Blanche Ellis Starr Award for the Arts

In young womanhood she realized the need of a musical club as a stimulus and inspiration for the study of music in all its branches. In 1884 she became the founder of the Mendelssohn Club of Rockford and became its president for 26 years. She was known to musicians and musical leaders throughout the country. A devoted student of music, Mrs. Starr received her education in Rockford Schools and Rockford College. She spent her life in faithful service to help young musicians and to educate the people through the divine art of music. This award is given to a performer, artist, teacher of the arts or a woman who has made significant impact on the arts in the Rockford area.
 

2008 Winner

Cherri Rittenhouse
Nominated by Rock Valley College

Cherri’s love for art transcends teaching. She finds ways to incorporate art into every part of her life and the lives of so many more. It would be difficult, if not impossible to count the number of lives Cherri has exposed to art and this is what makes her a leader in the art world. She has taught for 20 years as an Art Professor and is now the head of the department. Since beginning her career she has found ways to continue bringing art to more people. She re-enforced its importance to high-school students by starting RVC’s Juried High School Art Show17 years ago. She continues to find new ways to make art accessible to more people by the variety of ways she makes it available. From sharing her own work at galleries locally and in Chicago, Houston, New York and Mexico, sharing her art collections through exhibits at colleges and her restaurant, that she also opens up to art lectures for the community. At the college she is an innovator by creating class offerings like Art History through Travel and online courses. Her art and culture magazine, Viva she has had published in both English and Spanish in more than 30 countries. Today, she is bringing art into her daughter’s classroom as a guest teacher and mentors formers students as they are now teaching art “leading by her example”.

Past Award Winners

2007 Charlotte Hackin
2006 Ingrid Dohm (opens a new window)
2005 joan e. cole
2004 Carol Wyman
2003 No winner
2002 Barbara Santucci
2001 Mary Ann Smith
2000 Virginia Noerr
1999 No winner
1998 Margaret Kleber
1997 Margaret Raether
1996 Eleanor Stanlis
1995 Maureen Gustafson
1994 Karen Howard
 

1993 Deborah Newton
1992 Susan Williams
1991 Martha Frantz
1990 Dorothy Paige-Turner
1989 No Winner
1988 Wendy Perks-Fisher
1987 Wanie Reeverts
1986 Virginia McDonald
1985 Christine Swanberg
1984 Judith Barnard
1983 M.Jayne Poor
1982 Ann Stahn
1981 Hannah Armstrong