used digital rehearsals and performances, virtual competition platforms, produced plays written by professional playwrights with adult actors, created a Zoom playwriting/acting workshop that helped develop original scripts for production, and found ways to entertain community audiences with socially distanced and outdoor theatre opportunities.  His efforts to help all people find their voice through speech and theatre are renowned in our community as acknowledged by his receiving numerous state level awards such as the GUVVY Arts Educator Award as well as his induction into both the Michigan Educational Theatre Association Hall of Fame and the Michigan Speech Coaches, Inc Hall of Fame.

Contact: jwrtheatre@gmail.com, (248) 495-0998

 

   Howard Hertz, an entertainment lawyer whose client list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ in celebrity America, will receive a Special Lifetime Achievement Award as a ‘champion for artistic freedom’, honoring the huge impact his volunteer work has had in Michigan and beyond. As a long-standing board member of the Sphinx Organization, Howard Hertz encourages, mentors, and creates opportunities for underserved young populations in the world of classical music. His pro-bono work with up-and-coming musicians, writers and artists helps protect intellectual freedom at a time when books and all forms of art have come under political scrutiny. Additionally, his indefatigable efforts to support the growing film industry in Michigan, and his long-term presidency of the Detroit Music Awards Foundation--which was recently awarded an Emmy for its 30th year broadcast —are just some examples of his huge impact on the arts community and artists      
Contact: hhertz@hertzschram.com, (248) 335-5000      

 The Village Players, which is celebrating its centennial in Birmingham this year will receive the Partners with the Arts Award for ‘One hundred years of vibrant community theatre’. The award is given directly by the Cultural Council to honor a business, non-profit or organization in our community that supports the arts in a distinguished manner.        Contact: https://birminghamvillageplayers.com/          
     This year’s honorees will be celebrated at a limited in-person event at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center on Fri. October 14, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The ceremony will be broadcast on local cable and be available on our website following the event: https://culturalcouncilbirminghambloomfield.org/