Title
To recognize and celebrate Barbara R. Nicholson for her dedication and commitment to Human Rights, Social Justice and Cultural Democracy, leaving a Legacy of Excellence in Central Ohio
Body
WHEREAS, Barbara R. Nicholson has served as the Executive Director of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing and Cultural Arts Complex since 1991; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nicholson is a member of the board of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority and serves as President of the Urbancrest Community Investment Corporation; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nicholson is a member of the Tuskegee Airmen & Eddie Rickenbacker Foundation board, Corporate Sisters, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission Advisory Council of Ohio Women and the First Circle Advisory Board of the Association of American Cultures, of which she is a founding member; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nicholson has served on the Greater Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau and Riverfront Commons Board, the National Endowment for the Arts' Super Challenge and Advancement panels, and chaired both the Presenting and Commissioning and Expansion Arts panels; and
WHEREAS, prior to moving to Columbus, Ms. Nicholson served as Executive Director of the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and as the Mayor's Advisor on Cultural Affairs; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nicholson has served on numerous state arts council panels in Michigan and Ohio and adjudication panels selecting art; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nicholson has served on the boards of numerous Washington D.C., local and national organizations, including the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nicholson formerly served on the Columbus Commission on Human Relations, on the strategic planning committee of the Vision Center of Ohio, the Advanced Placement Panel for the College Board, the Arts Panel of the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, as keynote speaker for the Commission on Presidential Scholars and as a site evaluator for both the Lily Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts; and
WHEREAS, in 2003, Ms. Nicholson was the recipient of the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award and in 2005, she received the Governor's Award for Arts Administration; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Nicholson earned a B.F.A. degree at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, a Master of Arts degree at Columbia Teachers' College in New York City and a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Throughout her entire career, Ms. Nicholson has continued to work as a practicing artist; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby recognize and celebrate Barbara R. Nicholson for her dedication and commitment to Human Rights, Social Justice and Cultural Democracy, leaving a Legacy of Excellence in Central Ohio.