Champion for the Arts
The Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission's Champion for the Arts award is presented annually to a person, or persons, who has made a significant impact in Virginia Beach's vibrant cultural and arts community.
2026 Champion for the Arts Award Recipient
Betsy Atkinson, a long-time Virginia Beach resident and distinguished business leader, has been a steadfast and transformative supporter of the arts for decades. Known for championing the arts through her business, Atkinson Realty, she uses her professional influence and network to grow audiences and increase visibility for local arts organizations.
A devoted patron of Ballet Virginia since its founding in 2008, Atkinson has provided extraordinary philanthropic support to ensure the organization’s survival and artistic excellence during and after the pandemic.
“Betsy is an extraordinary businesswoman,” said Suzanne Lownsbury, co-artistic director of Ballet Virginia. “She not only understands the business side, but also truly comprehends how the arts can make a huge impact. Her generosity is a testament to her love for the community.”
Beyond Ballet Virginia, Atkinson volunteers extensively with dozens of organizations, including Hurrah Players, Zeiders American Dream Theater, Virginia Beach Chorale, Eggleston Services and Chesapeake Bay Academy. She brings leadership experience from numerous board positions, including the Neptune Festival Board, Chesapeake Academy Board, and the Rotary Club, and previously served as the first female chair of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission.
Atkinson is widely admired for her business acumen, community spirit, and deep understanding of the power of the arts to enrich lives — qualities that make her an exemplary Champion for the Arts.
The idea for the award was generated through the development of the City's first-ever strategic plan for the arts, Virginia Beach Arts Plan 2030, to recognize those community members dedicated to the furtherance of the arts in Virginia Beach.
The Commission members believed that honoring residents who went above and beyond to raise awareness for the arts in Virginia Beach was an important first initiative to implement from the Arts Plan 2030.
Previous Champion for the Arts award recipients include:
- 2025: Jane Batten and Joan Brock
- 2024: Emma “Em” Davis
- 2023: Rose Daria
- 2022: Marynell Gordon
- 2020-21: Nancy Creech
- 2019: Meredith and Brother Rutter
- 2018: Barbara and Andrew Fine
- 2017: Tom and Juanita Felton
- 2016: Barbara Lewis
The Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission is proud to offer an additional category of recognition, the Champion for Arts Education. This award recognizes individuals who contribute to arts education, student engagement, innovation, professional leadership, civic engagement, and overall impact to public arts.
2026 Champion for the Arts Education Recipient
The City proudly introduced a new honor in 2026: the Champion for the Arts Educator award, created to highlight individuals who demonstrate extraordinary commitment to arts education. The inaugural recipient, John Brewington, has shaped arts learning in Virginia Beach for more than four decades.
Brewington served as fine arts coordinator for Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) 2004–2025, overseeing curriculum and instruction for band, orchestra, chorus, elementary music, and theatre programs serving more than 40,000 students and 185 teachers. His leadership ensured that VBCPS remained a nationally recognized “Best Community for Music Education” for over 15 years.
As music director and conductor of the Tidewater Winds Concert Band since 2006, Brewington continues to create meaningful performance opportunities for students, including collaborative concerts that provide hands-on instruction alongside professional musicians.
“It has been a pleasure to work with John Brewington on so many levels over the years,” said Michael Kerry Williams, executive director of Tidewater Winds Concert Band. “His passion for music is only exceeded by his passion for education. He will go the distance to ensure students and teachers have the tools they need to succeed in and out of the classroom. John always says, ‘When students attend a program, they need to have something for the head (an intellectual growth), the hand (a technique learned), and the heart (a transformative passion from the experience).’ This is what drives him.”
Brewington’s contributions span instruction, administration, advocacy and community outreach. He led the development of literacy-integrated arts programming through the RiME (Reading in Music Education) initiative, now serving seven regional school districts.
His extensive leadership roles include serving as president of the Virginia Music Educators Association, chairman of the Virginia Coalition for Fine Arts Education, keynote speaker for statewide arts conferences, and contributor to statewide arts standards and policy initiatives. His career honors include National Administrator of the Year (Educational Theatre Association), Virginia Theatre Teacher of the Year, and induction into the National Bandmasters Association.
Watch Highlights from 2023 Champion of the Arts Ceremony
