SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College Foundation has selected 11 individuals to be recognized for their contributions to the arts at Hartnell College and the Salinas Valley community.
This year’s honorees are: José G. Ortiz, Distinguished Alumnus in the Arts; Gail Higginbotham, Community Arts Hero; Jeanne and Rollie Dick, Mimi and George Niesen, and Shirley and Tom Kiatta, The Western Stage Distinguished Honorees; Linda Gin and Pat Horsley, Distinguished Service to the Arts; and Burrell Leonard, Arts Legacy Award.
Ortiz and Higginbotham are both being recognized for their contributions to building community through the arts in the Salinas Valley. Ortiz is an alumnus of Hartnell College and the founder of Hijos de Sol in east Salinas. Higginbotham is the founder of ARIEL Theatrical.
The Dicks, Niesens and Kiattas are long-time supporters of The Western Stage, as performers, patrons and hosts of visiting artists. Each season of The Western Stage requires an inter-connected and supportive community, which these three couples exemplify.
Gin and Horsley have been long-time volunteers on the Hartnell College Foundation’s Council for the Arts, fostering support that enables the arts at Hartnell College to thrive and students to move from instruction to entry in the creative workforce.
Lastly, Leonard is being recognized posthumously for his estate gift in support of the visual arts at Hartnell College. The Burrell Leonard Endowment supports exhibitions in the Hartnell College Gallery.
The distinguished awards will be presented at the Gala for the Arts on Saturday, Aug. 17, at Hartnell College’s Main Campus in Salinas. The festive gala raises funds for scholarships and internship opportunities for arts students, and for arts programs at Hartnell College, which play a vital role in student development and in cultivating creative and resilient artists and communities.
Gala attendees may also enjoy The Western Stage’s production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature.
The gala is held in conjunction with The Western Stage’s 50th anniversary season.
For more information about the Gala for the Arts, visit hartnellfoundation.org/event/gala/ or contact the Hartnell College Foundation office at 831-755-6810.
