Overview
The AMOCAT Arts Awards recognize the people and organizations that positively impact the community with their passion, innovation, and commitment to the arts.
AMOCAT Arts Award recipients are nominated by the public and the Tacoma Arts Commission selects one finalist in each award category based on the breadth and depth of the nominee's community impact as well as the quality of work being done by the nominee.
There are three categories for recognition:
- Arts Patron
- Community Outreach by an Organization
- Community Outreach by an Individual
2018 Arts Patron
MultiCare Health System
This award goes to MultiCare Health System for their commitment to the health and vitality of our community through their support of the arts.
MultiCare is a not-for-profit health care organization with more than 18,000 team members, including employees, providers and volunteers. Their comprehensive system includes eight hospitals and numerous primary care, urgent care and specialty services. These include various clinics, care organizations, affiliated physicians, and a wide range of community outreach programs in both the Puget Sound and Inland Northwest regions.
MultiCare’s mission, Partnering for Healing and a Healthy Future, is the driving force behind their actions. MultiCare values the many critical health, wellness and cultural resources that support Tacoma citizens and a thriving city. MultiCare is a role model patron for arts and humanities and sees the arts as a strength and key asset to Tacoma’s robust community.
In 2015, MultiCare established the MultiCare Community Partnership Fund to support organizations that contribute to the health and vitality of the community in areas such as health improvement, economic well-being, education and the arts. Some of the recipients include the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, Hilltop Artists, Museum of Glass and Pierce Center for Arts & Technology (Arivva).
2018 Community Outreach by an Organization
Tacoma Little Theatre
This award goes to Tacoma Little Theatre for their historic service to youth arts education and producing quality theatre arts for all ages.
Founded in 1918 as the Tacoma Little Theatre and Drama League, Tacoma Little Theatre (TLT) is among the oldest community theatres in existence in the United States. TLT’s vision is to offer a destination for Tacomans to experience the Performing Arts through a well-rounded season offering familiar productions as well as new works, and to challenge audiences to experience the gamut of emotions that theatre offers in a welcoming, patron friendly, facility. TLT’s niche in Tacoma is producing a wide range of theatrical genres, including comedies and dramas, musicals and staged readings from its Off the Shelf series.
TLT also provides Tacoma residents with year-round education programs serving youth and adults in our community. During the 2017/18 season, TLT expanded their educational class offerings by 200% under the direction of their new Education Director, Nena Curley. Education for the school-aged students continues to thrive with ClubTLT, After School @ TLT, Dance Classes, Homeschool Theatre, Junior Actors, Improv, and Summer Camp @ TLT.
TLT embraces community programs beyond just theatre arts. TLT provides free tickets to underserved families via The United Way, hosts events for organizations such as The Gritty City Sirens Burlesque, Opera Elect, Grant Center for the Expressive Arts, and The School of the Arts. TLT partners with Tacoma Rotary #8, on special event projects and often donates tickets to other non-profits for auctions and special events. Last season TLT donated 250 tickets to help them achieve their fundraising goals.
2018 Community Outreach by an Individual
Jackie Casella
This award goes to Jackie Casella for her commitment to the literary arts and fostering relationships between artists and community members across the city of Tacoma.
Jackie Casella is a long-term resident of Tacoma and surrounding areas. She founded the literary non-profit, Creative Colloquy, in the spring of 2014. With a vision to support the local literary community and foster relationships built upon the mutual admiration of the written word, Creative Colloquy has provided monthly literary gatherings, open mic and online and print publishing opportunities for wordsmiths in the South Sound since its inception.
Jackie is a freelance editorial writer and has contributed to columns among the pages of Tacoma Weekly, City Arts Magazine, South Sound Talk, Post Defiance, South Sound Magazine, South Sound Users Guide and the Weekly Volcano. Jackie is a self-professed creative community enthusiast and strives through various projects to foster the positive growth of the Tacoma creative culture.
In addition to her contributions to Tacoma’s editorial scene, Jackie has founded and supported other creative community endeavors such as Tacoma ART BUS, Duchess of Downtown Tours, Wrist Magazine, Art on the Ave, and non-profits Peace Out and Puyallup Main Street Association.
Past AMOCAT Arts Award Recipients