Awards and Scholarships 2007

COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Each year our Community Leadership Awards give us an opportunity to showcase the depth of commitment and range of talent among Bay Area community leaders. Chosen for their innovation and impact, as well as their initiative and inspiration, all of our award winners have enhanced the lives of Bay Area residents in tangible ways. Whether individuals or organizations, the 2007 winners stand out not only for their visionary ideas and meaningful results, but also for setting examples and creating models for other communities to follow.

Usually four Community Leadership Awards are presented each year. In 2007, the Awards Committee was so impressed with the nominees that it felt it necessary to make an exception and recommend five candidates for that year’s Awards. This cohort of honorees conveys a strong message about the importance of bringing communities together and finding a shared voice on issues of immigration, social justice, and advocacy.

The 2007 Community Leadership Award Winners:

Jane Garcia, $10,000
The chief executive officer of La Clínica de la Raza, Jane’s visionary advocacy reflects the cultures and languages of patients and has advanced the national, state, and regional public health agenda. Under Jane’s dynamic leadership, La Clínica de la Raza grew from a storefront clinic to a national model of multilingual and multicultural access to healthcare. More than 20 sites provide crucial healthcare and empowerment to hundreds of thousands of low-income residents across the Bay Area. In the spirit of the Robert C. Kirkwood Award, made to an individual in recognition of outstanding community service, commitment, and inspired leadership. 

Alonzo King, $10,000
As the choreographer, artistic director, and founder of Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, Alonzo redefined classical ballet and builds community through his commitment to dance. His racially diverse company transformed the dance scene and our collective perception of dance by combining cultural traditions with classical ballet. His striking and creative performances exhilarate audiences around the world. In the spirit of the Helen Crocker Russell Award, made to an under-recognized, mature artist who has made a significant and ongoing contribution in the Bay Area. 

Eva Paterson, $10,000
As president of the Equal Justice Society, Eva has empowered thousands of people to make their voices heard in the critical civil rights struggles of our times. Eva’s passionate and longtime commitment to advancing social and racial justice through law and public policy, communications and the arts, and alliance building has had a profound local and national impact. Her vision, coalition building, and tenacity have not only won landmark cases, but have raised the visibility and impact of the justice movement to change the very fabric of our society. In the spirit of The San Francisco Foundation Award, made to an individual demonstrating exemplary commitment to improving human relations in the Bay Area.

Arnold Perkins, $10,000
As the past director of the Alameda County Public Health Department, Arnold’s broad experiences reflect his passion to build and strengthen community spirit. Through his lifelong commitment to the Bay Area, Arnold has mentored hundreds of African American men and challenged them to be leaders in their own right. His diverse and inspired leadership creates positive change in the health of underserved communities locally and throughout the world. In the spirit of The San Francisco Foundation Award, made to an individual demonstrating exemplary commitment to improving human relations in the Bay Area.

Swords to Plowshares, $20,000
Swords to Plowshares is a critical center of support, advocacy, and services for war veterans. It has successfully transitioned from its origins serving Vietnam War veterans to now accommodating all veterans, including those from the current Iraq War. As a leading advocate for homeless and low-income veterans, it transforms national policy and provides comprehensive services, including counseling, employment programs, housing, and legal assistance. In the spirit of The San Francisco Foundation Award, made to an individual demonstrating exemplary commitment to improving human relations in the Bay Area.

KOSHLAND YOUNG LEADER AWARDS

The Koshland Young Leader Awards recognize the next generation of leadership in our community. These impressive high school seniors from San Francisco public schools are strongly motivated to achieve in spite of the added challenge of responsibilities to their families. We applaud the Koshland Young Leader Awardees for their commitment to achieving their goals, succeeding academically, and pursuing their career ambitions. The students are nominated by their teachers and counselors during their junior year for this $5,000 award.

ARTS AWARDS PROGRAM

Literary Awards
On behalf of The San Francisco Foundation, Intersection for the Arts annually administers three special literary awards competitions intended to encourage young writers of unpublished manuscripts in progress. The Jackson/Phelan Awards are open to fiction, nonfiction or poetry, and the Phelan Award also recognizes works of drama. An additional award for nonfiction prose was established by Mary Tanenbaum in honor of Joseph Henry Jackson.

Joseph Henry Jackson Literary Award
Nathanael Malae, $2,000

James D. Phelan Award
Tung-Hui Hu, $2,000

Tanenbaum Award in Nonfiction
Roxanna Font, $2,000

John Gutmann Photography Fellowship
Allison Marie Sexton, $10,000

James D. Phelan Art Award in Film and Video
Geoffrey Ellis, $2,500
Apollonia Morrill, $2,500
Walt Odets, $2,500

James D. Phelan Award in Printmaking
Diane R. Althof, $2,500
Randy Michael Hussong, $2,500 

Cadogan Fellowships in the Fine Arts
$3,500 each for the Edwin Anthony and Adelaine Boudreaux Cadogan Fine Arts Fellowships in painting and sculpture.

Greg Gandy, Academy of Art University
Taha Belal, California College of the Arts
Michelle Blade, California College of the Arts
Danny Keith, California College of the Arts
Jessica Rosen, California College of the Arts
Sara Thacher, California College of the Arts
Marci Washington, California College of the Arts
Adrianne Watson, California College of the Arts
Trisha Grover, Mills University
Ann Kim, Mills University
Ethan Worden, Mills University
Matthew Bonner, San Francisco Art institute
Jennifer Brommer, San Francisco Art institute
Cameron Hockenson, San Francisco Art institute
Jody Medich, San Francisco Art institute
Jenna North, San Francisco Art institute
Zachary Starer, San Francisco Art institute
Brant Vest, an Francisco Art institute
Matthew Jones, Stanford University

Murphy Fellowships in the Fine Arts
$3,500 each for the Jack & Gertrude Murphy Fine Art Fellowship

Steven Allen, San Francisco State University
Marque Cornblatt, San Francisco State University
Ian Everard, San Francisco State University
Jason Jakaitis, San Francisco State University
Lizabeth Rossof, San Francisco State University

Shenson Performing Arts Fellowships
$5,000 each to provide professional track performing arts training and performance opportunities.

Soprano Heidi Melton, Adler Fellows Program at San Francisco Opera
Kathak dancer Charlotte Moraga, Chitresh Das Dance Company
Dancer Sean Orza, San Francisco Ballet
Actress Amanda Sykes, American Conservatory Theatre’s MFA program
Sitarist Arjun Verma, Ali Akbar Khan College of Music

Fund for Artist Matching Commissions
These awards support the development of new work by Bay Area artists and help small to mid-sized arts groups diversify funding by attracting individual donors. The first round of grants of up to $5,000 were offered to support the commissioning of new works by Bay Area artists, but have to be matched on a one-to-one basis with contributions from individuals. For the second round of applications, grants ranged from $3,200 to $5,000. 

First round
Chitresh Das with Chhandam Chitresh Das Dance Company
Eva Tam with Door Dog Music Productions
Taraneh Hemami with Intersection for the Arts
Donna Ozawa, Bob Hsiang and Christine Wong Yap with Kearny Street Workshop
Alan Chan, Eric Myers, Dawei Wang and Bik Lee with Melody of China
Patrick Makuakane with Na Lei Hulu I Ka Weku Hula Halau
Julio Cesar Morales with New Langton Arts
Gyan Riley with Paul Dresher Ensemble/Musical Traditions
Robert Moses with Robert Moses' Kin
Meklit Hadero, Todd Brown, Sameer Gupta, Gabriel Teodros and Prasant Radhakrishnan with Red Poppy Art House

Second round
Robert Henry Johnson with African-American Shakespeare Company
Lily Cai with Chinese Cultural Productions
Rhodessa Jones with Cultural Odyssey
Josef Norris with Kid Serve Youth Murals
Sara Shelton Mann with ODC Theater
Juba Kalamka, Katastrophe, Robert Karimi and Sean Dorsey with Queer Cultural Center
Guillermo Gomez-Pena and his troupe La Pocha Nostra with San Francisco Camerawork
Fred Frith and Patrice Scanlon with SF Electronic Music Festival
Octavio Solis and Larry Reed with Shadowlight Productions
Marcus Gardley with Traveling Jewish Theatre
Edwardo Madril with World Arts West
Chinaka Hodge with Youth Speaks