DATE: Saturday, November 22, 1997           TAG: 9711210091

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TERESA ANNAS, STAFF WRITER 
                                            LENGTH:   88 lines

ARTS PATRONS RECEIVE ALLI AWARDS AT CEREMONY

IN FEBRUARY, American Express gave $100,000 to the first Virginia Waterfront International Arts Festival. It was the largest donation to date by the credit card company to a Virginia nonprofit group.

Norfolk Southern Corp. gave an even larger sum - $125,000 over a period of time - toward the spring 1997 festival's expenses.

Both national corporations were honored Tuesday evening with ``Alli'' awards, presented by the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads, an umbrella arts organization that provides various services to the region's cultural groups, from administrative training to lobbying for governmental arts funding.

The ceremony, which drew 175 area arts leaders, took place at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News. Cultural Alliance president Minette Cooper and John Hightower, the museum director, presented the awards.

Without Norfolk Southern's ``lead gift'' and the donations by other companies that followed, the festival - which attracted 82,000 people to 70 performances of music, dance and theater in 23 venues - could not have taken place, said Rob Cross, the festival's executive director.

Cross accepted Norfolk Southern's award, he said, because officials were unavailable.

The Alli awards, begun in 1987 as a means to honor the region's top cultural patrons, are given yearly to businesses, media and individuals. While anyone in this region may submit a nomination, the awards are based on having made a substantial contribution to the arts, whether in volunteer efforts or cash gifts.

Ferguson Enterprises of Newport News, a national plumbing supply wholesaler, was honored for three decades of cultural support, including in-kind donations of staff time and cash gifts.

In the past year, 14 organizations benefited from Ferguson's largess. Since 1995, the company has been the top donor to Peninsula Fine Arts Center, most recently funding a special Andy Warhol exhibit and a sculpture prize in addition to a $6,000 annual donation.

WVEC-TV, the local ABC affiliate, was the only media group honored. The station was acknowledged for helping cultural groups through news coverage, free public service announcements and by sponsoring arts events.

As a former thespian, WVEC's public affairs manager Wendy Juren, said she felt a continued relationship to the arts. ``I have a theory that television is theater with health benefits.

``We're often criticized for doing something negative,'' Juren said, accepting the award. ``It's nice to be noticed for something positive.''

The individual category included longtime area arts supporters Andrew S. Fine and John R. Morison.

Fine, a Virginia Beach attorney who has served on dozens of boards and spearheaded civic and cultural projects for 25 years, was honored for his overall contribution. Among his many projects, he currently heads a committee seeking community feedback on exhibitions and programming at The Chrysler Museum of Art.

Morison, president and general manager of WHRO public broadcasting, also was singled out for ongoing support of local arts and culture. Cooper pointed out that, in addition to providing continuous cultural programming on two radio stations and one television station, WHRO has broadcast concerts by the Virginia Symphony and Virginia Opera on National Public Radio, and created a local cultural magazine television show that aired for two years. Morison also has been a board member for various cultural groups.

Also honored in the individual category were the 300 members of the Virginia Symphony League, who average 10,000 volunteer hours each year helping the Symphony produce newsletters, run the office, usher at concerts and host guest musicians, Cooper said. Members also gave $80,000 to the Symphony.

The final prize was the coveted Vianne B. Webb Award ``in recognition of continued active involvement in, and enthusiasm for, the cultural community in ways that carry on Vianne's vision and passion for the arts and culture,'' said Hightower, announcing the award.

The award is named for Webb, a fine arts advocate and WHRO vice president who died in 1992.

``Envelope, please . . . It goes to Bettie Minette Cooper,'' he said.

``Minette is a volunteer extraordinaire whose passion and commitment is to the arts,'' Hightower said. ``An outspoken advocate and extremely generous philanthropist, she has been a very definite change agent in our community, and in her role she has improved the quality of all our lives throughout the last 30 years.''

The Norfolk woman has served on the boards of the Virginia Symphony, Virginians for the Arts, Norfolk Chamber Consort, The Chrysler Museum of Art and many others.

``I'm stunned,'' she said. ``grateful, and honored.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MATTHEW FINE

Alli award winners, from left, John R. Morison of WHRO, board

members Bettie Minette Cooper and Andrew S. Fine at the Mariners'

Museum.

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