MARTINSVILLE, Va. (May 29, 2025) — Piedmont Arts will honor Marty Gardner and VisitMartinsville for their support of the arts at the 23rd annual Clyde Hooker Awards at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 18 at Piedmont Arts.
The museum will also recognize Arts in Education Award recipient Charity League of Martinsville and Henry County and the recipients of the Nicodemus Hufford and Harold Knowlton Work Memorial Art Scholarships.
The awards ceremony will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. with a reception to follow. In lieu of an admission cost, please consider making a donation to the Piedmont Arts Scholarship Fund. Guests should RSVP here with the number and names of the attendees in their party by Tuesday, June 17.
Gardner has been a dedicated supporter and Piedmont Arts ambassador for more than 50 years. She has given tirelessly of her time, volunteering to serve in important and impactful roles to achieve major milestones in the museum’s history. She was the project chair of the Shared Vision Campaign in the late 1990s, acting as a critical liaison between the expansion of the museum’s galleries and the ongoing operations of the organization. She was the campaign co-chair of the highly successful Growth and Restoration Campaign from 2021-2024, which funded critical needs and put Piedmont Arts on solid financial footing. She has volunteered for numerous Piedmont Arts committees, giving generously of her time and resources to help the museum grow into the community treasure it is today.
Piedmont Arts has worked closely with VisitMartinsville, the tourism department of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corporation, since its inception. The organization serves as a vital resource for promoting the region's rich history, vibrant culture and diverse attractions to both residents and visitors. Through its support, Piedmont Arts and other cultural attractions continue to thrive as anchors of tourism in Martinsville and Henry County. The organization helped to generate $72.8 million in visitor spending in 2023, supporting 806 jobs and contributing $3 million in local tourism-related taxes.
Charity League is a service organization of more than 400 active and sustainer women in Martinsville and Henry County. Members of Charity League coordinate the Foster Gallery at Piedmont Arts, which provides a space for students attending local schools to show their work throughout the year. The organization has also supported major Piedmont Arts educational programs like Minds in Motion. The group has helped fund educational scholarships, Missoula Theatre and programs by Patriot Players, Boys & Girls Club, Girls on the Run, 4H Summer Camps, YMCA, Brighter Christmas, Grace Network, Smart Beginnings and the Martinsville Library.
Breanna Boyd and Scarlett Norman are the recipients of the Nicodemus Hufford Memorial Arts Scholarship.
Boyd is a senior at Bassett High School who has been accepted into the School of Music at James Madison University. She is first chair clarinet, drum major, section leader, a two-time member of All State Band, a finalist for All-American Band and was chosen by her peers to receive the Best of Bassett award. She is currently taking part in an internship program with an elementary music teacher and middle school band director. She hopes to inspire and nurture young musicians just as her teachers have done for her.
Norman is a senior at Carlisle School. She has been accepted at High Point University where she will double major in musical theatre and marketing. She loves acting and performed the role of Dorothy in the Children’s Theater of Greensboro production of “The Wizard of Oz.” She plans to use her education and experience to continue performing and eventually become an executive producer for a community theatre company.
Nathan Hopkins, Ainsley Jones and Onyinye Ugbomah-Otunuya are the recipients of the Harold Knowlton Work Memorial Arts Scholarship.
Hopkins is a rising junior at Longwood University. He is a first-generation college student pursuing a degree in music education. He has taken part in many music ensembles at Longwood, including Wind Symphony, University Band, Jazz Band and the Camerate Singers. He is a member of the National Association for Music Educators, the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Student Council, the Cormier Honors College and the Honors Student Association.
Jones is a rising senior at Radford University pursuing a degree in dance with a concentration in dance entrepreneurship. She hopes to perform in the entertainment industry after graduating. She plans to return to school to obtain a Masters degree and eventually become a dance professor or run her own studio where she can offer scholarships to students in need.
Ugbomah-Otunuya is a rising senior at Longwood University pursuing a double major in graphic design and psychology. For her senior thesis project she illustrated a motion piece detailing the varying ethnicities of her native Africa. Her goal is to use her education for a career in art therapy.
About the Clyde Hooker Award
The Clyde Hooker Award was established in 2003 by the Piedmont Arts Board of Directors to recognize individuals and businesses in Martinsville-Henry County who have made significant contributions to Piedmont Arts and the arts and culture in our area. The award is named in honor of J. Clyde Hooker Jr. for his generous support of the arts.
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