THE 31ST ARTS AWARDS
For Distinguished Service to the Arts
in the Capital Region

About the event

Awards for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region

Established in 1989, the Awards for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region are presented under the auspices of Theatre Harrisburg, the region’s oldest performing arts organization. The Arts Awards gala and theatrical production, patterned after the Kennedy Center Honors, is a black-tie-optional evening that has become an important tradition in the Capital Region and is one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the cultural calendar.  The distinguished roster of past recipients includes artists and arts leaders, philanthropists and visionaries, educators, organizations and companies, all of which have had a significant impact on the cultural life of the area.

The concept of a community-wide Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts emerged in 1988 after Harrisburg Community Theatre (now Theatre Harrisburg) staged “Accolades & Applause,” an evening to honor a longtime and devoted friend, the late Margaret B. Masters, and to celebrate the achievements of three distinguished “HCT” alumni – TV writer/producer Carmen Finestra, New York City Opera’s Leigh Munro (the former Peggy Zimmerman Craig), and the late Broadway musician/conductor Leonard Oxley.  The success of the event and the enthusiastic response prompted the Theatre to create an annual Arts Award that would go beyond the HCT family to recognize individuals and organizations in the community-at-large.

In 2005, in lieu of the Arts Awards, an event was staged to honor Theatre Harrisburg’s Artistic Director, Thomas G. Hostetter, for 25 years of service.      

Arts Award recipients are chosen at a meeting of past Honorees. The Award to an Individual recognizes extraordinary contributions to the arts through one’s leadership, service, support or artistic achievement.  It is given without regard to paid/non-paid or professional/amateur status and is awarded to one whose work or contribution is regularly present in the Capital Region. The Award to a Company, Organization or Group recognizes an extraordinary overall contribution to the region’s artistic and cultural growth through leadership, vision and persistence, or through a financial or organizational commitment that sets new standards in fostering and/or nurturing the arts in general. 

Theatre Harrisburg was founded as Harrisburg Community Theatre in 1926 in the early days of the “Little Theater” movement. The Theatre’s critically acclaimed productions are a collaboration between the Theatre’s full-time artistic and administrative staff and local volunteer actors, technicians and backstage talent.  

ABOUT THE HONOREES

Dr. David Bronstein, D.O., a native of Ashland, PA, moved to Harrisburg in 1956 for an internship in osteopathic medicine and soon became involved in the local arts community as a backstage volunteer at Harrisburg Community Theatre (now known as Theatre Harrisburg). Dr. Bronstein’s belief that “the arts are priceless and a focus of interest that keeps the community together” led to his service to and generous support of many arts and cultural organizations. Among his leadership roles, he has been a board member and President of Gretna Theatre and the Art Association of Harrisburg, and a board member of Historic Harrisburg Association (HHA) and Mount Gretna Area Historical Society. HHA’s Dr. David Bronstein Gallery was named in recognition of his generous gift to the capital campaign for the Restoration and Modernization of the HHA Resource Center. He was recently honored with the 2024 John Harris Award from the Historical Society of Dauphin County (HSDC). Dr. Bronstein is nationally recognized for his collection of American Stoneware, much of which is on loan to the HSDC, and a piece of which is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Open Stage was founded in 1983 by Don and Anne Alsedek and Marianne Fischer to bring thought-provoking, socially conscious theater and education to the community. It began as the Studio/School for acting and then started producing plays in empty office space on Jonestown Road in Harrisburg. First called the Alley Theatre, it opened its first full season in 1986. Later, it staged its productions in the Rose Lehrman Arts Center at HAAC and, in1992, moved to its permanent home at 25 Court Street in downtown Harrisburg. Open Stage has remained a cornerstone of the Central Pennsylvania arts community, committed to education and outreach. Its production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” is seen by thousands of school students each year, and “A Christmas Carol” has become an annual tradition. It helped establish the Capital Area School for the Arts and was instrumental in the creation of the Sankofa African American Theatre Company. It continues to inspire young talent through The Alsedek Theatre School. In 2017, Stuart Landon became Producing Artistic Director, broadening the theatre’s artistic scope, leading a renovation and expansion to three versatile performance spaces, and adding innovative new programming to celebrate diverse voices.