ArtsFairfax Announces 2022 Arts Awards Honorees

The 2022 ArtsFairfax Arts Awards, to be held on Friday, October 28, 2022, will honor Capital One Hall; philanthropists Gary and Tina Mather; actor, director, and playwright Mark Brutsché; and Fall for the Book for their visionary contributions in Northern Virginia. The annual event supports ArtsFairfax programs and services.

The ArtsFairfax Arts Awards recognize outstanding arts contributions and arts supporters throughout Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. Each year, approximately 300 people attend this premier event, including local, state, and federal elected officials, as well as private supporters, business professionals, and arts and community leaders.

"We are delighted to honor the remarkable contributions of this year's Arts Awards honorees, who have all demonstrated a deep commitment to our community and to making Fairfax arts and culture more accessible," says Linda Sullivan, ArtsFairfax President & CEO.

As the nonprofit designated as Fairfax County's local arts agency, ArtsFairfax serves more than 200 nonprofit arts organizations throughout the County. Proceeds from the annual ArtsFairfax Arts Awards will benefit such initiatives as artist residencies in public schools and other community sites, professional development for arts administrators, the Fairfax Poet Laureate, and the promotion of arts and culture activities to Fairfax County's more than 1.2 million residents.

2022 Arts Awardees

Jinx Hazel Arts Award: Capital One Hall

Capital One Hall is this year's recipient of the Jinx Hazel Arts Award, ArtsFairfax's premier award recognizing an individual or organization whose vision and commitment has helped shape the cultural life of Fairfax County.

Part of Capital One Center's vibrant array of public art, entertainment, and retail, Capital One Hall opened in October 2021 and encompasses a 1,600-seat performance hall designed for Broadway productions, comedy, dance performances, and concerts; The Vault, a 225-seat black box theatre; and multiple other spaces for large and small events. In partnership with ArtsFairfax and the County, the world-class performance venue is also available for local community use. Capital One Hall is truly a beacon of entertainment and an investment in the quality of life for the Fairfax region.

Arts Philanthropy Award: Gary and Tina Mather

With the arts as a cornerstone of their philanthropic portfolio, Gary and Tina Mather are this year's Arts Philanthropy Award recipients.

As Board members and longtime supporters of the Wolf Trap Foundation for Performing Arts, the Mathers invested in the renovation and expansion of The Filene Center and the Foundation's education programs, ensuring the longevity of Wolf Trap, and Fairfax County, as an entertainment destination.

With the Inova Foundation Board, on which Mr. Mather serves, Gary and Tina Mather support affordable patient care and were the principal investors of the Mather Proton Center at Inova Schar Cancer Institute.

Together, Gary and Tina Mather are also strong supporters of the National Symphony, Washington Performing Arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Middleburg Film Festival, as well as Safespot, Jack Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation, and 100 Women Strong.

Arts Achievement Award: Mark Brutsché

Actor, director, and playwright Mark Brutsché is the 2022 Arts Achievement Award recipient for his outstanding career achievement and lasting contributions to the community.

A professional actor for the last 45 years, Brutsché has worked in film, radio, television, and on stage, including 19 years of rotating in and out of the cast of Shear Madness at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and a run at the Smithsonian's Discovery Theater with the "informance" about clowning, Two Fruits without a Peel.

As the Artistic Director of the Young Actors Theatre and the former Assistant Technical Director at Reston Community Center, Brutsché brings his four decades of professional experience to educating young performers ages 7-16 in the disciplines of voice, dance, and acting. Through Young Actors Theatre, which trains approximately 150 kids annually, Brutsché encourages his young performers to participate in all aspects of mounting a production, and more importantly, inspires the next generation of arts lovers to gain the experience of belonging in a community effort.

Arts Innovation Award: Fall for the Book

New in 2022, the Arts Innovation Award recognizes an organization that has implemented nontraditional or inventive approaches to their art form and has uniquely engaged audiences in the arts. In recognition of their forward-thinking literary programming, Fall for the Book is the Arts Innovation Award's inaugural recipient.

Based at George Mason University, Fall for the Book is the nonprofit literary arts organization redefining the notion of what a book festival can be. They annually attract 20,000 live and on-demand attendees as well as a notable roster of authors including Kristin Hannah (Firefly Lane), Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park), Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give) and Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow), among numerous others.

In addition to the Festival, Fall for the Book hosts "Pop-Up Lit Nights," a spring series of monthly readings in the City of Fairfax. During the pandemic, they offered inventive virtual offerings including "The Extraordinary Educational Journey of Frederick Douglass," an invaluable online curriculum resource for Fairfax County Public School teachers, and "Around the World in Five Novels," a continent-jumping dialogue featuring authors from Chile, England, India, and the U.S. With the motto, "A Writer for Every Reader," Fall for the Book is committed to diverse representation of writers from every genre, walk of life, part of the globe, and stage of their career, and they extend those values to other programs they've fostered, including a Writers-in-the-Schools program and a small press.

Sponsorships and tickets are available at ArtsFairfax.org/Arts-Awards