Time for the St. Albert Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Awards

St. Albert Mayor's Celebration of the Arts nominees selected from public submissions are typically revealed at the end of Feb. That is except one – the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient chosen solely by a secret committee.

At Illuminate, this year's eighth annual awards ceremony held Thursday, March 9 at the Enjoy Centre, Michael Massey will be inaugurated as the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and initiated into the city's Cultural Wall of Fame.

And some are wondering, "What took so long?" A 40-year St. Albert resident, Massey has inspired thousands of young musicians as conductor of Edmonton Youth Orchestra and charmed audiences as resident pianist for Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

In addition, 27 worthy nominees in six categories are in the spotlight and will receive their share of well-wishers.

Kieran Martin Murphy, decked out as his alter-ego opera star Luciano Paparazzi character, is this year's ringmaster adroitly juggling award presentations with performances from Toy Guns Dance Theatre, St. Albert Singers' Guild, CircoFit, Thursdays and The Peter Belec Trio.

Pre-ceremony events include a silent auction of three lanterns from printmaker and textile design artist Katherine Hutton, designer-illustrator Shelby Johnson and former Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Award recipient Samantha Williams-Chapelsky.

Tickets are $25 and are available through the Arden Theatre box office at 780-459-1542 or online at ticketmaster.ca.

Youth Artist Award

• Hailey Benedict

Raised in St. Albert, Hailey is a multi-talented young artist who emerged on the local scene performing musical theatre at Citadel Theatre and singing country music at too-many-to-count high profile gigs. Twice nominated for the Fan Choice Award at Association of Country Music, she received the trophy in 2014. She was 12 and made history as the youngest recipient to receive the award.

• Olivia Kate Iatridis

Born in Yellowknife, N.W.T. Olivia enjoys a diverse cultural background. Her mother is Inuvialuit and her father is of Greek descent. She found her calling acting in school, and when the family moved to Alberta in 2015, Olivia discovered new opportunities as a shorts and a feature film extra.

• Amy Polczer

A multi-instrumentalist, composer and actor, Amy has received awards from Alberta Music Festival for her compositions. In addition, as an actress she has performed in The Ghost Knows, #ROXY and Caution: May Contain Nuts.

• Sierra Wirsch

Passionate about art, Sierra still recalls the first piece she ever created, a portrait of herself in kindergarten. Today Sierra's technique and inspiration has improved as her work was hung in St. Albert Place Youth Gallery and is screened on Instagram.

Ellisdon Emerging Artist Award

• Lia Cole

St. Albert resident Julia Nicholson, rebranded as the sexier pop-rock singer Lia Cole, was born with music in her soul. Performing since she was five, Cole has developed an extensive body of work that includes gigs at Amplify Festival, Seven Music Fest, Big Valley Jamboree, Global Country and Edmonton Pride Festival.

• Karina Cox

Karina is a triple-threat actor, singer, dancer and has taken part in 15 St. Albert Children's Theatre shows. A graduate of MacEwan University musical theatre program, Karina has worked with several professional theatre companies in Bone Cage and Hair.

• Kalie Johnston

Kalie is a contemporary fashion designer eager to grow her Stille Nord fashion label. Adopting a minimalist and classic line, she has designed for Joe Fresh and Alberta Ballet.

• Lexie Pendzich

A former committee member for St. Albert Mayor's Celebration of the Arts, Lexi Pendzich is marketing coordinator for the Art Gallery of Alberta. She is a strong arts-advocate photographer with a drive to enact change and galvanize people to become involved in cultural institutions.

• Zachary Polis

The 2012 drama graduate is a St. Albert filmmaker, photographer and writer. Although still early in his career, Zachary's biggest 2016 achievement was having a portrait he made starring the wolves from Alejandro González Iñárritu's film The Revenant published in Vogue Italia's PhotoVogue.

• Konzy Vida

A two-time St. Albert Celebrates the Arts nominee, Konzy creates her best acoustic vibe performing for charities such as Not Enough Fest, Shameless for the Eating Disorder Support Network and Sun Tree Charity. In 2015, she also founded Music and Verse, a charity to support WIN House, a shelter for women.

Dawson Wallace Established Artist Award

• Curtis Labelle

Former Visionary Centre for the Performing Arts music director and musician, Curtis taught piano and directed the centre's musical theatre productions. He is also an eloquent composer and a flamboyant star in A Tribute to Liberace, an homage to the former star's dazzling Las Vegas shows.

• Donna Lewis

Donna Lewis of Donna Lynn Photography is an internationally published fashion, glamour and portrait couture photographer whose style leans towards fairytale, romantic, ethereal and fashion portraits.

• Carol Rose

A 1996 founding member and still active member of St. Albert Painters' Guild, Carol Rose continues to be attracted to the beauty of nature.

• Donovan Weihmann

One of the city's most diverse singers, Donovan is a vocalist with the jazzy Tri-City Rat Pack, belts rock with ThinLine Sid, is part of acoustic duo Blue Harvest and parties it up in Retrofitz. A regular vocalist at Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree, he also branched out in Walterdale Theatre's musical Man of No Importance.

• Randy Williams

Randy has enjoyed a varied career as a visual artist, musician and educator and enjoys the distinction of notching eight degrees and diplomas.

Excellence in Arts Teaching Award

• Kathryn Campbell Giebelhaus

A member of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing and the Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing, Kathryn has taught and promoted highland dancing to St. Albert and local area dancers for 22 years.

• Ingrid Machtemes

Dedicated to sharing her quilting passion, Ingrid owns and operates St. Albert's Quiltessential Co. For the past 25 years she has provided local quilters and western Canada's quilting community with artistic inspiration, designs and workshops.

• Kerry McPhail

Kerry is equal parts educator and dramatist. In the past 18 years, she has motivated students and adults alike while imparting confidence and self-expression.

• Joan Ritchie

A respected member of the St. Albert Piano Teachers and Alberta Teachers Association, Joan has taught the keys since 1990. Passionate about music, she loves to share her knowledge of music and history with students and colleagues alike.

• Judy Smallwood

Bellerose Composite High School art teacher takes pride in her work as a mother, teacher, artist mentor and performer, and every day she is involved in one of these facets.

• Teresa Wallstein

A graduate of both MacEwan University and the University of Alberta, Teresa is an artist currently teaching arts at St. Albert Catholic High School. An advocate for minorities and groups on the fringe, Teresa uses art to support social justice activities for different demographic groups.

Arts Leadership Award

• Martha Livingstone

One of the founders of Visionary Centre for the Performing Arts, Martha taught early childhood music and voice since 1993. She trained some of Alberta's top performers and continues to encourage youth to achieve their maximum potential.

• Pat Trudeau

Born in Ottawa in 1931, Pat moved to St. Albert in 1973 where she mentored and taught high school art. After retiring, she has devoted her time to travelling, painting, mentoring and preparing her works for gallery shows.

St. Albert Chamber of Commerce Community Arts Group Award

• Friends of St. Albert Children's Theatre Society

The Friends of St. Albert Children's Theatre Society promotes, educates and fundraises to support children's theatre arts experiences in the city.

• St. Albert Chamber Music Society

The society is composed of individuals who love the classical repertoire and appreciate the high quality of chamber music performed by distinguished professionals and emerging musicians booked at the monthly salons.

• St. Albert Photography Club

Started in 1992, the St. Albert Photography Club is a thriving organization with individuals who capture the world through their lens in wondrous and unique ways. All ages are welcome and the only prerequisite is an interest in photography.

• Visual Arts Studio Association of St. Albert (VASA)

VASA provides 23 artists with space and features two art galleries with monthly exhibits. The studio also offers a variety of programs including Authentic Art, a program for people with developmental disabilities.