Barbara Manners Selected For Cultural District Award
The Ridgefield Economic & Community Development Commission (ECDC) has selected Barbara Manners as the 2024 honoree for the fourth annual Cultural District Award.
Barbara Manners is founder and longtime organizer of CHIRP (Concert Happenings in Ridgefield Parks), a member of the board of selectpersons, an early supporter of the Ridgefield Playhouse – and a steady and ongoing player in the Ridgefield arts community.
The state of Connecticut Cultural District designation recognizes extraordinary artistic and cultural activities within a community. The many nonprofit and for-profit cultural facilities, activities, and assets in the expansive downtown area make Ridgefield a phenomenal resource for residents and visitors.
Ridgefield was the first town or city to earn such a designation in the state. Governor Ned Lamont awarded it in a ceremony at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in May 2021.
The Cultural District Award will be presented at the Ridgefield Arts Council’s Behind the Scenes ceremony on May 9, 2024. Honorees past and present have made an extraordinary contribution to the economic development of the town by furthering some aspect of Ridgefield’s cultural district.
A longtime Ridgefield resident, Barbara Manners has been extremely active in the arts and culture of the town since the early 1990s – playing a significant leadership role in the creation of the Ridgefield Playhouse, acting as first chair of the Ridgefield Arts Council, founding and being the ongoing organizer of the twice-weekly CHIRP concerts in Ballard Park, serving on boards such as the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, and generally in shaping Ridgefield's cultural landscape. Manners has been a member of the Ridgefield board of selectpersons since 1997.
She says: "I'm truly honored to receive the Cultural District Award. To be recognized for doing things that I love for a town I greatly cherish is heart-warming indeed."
The 2021 winners are former State Rep. John Frey and Books on the Common owner Ellen Burns for their role in creating the Cultural District designation with the State of Connecticut. The 2022 honoree is Richard Klein for his distinguished tenure as Exhibitions Director at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, a powerful driver of economic activity to the town. The 2023 honoree is Allison Stockel, concluding her 18-year run as Executive Director of The Ridgefield Playhouse, whose tens of thousands of visitors a year to its 200-plus shows add vitality to the cultural district.
Nominations of both living and historical residents of Ridgefield reminded the commission how fortunate the town is for its wealth of cultural influences. “We would like to acknowledge the names that were under consideration and honor them for their incredible service to our town, culture, and community,” says commissioner Kay Gelfman. “Their brief mentions here can’t possibly include all of the contributions they have made to Ridgefield.”
The Cultural District Award will be an annual selection and all nominees will be carried forward for consideration in the following year:
Gary and Susie Singer who for more than a decade have supported the arts as patrons, donors, and planners. The couple’s devotion and monumental impact on Ridgefield’s Cultural District is truly extraordinary. In addition, they created the Gary and Susie Singer Arts and Culture Foundation.
Daniela Sikora has been leading Ridgefield Chorale, an integral part of the Ridgefield cultural scene, for 25 years.
Amy Pal is an entrepreneur, arts supporter, and Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum board member.
Amy Piantaggini, Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance executive director, SPHERE volunteer, advisor to, and supporter of Thrown Stone.
Elizabeth Biglow Ballard late philanthropist, bequeather of land for Ballard Park for the “rest and recreation” of its citizens.
Maurice Sendak internationally acclaimed children’s book author.
Ridgefield’s Economic & Community Development Commission (ECDC) oversees the town’s Cultural District. In addition, it seeks to promote and implement orderly and planned economic development in keeping with the town's character by involving interrelated agencies, commissions, boards, and departments as well as town residents.