Celebrating art and artists

Grant recipient winners are shown during the Marion Cultural Alliances’ annual Applaud the Arts event, this year themed the Surrealist Ball. [Photo by Tammy Griffin/Tammy Portrait Artist]

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Posted November 25, 2024 | By Susan Smiley-Height, susan@magnoliamediaco.com

Marion County is blessed with an abundance of talented local artists. And their creativity was on over-the-top display during the Nov. 14 Surrealist Ball hosted by the Marion Cultural Alliance, with all manner of imaginative costumes and demonstrations.

The 17th annual Applaud the Arts event took place at the NOMA Black Box at The Reilly Arts Center. The evening began with performances by Artify Ocala, followed by the announcement of MCA’s annual art awards and cultural grants, funded in part with a match of $30,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts. With the bestowal of $60,000 to arts organizations, MCA has now awarded $585,000 since its inception in 2001. This is the eighth year the awards have been conferred.

Community members made nominations, and a committee selected a recipient for the categories of service, arts education and vision. The winners are:

ARTS EDUCATOR: Charles Eady
The award recognizes an arts educator who utilizes the arts as a tool for achieving excellence. Eady is an artist, author and educator whose work explores the history of the South, particularly the lives of those living there before the Civil War. Using a distinctive mixed-media approach, Eady incorporates historical documents into his paintings to open dialogues on lesser-known southern history.

A graduate of Claflin University, he won the 2021 ArtFields Grand Prize for his portrait of a girl who wanted to read. His art has been exhibited nationally and internationally. In 2023, Eady had his first solo exhibit at The Appleton Museum of Art, where his work is now part of their permanent collection. His pieces often focus on the everyday lives of free Blacks, aiming to teach history and address social issues.
Eady’s recent project is the art installation honoring prominent West Ocala citizens along the Heritage Trail on West Silver Springs Boulevard. Two of his works will be featured in the juried “Black Creativity” exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago in early 2024.

SERVICE AWARD: Darian Mosley
This award recognizes an exceptional individual for dedicated volunteerism in the arts and contribution to the arts community as a whole. Mosley founded Art Army Ocala, now Artify Ocala. Through collaborations with 50+ visual and performing artists and eight local organizations, she has organized nearly 20 events, including performances at this year’s Ocala Art Festival, to support local talent and increase visibility.
The nonprofit’s mission is to strengthen artistic connections in Ocala and foster a hub for diverse creativity. Artify Ocala explores different mediums and creative opportunities for all through hosting and partnering art events at no cost to the participants.

VISION AWARD: Angie Lewis
The award recognizes an individual in Ocala/Marion County for outstanding advocacy of the arts. Lewis has played a vital role in making Ocala/Marion County a vibrant hub for creativity through her leadership roles, including president of the Reilly Arts Center, president of the Marion Cultural Alliance and sponsor of numerous art events, including the most recent Ocala Film Derby. She has also served as a board member of the Ocala Film Foundation and Ocala Main Street.
Her legendary porch parties foster community connections and showcase local artists, and she proudly displays their work at her State Farm office as a part of MCA’s Art in Business initiative.

POSTHUMOUS AWARD: A Tribute to James Melton—The Tenor of his Times, for a Legendary American Life of Music (conferred by the MCA board of directors)
Melton’s voice captivated audiences wherever he went, from the Ocala High School chorus to the Metropolitan Opera. A leading tenor in the 1930s and ‘40s, he became one of America’s top entertainers and is considered Marion County’s greatest talent.
Raised in Citra, Melton achieved Hollywood fame, sang with the top vocal group of the time, The Revelers Quartet, and earned stardom at the Metropolitan Opera. His career was a golden era of success, yet few in his hometown are aware of his legacy. He earned two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for radio and one for recording, and now, on Ocala’s Walk of Fame, in front of The Marion Theatre.

MCA and the NEA also awarded funding to these arts organizations for programming and equipment for the 2024-2025 funding cycle:
• Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band: Concert series ($4,000)
• The Appleton Museum of Art: Free First Saturdays ($4,000)
• The Reilly Arts Center: Blues in the Box ($5,000)
• Ocala Symphony Orchestra: Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony ($7,500)
• The Ocala Civic Theatre: The Academy West Theatre Education Outreach ($7,500)
• Marion All County Choir: High School Choral Festival (4,000)
• Silver River Museum: Ocali Country Days (5,000)
• Fort King Heritage Society: Festival at Fort King (7,500)
• Dance Alive: Performances and outreach to underserved communities (7,500)
• Gulf Archeology Research: Hurricane Gladys and Fort King discoveries (3,500)
• The Marion Theatre: Ira Holmes International Film Series (3,500)
• Magnolia Art Exchange: The Business of Art (1,000)

MCA annually invites arts nonprofits to submit a grant application for a competitive process for grants up to $10,000. Since its founding in 2001, MCA has funded $585,000 to local arts organizations for programming and equipment. MCA has received a matching grant from the NEA for the past two funding cycles, allowing the local organization to double the amount of funding provided to local nonprofit arts organizations.

To learn more, go to mcaocala.org