For more than a decade, the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County’s ACE Awards have stood as one of the region’s most meaningful celebrations of creativity, honoring the artists, educators, organizations, and visionaries who shape and strengthen the cultural life of coastal Fairfield County. Since their launch in 2016, the Arts & Culture Empowerment (ACE) Awards have recognized the impact, quality, and diversity of the arts, spotlighting those whose work fuels community connection, innovation, and economic vitality.
But the ACE Awards have always been more than a ceremony. They are a gathering point, a moment to reflect on how arts and culture inspire, connect, and move a community forward.
Now, we invite you to be part of the next evolution of this beloved tradition.
We introduce The Mark Awards; a new name, new energy, and an expanded vision. It proudly continues the legacy of the ACE Awards, honoring the same spirit of creativity, community, and cultural impact that has defined this celebration from the beginning. This reimagined experience builds on everything the ACE Awards have represented, while opening the door to new voices, new stories, and new ways to celebrate the arts in Fairfield County.
The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County was proud to host the annual Arts & Culture Empowerment Awards breakfast, celebrating individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made significant contributions to the Fairfield County community through arts and culture.
On August 6, 2021, The Board of Directors of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County announced the award of funds from the Daniel E. Offutt, III Charitable Trust. A portion of this award was to be used to fund and support the ACE Awards, now known as The Daniel E. Offutt III Arts & Culture Empowerment Awards.
This year's ACE awards came back with a new look and feel! This sophisticated gathering, themed "Celebrating Our Creative Pulse," underscored the vital importance of arts and culture as drivers of economic prosperity, community cohesion, and quality of life throughout Fairfield County.
2025 Awardees
The esteemed Citizens Impact Award will honor Actor and Philanthropist James "Jim" Naughton whose remarkable career spans stage, screen, and television. A two-time Tony Award winner, Naughton has established himself as one of the most respected performers in American theater, bringing depth, charisma, and nuanced performances to every role he undertakes. In addition to his extraordinary theatre film and television credits Jim proudly donates his time and talent to help raise awareness for Medical Aid in Dying/Compassion and Choices as well Pancreatic Cancer research and funds for related social and cultural causes.
Ramin Ganeshram, Executive Director of Westport Museum for History and Culture, will receive the Community Accelerator Award for outstanding leadership in cultural development. The Westport Museum for History and Culture provides a welcoming space that deepens the way museum goers understand the past. Their award winning exhibit “Remembered” is the story of African American Westporters from earliest settlement to today. “Remembered” was recognized by the state of Connecticut but also nationally for its scholarship, excellence in design, and more importantly the efforts to uncover and memorialize the Black history of Westport.
Acclaimed Artist Jimmy Grashow has been selected as the CAFC Artist of the Year for his transformative creative work as a local and national artist. Jimmy Grashow is an American sculptor and woodcut artist best known for his sculptures and large-scale installations (such as cities, fountains, and menageries) made of cardboard. Grashow also created cover art for record albums such as Jethro Tull's 1969 album Stand Up and the 1971Yardbirds album Live Yardbirds: Featuring Jimmy Page. This June, Grashow will premier JIMMY & THE DEMONS at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival.
LifeBridge Community Services of Bridgeport will be recognized with the Arts Education Leadership Award for excellence in educational programming. Lifebridge Community Services has been Bridgeport's cornerstone social service organization for over 168 years. Their mission centers on partnering with youth, adults, and families to build resilience, improve well-being, and create pathways from crisis to stability through trauma-informed care and evidence-based programming. This year Lifebridge launched the Community Mural Club, led by local artist Alicia Cobb, which invites Bridgeport middle and high school students interested in visual arts to learn teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving while fostering a sense of belonging.
The Bruce Museum in Greenwich will receive the prestigious Beacon Impact Award for institutional excellence and community engagement. The Bruce Museum recently completed the addition of a stunning new wing confirming the museum's commitment to the public, families, community groups and business community. The new addition triples its space and adds galleries for art and science exhibitions. New public spaces include the Steven and Alexandra Swartzman education wing, auditorium, cafe, shop and sculpture garden.
2023 ACE AWARDS
The 2023 ACE Awards Breakfast was held on June 21, 2023
This year, the ACE Awards event highlighted the significant role that artists and arts and cultural institutions play in connecting communities across government, businesses, nonprofit agencies, educational institutions and municipalities.
In addition to our regular 5 awards, in 2023 we made an additional President’s Award to Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in honor of their significant impact on the arts, culture, and children’s health in Fairfield County.
2023 Awardees
Artist: Cris Dam is an artist-entrepreneur who has pioneered artists spaces in Berlin, Williamsburg and now Bridgeport. A productive artist himself, he is also a curator, entrepreneur and community organizer. After establishing his studio in Bridgeport, and reviving the art events at the historic Arcade Mall, he went on to establish Ursa Gallery in 2020, with his partner architect-designer Dustin Malstrom. Ursa’s shows not only give space to Fairfield County artists but add to the mix artists from around the world. Cris is now keen to introduce Bridgeport artists to the world, organizing the first Bridgeport booth at Art Basel Miami in 2022 and planning participation in future international art fairs. He is currently developing real estate on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport to create working spaces for fellow artists, raise community awareness, host events, and open a coffee roaster. His presence as an artist, curator, colleague, teacher and entrepreneur have helped catapult Bridgeport into a new era.
Citizen: Vic Mulaire. In 1987, when Vic Mulaire moved his Cricket Hosiery Co to Bridgeport, he had no idea he would be establishing the first of the five artists’ spaces that now thrive across Bridgeport. As one of the first companies to use the combination of knitting machines with computers, graphic artists were employed to design socks distributed internationally. In the early 90s, artist John Carnright set up a studio in extra space and other artists soon followed – much to Vic’s delight. Before long, an arts community had formed, adopting the name, Nest Arts Factory. In 2012, Cricket Hosiery and the Nest moved to the current Fairfield Ave. location. The sock company was sold, but the building lease was kept for the growing arts community. Easels and drawing tables replaced knitting machines and warehousing. Today, the Nest continues as a thriving community of artists working in a wide variety of media, with open space and a dedicated gallery allowing performing and visual artists to share their work with the community. Resident artists speak glowingly of Vic’s selfless generosity, kindness, patience, and dedication. Encouraging creative expression, he maintains a respectful, safe, and supportive atmosphere for the group and continues to foster a vibrant community within the space and the community at large.
Corporate: David Genovese. Since founding Baywater Properties in 2001, David Genovese has demonstrated a strong commitment to community needs in Fairfield County through both corporate philanthropy and working with nonprofit organizations. In 2007, he developed the Wilson Avenue Loft Artists in Norwalk, providing 15 studio spaces for artists, and that year was named one of the “40 under 40” business leaders in Fairfield County. Since 2008, he and his partner, Penny Glassmeyer, have sponsored the Darien Summer Nights Concert Series, bringing in musicians from around the country, and organize “Art on the Plaza,” where dozens of artists show their work in downtown each summer. To enliven the urban fabric, David is working with muralist Brian Kaspr, and, to stimulate discussion around mental health issues, with the You are Not Alone Murals Project. In 2018, David was presented with the Founders Award by The Connecticut Main Street Center, in recognition of his firm’s work on The Corbin District, a transformational mixed-use redevelopment in downtown. David has been a board member of the Human Services Council of Norwalk, the Darien Historical Society, the Darien YMCA, and many other nonprofits, and is highly respected in the business and real estate community.
Educator: Jenny Nelson has been an educator in theatre and music for over 20 years. She has two Master’s Degrees in Theatre — from the University of Arizona and Fairfield University — was a professor at City College of New York’s Graduate Program for Theatre Educators, has worked with many theatres, including Long Wharf, The Shubert, and Yale Rep., and with the Regional Center for the Arts. She is also Associate Artistic Director of Collective Consciousness Theatre. An exceptional educator, Jenny built the entire arts education program for the Westport Country Playhouse. She is deeply committed to engaging with Pre-K-12 students and adults through the art of theater to create experiences that inspire lifelong learning as well as fostering lasting partnerships with our community. Her education program is built on four tenets: empathy, literacy, collaboration, and activism. She lives these values every day, through her programs, such as the Playhouse Mobile Unit, a fully-staged play traveling to schools and surrounding communities building sustainable relationships with historically underserved audiences. Jenny is actively engaged in Westport DEI Education, in partnership with TEAM Westport and Westport Library. She is an inspiration to all who work with her, and has inspired thousands of young people in CT with her work.
Nonprofit: Fairfield Museum and History Center. Fairfield Museum and History Center is a community-centered museum that uses the power of the arts and humanities to inspire imagination, stimulate thought, spark important dialogue, and catalyze meaningful collaborations in a safe, trustworthy environment. Under the visionary leadership of executive director Michael Jehle, the Museum has become a vibrant and growing nexus of community life that welcomes more than 30,000 visitors annually. Fairfield Museum presents a broad range of humanities exhibitions that delve deeply into the issues of our time, as well as art exhibitions like the decade-long IMAGES photography show, that have encouraged and inspired up-and-coming artists from throughout Fairfield County. The Museum works closely with regional schools to support national, state, and local learning goals, by offering high-quality educational programs to more than 4,000 students and teachers from 65 schools in the region. Fairfield Museum believes that sharing diverse stories about our past, celebrating the individual’s role in creating and catalyzing social change, and promoting the value of an informed and active citizenry help empower students and their families to become active lifelong learners. The Museum partners with and supports dozens of artists, artisans, musicians, and performers, and collaborates with many fellow organizations in fostering a vibrant arts and culture community for Fairfield County.
President’s Award: Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, in recognition of their significant impact on arts, culture, children’s education and illness, and environmental preservation in our region. The couple met in 1953 and moved to Westport in 1960. While known as Hollywood’s power couple, in their private life they surrounded themselves with the people and philanthropic causes they cherished the most, opting to live quietly and raise their family out of the limelight as much as possible.
Over the years they actively supported many organizations, including The Westport Public Library, the Westport Historical Society, and the Westport Country Playhouse. Joanne also served as artistic director of the Playhouse from 2001-2005 and directed and acted in many Playhouse productions. Paul famously starred in a revival of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” at the Playhouse in 2002, directed by James Naughton, which quickly transferred to Broadway. They also dedicated themselves to land preservation around CT, including working to save Troutbrook Valley (now The Newman-Poses Preserve).
2022 ACE AWARDS
The 2022 ACE Awards Breakfast was held on June 15, 2022 at the Shore and Country Club, Norwalk
The 2022 Awards Breakfast, the first live ACE event since COVID, celebrated the joyful resilience of arts and culture, and their power to bring communities together, especially in times of crisis.
CAFC President, Cheryl Williams, opened the proceedings, and James Naughton was once again our entertaining Master of Ceremonies. Keynote David Lehman, Commissioner of Connecticut’s Dept of Economic and Community Development, testified how during the pandemic, he learned from colleagues Elizabeth Shapiro, head of the CT Office of the Arts, and Jason Mancini, ED of CT Humanities, not only about the economic impact of the arts in CT ($10 billion in 2020), but also how arts and culture operate as a tool for healing, for creating spaces to have nuanced conversations about complex issues, for bringing virtual classes and performances to those isolated during COVID, as a bridge to facilitating conversations about inequity and injustice, and more. Shapiro and Mancini also spoke at the event, and Lehman, Shapiro, and Mancini will continue working closely together to remake the funding of the state’s cultural infrastructure.
2022 Awardees
Artist: Alicia Cobb is a multi-faceted visual artist and emerging leader who is a source of inspiration for the local community and beyond. Alicia’s signature medium is body painting. She treats the human body as a sacred canvas, has been praised for her artistry, and placed in the top ten of a national competition. Her 2020 PBS interview with Ray Hardman on his “Where Art Thou?” series on Connecticut’s cultural identity was selected as one of the top 5 in the series. Alicia is also an accomplished muralist: several of her works are featured throughout the city of Bridgeport. She is a member of the Marketing Committee of the Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District and has been Co-Chair of the annual, day-long Jane’s Walk celebration of local, civic and community leaders. Alicia’s intersectional lived experience as a biracial woman has been omnipresent throughout her work. She is also a teaching artist who connects with students through arts integration residencies, and curricular enhancement programs. She specializes in designing curricula to foster creativity, curiosity, self-awareness, and authenticity, using visual art as a conduit to help others process the world and events around them more fluidly. Alicia’s devotion to young artists is especially inspiring.
Citizen: William D. Felton has been the chairman of the board of directors at the Westport Arts Center for over ten years. A leader among leaders who inspires the best in those around him, he has fostered and developed a board community that strives for excellence and productivity. He was key in moving the Westport Art Center to its next level of success, leading the multi-year effort to find, secure and improve its new home, as MoCA Westport, on Newtown Turnpike. His bold selection of the new name, physical location, and supervision of its design and construction, matched his choices of a world-class professional team to curate and produce shows and performances through the pandemic. The new building will serve the organization, and Fairfield County, for generations to come with many notable exhibits, concerts, programs and opportunities to unite our various towns through the arts. The Felton family has provided strong financial support not only to MoCA Westport but also to many other Fairfield County arts institutions and artists. His unwavering commitment to the arts, his leadership, guidance, passion and philanthropy, is an inspiration for others to follow. Sponsored by Gary Cosgrave and Lundberg Family Foundation.
Corporate: For more than 150 years, Fairfield County Bank’s community leadership has extended far beyond banking. The Bank, and its President Daniel Berta, have been strong supporters of the arts in Fairfield County for decades, giving financial support and participating in the arts and cultural life in each town they touch. A good neighbor, community champion, and generous benefactor, the Bank is well known for its commitment and a passion for giving back. In 2021, Fairfield County Bank donated more than $1MM to local non-profits, and the Bank’s employees collectively volunteered more than 3,500 hours with charities throughout Fairfield County. Over the last five years, the Bank has donated $700,000 in corporate contributions specifically to 55 arts and culture nonprofits, providing over 675 volunteer hours. Ten employees have volunteered in leadership roles with arts and culture organizations, and the Bank places many more volunteers and gives professional advice to the sector. Overall, these and many other examples demonstrate Fairfield County Bank’s dedication to making arts and culture available to everyone in our community through the organizations that make it possible.
Educator: Pam Lewis/Connect-Us has led a life of creating innovative and developmental after-school programs. Her work as a youth organizer began in 1984 as a producer of grassroots community talent shows in New York City. Throughout her decades-long career, Pam has worked with thousands of young people to create new performances in their lives. In 2017, Pam established the Bridgeport-based nonprofit Connect-Us, a youth development organization that connects suburban and urban neighbors in Fairfield County through a suite of free after-school programs that leverage a performance-based approach to youth and community development. Pam is dedicated to creating meaningful partnerships with local schools, nonprofits, businesses, and residents across Fairfield County. Connect-Us’s programs help young people to develop the skills they need to be successful in life –– whether it’s writing a resume, discussing social issues, working as part of a team, or finding their voice. As one former participant put it: “This organization feels to me like a kind of heartbeat for young Bridgeport creatives.”
Nonprofit: City Lights/Bridgeport Art Trail is an artist-led nonprofit organization that “serves the community through art.” Under the leadership of Suzanne Kachmar, City Lights and Co is an art gallery but is also much more. City Lights has tirelessly promoted the artists of Bridgeport, giving them their first art exhibitions, training artists as educators, assisting them to write grants to provide culturally enriching programming, championing public arts projects, organizing participation in Make Music Day, and much more. City Lights may be best known for creating the Bridgeport Art Trail (BAT), the largest celebration of the arts in Fairfield County, with more than 6,000 visitors streaming through city-wide open studios and attending gallery shows, music, and poetry slams during the 13th BAT in 2021. City Lights also created the annual Greater Bridgeport Pride event in 2010 and represents for many the furnace of creativity that is growing in Bridgeport. Sponsored by Spinnaker Real Estate Partners.
President’s Award: Alexandra Davern Korry (1959-2020) was a trailblazing lawyer, educator, and civil rights advocate, who was instrumental in the abolition of solitary confinement for juvenile inmates in New York City, was head of the New York State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights, and chair of the Harlem Educational Activities Fund, serving 300 young people a year, changing lives from middle school through college, with academic enrichment, social and cultural exposure, and individual attention. That commitment sparked another project: the Norwalk Art Space. Alexandra envisioned the space before her diagnosis of ovarian cancer. She found the property, a 1935 former Christian Science Church, adjacent to Mathews Park, Norwalk, realizing it was perfect for an art gallery, studios and classrooms. She envisioned a space that would enhance educational opportunities for under-served students, promote under-represented local artists, and provide the public a welcoming space to enjoy art and music. Alexandra worked with Westport architect Rick Hoag, shepherded it along while sick, but passed away before construction was completed. The Norwalk Art Space building, ADK House, is named in her honor. The renovated building was recently recognized by Preservation CT with an Award of Merit.
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Gate Lodge at Mathews Park 301 West Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06850
