Pell legacy lives on with Trinity Awards

Don Fowler
Posted 6/18/15

One of my great joys every year is attending the annual Pell Awards, presented by the Trinity Repertory Company to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the arts.

The Pell Award …

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Pell legacy lives on with Trinity Awards

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One of my great joys every year is attending the annual Pell Awards, presented by the Trinity Repertory Company to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the arts.

The Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts went to Debra Messing, an East Greenwich High School grad whose work in the TV series “Will and Grace” won her numerous awards and current work in the series “The Mysteries of Laura” is receiving great reviews.

The award was presented by her high school teacher, Jack McConnell, a tribute to the dedication of teachers who realize the importance of the arts in school curricula. Now, if more school boards would get their priorities straight, including East Greenwich, we may have more recipients who have been encouraged by local educators.

The Pell Award for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts went to John Chan, owner of Chan’s Chinese Restaurant in Woonsocket, where “Egg Rolls and Jazz” go hand in hand. Chan has brought some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians to Woonsocket over the years and is an accomplished artist.

In my years commuting from Cranston to run the Woonsocket Chamber of Commerce, I enjoyed many lunches and dinners and jazz evenings at Chan’s. Take the short ride north some weekend and join in the fun.

Julie Adams Strandberg received the Charles Sullivan Award for Distinguished Service in the Arts for over 50 years as a pioneer in the field of dance. I had the pleasure of watching her work in her earlier years at Brown University.

Michael Gennaro was honored with the Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts for his major contribution not only to Trinity but to the promotion of the arts throughout Rhode Island. Gennaro recently left his executive director job at Trinity to assume a similar position at Connecticut’s Goodspeed Opera House, another great showplace for theatre, well worth the short drive from Rhode Island.

Hats off to Trinity for its yearly tribute to the movers and shakers who have made Rhode Island better for their dedications to the arts.

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