On Tuesday, April 25, the City of Dearborn hosted the annual Mayor’s Arts Awards, a ceremony to honor those who contribute to Dearborn’s rich cultural life with a variety of artistic mediums.
The 2023 honorees include:
- Mayor’s Award: Karen & Erik Sherman, Dearborn Youth Symphony (DYS)
- Special Recognition: G. Kevin Dewey
- Artist Performer: Marwa Hachem
- Arts Educator: Steve Glazer
- Patron: Dearborn Federal Savings Bank (DFSB)
- Organization: Dearborn Public Schools (DPS)
- Volunteer Award: William (Bill) Bialkowski
Mayor Hammoud presented the Mayor’s Award to Karen and Erik Sherman. For more than 10 years, the Shermans have been the constant guiding forces behind the DYS. They are advocates for the organization, which has provided music experiences and opportunities for students from across southeastern Michigan for more than 40 years.
In addition to this special recognition, there were six other categories that acknowledged the year's artist performer, educator, patron, organization, volunteer and a special recognition award.
The event, held on April 25, took place at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, and included performances by a variety of artists including pianist Jacqueline Csurgai Schmitt, Renaissance Voices, and a first look at the “Pictures Worth 1,000 Notes” exhibit at the Padzieski Art Gallery.
An afterglow reception followed the formal program and was generously provided by Qahwah House.
This annual event is a project of the Dearborn Recreation Commission/Cultural Arts Committee. Additional generous support was provided by the Dearborn Community Fund.
Other generous sponsors who helped make the evening a success included the following:
- East & West Downtown Development Authorities
- KW Legacy Keller Williams – Michael Phillips Group
- Ameriprise Financial – Jim Thorpe
- Dearborn Federal Savings Bank
- Malek Al-Kabob
- Qahwah House
