Nov. 30 is the nomination deadline for the Unsung Hero Award given by the American Democracy Project at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.

 

Dr. Amy Jordan of Fort Smith, campus coordinator for the ADP, said the nominations should identify individuals within the community who contribute or have contributed to the advancement of freedom of expression and creativity in the visual and performing arts.

 

“Criteria for selecting the Unsung Hero will be based on excellence in individual artistic accomplishment, contributions to promoting or supporting the arts in the community and upholding freedom in the arts,” Jordan said.

 

This person can be a student, a volunteer, a professional artist and/or instructor or supporter of the performing and/or visual arts. Nominations are open to all ages and to all levels of accomplishment.

 

Nomination forms for the Unsung Hero Award are available at https://americandemocracyproject.wordpress.com. Nominations should be submitted by email to Jordan at amy.jordan@uafs.edu or by postal mail to Dr. Amy Jordan (ADP Nominations), UAFS, P.O. Box 3649, Fort Smith, AR 72913-3649.

 

The award will be announced Jan. 23 during an event called “Unsung Heroes: Celebrating Freedom in the Visual and Performing Arts,” as one of several activities in celebration of the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

 

The Jan. 23 celebration, which begins at 10 a.m. in the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center, will also include a dramatic performance by Crystal C. Mercer, daughter of legendary civil rights lawyer, Christopher C. Mercer Jr., and a student-led panel speaking on “Finding Your Voice in the Arts.”

 

The American Democracy Project is a national initiative designed to foster responsible citizenship at all levels.