By: Saeed Akhtar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Tilbury Times Reporter
“After two successful seasons, we are excited to announce our third class of 11 inductees to the Heroes Wall of Fame,” said Dan White, chair of the Chatham-Kent Arts & Culture Network (CKACN).
Six local cultural icons and five legacy artists will be inducted into the 2024 class of the Chatham-Kent Arts & Culture Heroes Wall of Fame.
The Wall, launched in 2022 and located at the Chatham Cultural Centre, is a project of the CKACN. This community arts council, which supports the arts and culture sector in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, operates the Wall of Fame with sponsorship from Waste Connections Canada and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent’s Forward Together grant program. The Chatham Cultural Centre also provides additional in-kind support.
“The Wall honours individuals or groups, past and present, who have distinguished themselves in their chosen field or artistic practice both within and beyond Chatham-Kent. These inductees deserve our recognition for the passion they’ve shown, the attention they’ve received, and the pride they’ve fostered in our community,” said White.
“We at Waste Connections of Canada, operator of the Ridge Landfill, are proud to partner with our host communities to help recognize and celebrate artistic excellence that has had an impact at home and, in many cases, across Canada and the world,” said Cathy Smith, project manager.
“Highlighting the success and contributions of these individuals and groups can help inspire future generations of young artists to pursue their own dreams and achievements.”
Inductions are made annually in six categories: visual arts, performing arts, music, dance, literary arts, and cultural builders.
The 2024 class of inductees includes:
Visual Arts
Tracy Bultje – Landscape artist (Chatham)
Frank Jordan* – Wildlife artist (Chatham)
Leonard Jubenville* – Landscape and figurative artist (Pain Court)
Performing Arts
Lawrene Denkers – Actor (Chatham, East Kent)
Music
Tom Lockwood – Guitarist, songwriter (Chatham)
Frances Adaskin* – Pianist, teacher (Ridgetown)
Geoffrey O’Hara* – Composer, singer, professor (Chatham)
Dance
David Nixon – Ballet dancer, choreographer, artistic director (Chatham)
Literary Arts
Ray Robertson – Novelist, essayist (Chatham)
Arthur Stringer* – Novelist, screenwriter, poet (Chatham)
Cultural Builders
Buxton Homecoming – Community celebration (North Buxton)
“These inductees were chosen from nominations submitted by the public and the oversight committee. As it is every year, the final selections were difficult,” said James Snyder, chair of the Wall of Fame committee.
“We continue to be amazed at the sheer number of worthy candidates for future recognition.”
Efforts were made to represent various communities around the municipality and honour both legacy and contemporary figures. Inductees will have plaques permanently mounted at the Chatham Cultural Centre, as well as inclusion on the “virtual wall” on the CKACN website. They will also be recognized at an induction ceremony at the Chatham Cultural Centre (75 William St. N.) on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
The reception in Studio One starts at 6 p.m., and the ceremony begins at 7 p.m. in the Kiwanis Theatre. Before and after the event, 19 local artists will showcase their artwork in Studio One.
During the same ceremony, CKACN will formally recognize the first recipients of its Emerging Youth Artist Scholarship Awards: Teryn Romanick and Thomas Martin. Romanick graduated from UCC and is pursuing an education in fine arts at Western University. Martin graduated from CKSS and attends the Ontario College of Art and Design University.
The Heroes Wall of Fame oversight committee and the scholarship selection committee included James Snyder (committee chair), Christie Coatsworth, Juwels LeGardi, George Sims, Art Stirling, and Dan White (board chair).
