Nominees announced for awards honoring arts supporters

The region's top arts supporters will be applauded Nov. 9 at the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in Portsmouth, site for this year's Alli Awards.

The Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads, which sponsors the awards, announced the nominees Wednesday.

The Allis honor contributions in the past year to the local arts scene by individuals, businesses and the media.

Nominees in the arts professional category include poet Robert Arthur, author of "Hymn to the Chesapeake"; Linda Glasscock Bunch, who runs the Suffolk Art League; Hugh Copeland, founder and director of The Hurrah Players, in its 25th season; and artist Gloria Coker, who often donates her work to nonprofit groups.

Other nominees are Martha Frances Fortson, for her work with the Portsmouth Museums Foundation; John High-tower, for helping to create the Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News; and Peter Mark, artistic director of the Virginia Opera since 1975.

Other arts-professional nominees are Mark Hudgins, for acting, directing and designing shows for Virginia Musical Theatre; Eva Roupas, for coordinating the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School in Virginia Beach; artist Roderic Taylor, for volunteer work on various arts commissions; Monique Vermont, for dance instruction and bringing programs to nursing homes; and Dennis Zeisler, professor of music at Old Dominion University, for his work with the Virginia Wind Symphony and other efforts.

Volunteer nominees are Nancy Rhode, for her work with Hampton groups such as the Hampton Arts Commission; and the Symphonicity League, which raises funds for the Virginia Beach orchestra Symphonicity.

This year's business nominees a re Cathy Coleman, president and chief executive officer of the Downtown Norfolk Council, for helping to develop the arts event Web site Your757.com; Vincent Hester Gallery in Portsmouth, for promotion of arts endeavors such as the Seawall Art Show; and Kathy Howell, president of Howell Creative Group, for her work on a "Discover the Arts" map of arts sites within the historic triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg.

Media nominees are Paul Quillin Darden of Darden Publishing, for the creation and publishing of Hampton Roads Bravo! magazine; and William Ruehlmann, for his 30-year career as a journalist, author, book columnist and, most recently, professor of journalism and communications at Virginia Wesleyan College.

Teresa Annas, (757) 446-2485, teresa.annas@pilotonline.com