Dingeldein Gala to recognize artists, contributions

A festive evening for the arts is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday when the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri announces recipients of the Otto F. Dingeldein and Friend of the Arts awards.

The gala will be held at the Historic Oliver-Leming House in Cape Girardeau. Murielle Gaither, executive director of the arts council, said about 100 people are expected. The 6 to 8 p.m. time frame is a time change, announced Monday by the organization.

The Otto F. Dingeldein Award was established in 1975 and honors living people "whose artistic achievements have made a considerable impact on the cultural enrichment of the Cape Girardeau community," an arts council news release said. The recognition can go to artists, non-artists, or organizations, the release said.

Dingeldein, who died in March 1991 at age 84, was the founder of the arts council. Gaither said he was a metalsmith, primarily a silversmith, who did a lot of work for local churches. According to a 1991 Southeast Missourian article, Dingeldein became the first recipient of the arts council's art achievement award, the Otto F. Dingeldein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts.

Dingeldein also started the yearly craft fairs that serve as major fundraisers for the organization, the article said.

Established in 2002, the Friend of the Arts Award is one of the "highest honors the Arts Council can bestow upon an individual, or organization, within the community," according to the organization's website. Nominees help the arts council achieve its goals for programs and outreach, the site said.

"This assistance can be delivered either through the nominee's service as a volunteer, or through donations of funds or goods," the site said.

The sole nominee for the 2013 Friend of the Arts Award is the Cape Girardeau office of Major Brands. Last year's winner was Element 74, which helped the arts council put up its website, the largest donation the council received all year.

Gaither said the awards are a "huge deal" for her organization. The laurels have been awarded for the past 30 years, but this will make it a larger event that the arts council hopes to continue for years to come, she said.

"There aren't any other organizations in our region who do things like this," Gaither said.

Nominees for the 2013 Otto F. Dingeldein Award are Don Greenwood, Brenda Seyer and Tom Neumeyer.

According to the release, Greenwood is a visual artist and illustrator. He worked for Hallmark and other publishing companies, is "an institution in our area" and is a charter member of the Visual Arts Cooperative locally, the release said.

Seyer has been an "outstanding supporter" of the arts in the region. Recently retired from teaching area young people in schools, Seyer, an artist in her own right, continues offering private lessons.

"As a loyal and contributing member of the Arts Council," the release said, "she has devoted her life to supporting the arts. She is a very focused, hard working and selfless charter member of the Visual Arts Cooperative."

Seyer recently won "Teacher of the Year" honors, presented by the American Legion, the release said. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, fine art shows, competitive/juried art shows and is in many private collections, the release said.

Another regional institution, Neumeyer operates a photography business, the release said. He has branched out into creative photography as a member of the arts council, a charter member of the Visual Arts Cooperative and has entered many juried exhibits, the release said.

He is best known for his historic and artistic photographs of the region, the release said. Neumeyer compiled a book describing "Cape Girardeau, Then and Now."

The arts council, the oldest in the state, has approximately 250 members, Gaither said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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