Kansas City Young Audiences (KCYA) will present annual distinguished artist and educator awards at its bAm! because ARTS matter event on Thursday, March 29. The event, to be held at EventPORT 208 in the crossroads arts district, recognizes the educators and teaching artists who have enabled the organization to achieve its mission of providing arts education experiences to the youth of Greater Kansas City.
The Lighton Prize for Teaching Artist Excellence will be presented to Cathy Barton and Dave Para. In memory of Gertrude W. Lighton, this award is presented by KCYA to recognize excellence by professional Teaching Artists, who serve the KCYA mission by providing interactive arts education programs to students. Lighton Prize winners provide programs that consistently exhibit high artistic quality and a strong connection to school curriculum.
Cathy Barton and Dave Para have created a variety of dynamic performances for 25 years and are acclaimed for their expertise in vocal and instrumental music. They have celebrated the musical traditions and folk life of Missouri and the Ozarks in festivals, clubs, concert halls, schools and studios across the U.S. and Europe.
Cathy and Dave's school programs: Missouri Cultural History and Lewis and Clark infuse their love of folk music with history and both have entertained and educated countless children since joining the KCYA roster in 1986.
The Distinguished Educator Award will be presented to Libia Kozisek of the Blue Valley School District. This annual award, established in 2004, honors educators and school representatives who understand the importance of integrating the arts into daily classroom curriculum. This award is presented to those who recognize the correlation between high academic achievement and arts education. These dedicated educators and school volunteers work to provide quality arts programming for the students and faculty they represent.
Libia Kozisek is an amazing and dedicated educator and Cultural Arts Coordinator. Her hard work, commitment and leadership exemplify the qualities of a Distinguished Educator. Stanley Elementary has a robust Arts Partners plan including multiple arts experiences for every child each year.
Implementation of this rich programming takes resources and Libia has been a true champion at bringing together the PTO, the community and school leadership to ensure that the students of Stanley Elementary have access to the very best arts programs available. KCYA is pleased to honor her for her passion and dedication to arts education.
The bAm! because ARTS Matter event will be from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Guests will enjoy live performances by KCYA Teaching Artists Chris Hudson and Samarpita Bajpai, among others.
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