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.
The Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission is accepting nominations for the City’s 2026 Champion for the Arts awards, honoring individuals who make outstanding contributions to the City’s cultural landscape. This year, the commission is proud to introduce a second award category recognizing excellence in arts education.
Champion for the Arts: Philanthropy and Volunteerism
This award celebrates individuals whose volunteer service, board leadership, and/or philanthropic support have significantly expanded access to and the impact of the arts in Virginia Beach. Previous honorees include Barbara Lewis, Tom and Juanita Felton, Barbara and Andrew Fine, Meredith and Brother Rutter, Nancy Creech, Marynell Gordon, Rose Daria, Emma “Em” Davis, Jane Batten and Joan Brock.
To nominate your Champion for the Arts, complete a nomination form online. Deadline for submission is May 1, 2026.
Champion for Arts Education
This new award recognizes an educator or instructor whose work demonstrates excellence in arts instruction, student engagement, innovation, civic involvement and leadership. Eligible nominees may teach in K–12, higher education, adult learning or community‑based programs. Nominations may include supporting statements from colleagues, administrators, students, arts advocates or community organizations. Nominees will be evaluated on instructional excellence, student and community impact, civic engagement and professional leadership.
To nominate your Champion for Arts Education, complete a nomination form online. Deadline for submission is May 1, 2026.
2025 Champion for the Arts Award Recipients
The City of Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission has selected Jane P. Batten and Joan P. Brock as the 2025 Virginia Beach Champions for the Arts. This annual award is presented to a person, or persons, who have made a significant impact in Virginia Beach's vibrant cultural and arts community through volunteer and/or financial contributions.
The Arts & Humanities Commission unanimously voted to recognize both Batten and Brock, visionary leaders and transformational philanthropists, as they continue to redefine the cultural landscape of Virginia Beach through their extraordinary commitment to the arts. Most recently, their shared vision, leadership, and generosity led to one of the most monumental arts initiatives in the City’s history — the expansion and relocation of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) to the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University. Together, Batten and Brock contributed and inspired philanthropic support to fully fund this $30 million cultural landmark. Their efforts will provide lasting access to contemporary art and arts education for generations to come.
“A longtime Virginia Beach resident, Jane Batten has enriched the community through decades of volunteer service and philanthropic leadership,” said Scott Miller, president of Virginia Wesleyan University. “From founding the Batten Honors College at Virginia Wesleyan University — where the arts are a foundational element of civic and global engagement — to championing expanded access to cultural experiences, her impact is broad and lasting.”
“Joan's dedication to the well-being of Virginia Beach extends beyond traditional arts organizations,” said Alison Byrne, executive director of the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). “Her support for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Brock Environmental Center demonstrates a broader commitment to community enrichment. While its primary focus is environmental education, the center also serves as a valuable space for hosting various community cultural events and forging partnerships with local arts organizations and individual artists, further contributing to the city's vibrant cultural tapestry.”
The Champion for the Arts award came about through the development of the City’s first-ever strategic plan for the arts, Virginia Beach Arts Plan 2030, in order to recognize community members dedicated to the furtherance of the arts in Virginia Beach. The Commission chose honoring citizens who go above and beyond to raise awareness for the arts in Virginia Beach as an important first initiative to implement from the Arts Plan 2030.
Previous Champion for the Arts award recipients include Barbara Lewis, Tom and Juanita Felton, Barbara and Andrew Fine, Meredith and Brother Rutter, Nancy Creech, Marynell Gordon, Rose Daria, and Em Davis.
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:
- 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.
Nomination Process
Nominations will be accepted for arts educators and instructors who teach the arts including, but not limited to, K-12, college, adult, mentorships or facilitators. The award is intended to recognize the contributions of nominees to the Virginia Beach community.
Nominations may be submitted by one or more people, with supported recommendations from multiple people such as the nominees’ colleagues, administrators, students, arts advocates or community organizations.
2026 Champion for Arts Education nominations are open now. Nominate your Champion online by May 1, 2026.
Watch Highlights from 2023 Champion of the Arts Ceremony
