Preserve Arkansas, the statewide nonprofit advocate for historic preservation, has announced the recipients of the 2020 Arkansas Preservation Awards.
They will be honored in a virtual ceremony on Jan. 22, according to a news release from Rachel Patton, executive director of Preserve Arkansas.
Main Street Arkansas will receive the 2020 Parker Westbrook Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award is named for Preserve Arkansas' founding president and pioneer preservationist.
"Since its founding in 1984, Arkansas's Main Street programs have provided crucial on-the-ground support for local businesses -- attracting more than $573 million in public and private investment, creating 7,987 net new jobs and more than 1,483 net new businesses," according to the news release. "This year, Main Street Arkansas is being honored for its role in providing additional grant monies and support to local Main Street programs throughout the state during the pandemic, helping to save local businesses and keep our historic downtowns vibrant."
The other honorees receiving awards are:
• Excellence in Heritage Preservation -- Drew Calhoun, Corning.
• Excellence in Preservation through Rehabilitation -- El Dorado Apartments, El Dorado.
• Excellence in Preservation through Restoration -- Cane Hill Presbyterian Church, Cane Hill.
• Outstanding Achievement in Preservation Education -- Hillcrest Residents Association, Little Rock, for its Historic Neighborhood Design Handbook (print media) and Main Street Siloam Springs for its "Downtown Then and Now Historic Building Registry" (digital media).
• Outstanding Achievement in Preservation Advocacy -- Hillcrest Residents Association, Little Rock, for its Design Overlay District campaign.
• Ned Shank Award for Outstanding Preservation Publication -- "Historic Preservation: The Boyhood Home of Levon Helm" by Dr. Ann Ballard Bryan, published in The National Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences.
• Excellence in Personal Projects -- Boyce and Pat Dixon, Walnut Ridge.
• Outstanding Achievement in Adaptive Reuse -- Winchester Auto Building, Little Rock (honorable mentions went to AC Hotel Downtown, Little Rock, and Tommy Marshall Curiosity Center, Eudora).
• Outstanding Preservation Reporting in the Media -- Cary Jenkins, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
• Outstanding New Construction in a Historic Setting -- Jacksonport State Park Visitor Center, Newport.
• Outstanding Work by a Craftsperson -- Nathanael DeVries, Jacksonville.
• Outstanding Service in Neighborhood Preservation -- Justin Skinner, Fort Smith.
The awards ceremony will stream live from 6-7 p.m. on Jan. 22. The virtual event will be emceed by Ashley King, host of The Vine on THV11 in Little Rock. In addition to the presentation of awards, the ceremony will feature live commentary, sponsor check-ins via Zoom, and recognition of the charter members in Preserve Arkansas' 40 for 40 Sustainer Circle, kicking off the organization's 40th anniversary year.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at PreserveArkansas.org. More information is available from Preserve Arkansas at (501) 372-4757 or info@preservearkansas.org.