The Obelisk Awards honors businesses, nonprofits, and individuals, for their extraordinary support of arts and culture in North Texas. Philip and Rebecca Silvestri, Local Profile's publishers, are serving as co-chairs of BCA’s 33rd annual Obelisk Awards this year!
Patty Granville, recently retired City of Garland Cultural Arts Director, will be honored by Business Council for the Arts (BCA) with the Juror’s Award at the 33rd annual Obelisk Awards.
She was nominated by Michelle Norris and Sheri Morriss of the City of Garland, citing in their nominations that she is “the embodiment of cultural arts in Garland.”
Patty Granville opened the Granville Arts Center (opened as the Garland Performing Arts Center, and later renamed for her) in 1982 after a career as an actor including her role as “Miss Patty” on the nationally syndicated TV show Romper Room.
She was the producer of the Dallas Press Club’s Gridiron Shows for more than 20 years and has many acting, producer and director credits to her name. In 1983, she was a founder of Garland Summer Musicals (GSM) and served as their Producer since its inception and has also been featured in many GSM productions as an actor.
As a strong advocate for Garland Civic Theatre and Garland Summer Musicals, Ms. Granville will continue to perform and direct in their productions after her retirement from her role as the Garland Cultural Arts Director last month. Her legacy is cemented within Garland not only for her accomplishments in bringing the arts to the city but also for her work in completing Garland’s Cultural Arts Master Plan last year that will direct Garland’s creative and cultural future.
As stated by nominator Michelle Norris, City of Garland Cultural Arts Supervisor, “Words cannot express what an icon for the arts Patty Granville truly is; but her years of avid dedication and continually supporting the arts, along with her service building an artistic community in not only the City of Garland, but also regionally, can serve as her testament.”
Mr. David Fisher, City of Garland Director of Cultural Arts shares: “In 1982, Patty Granville fearlessly opened the first multipurpose arts center in the North Texas region and tirelessly grew it into a vibrant community arts anchor. Renamed for her in 2003, the Granville Arts Center has been the model for many local arts centers that followed. After nearly 40 years as Garland’s Cultural Arts Director, she leaves a wonderful legacy, including public art, several accomplished Garland-based arts organizations, and a newly adopted Cultural Master Plan.”
And Ms. Granville herself shares, “The arts in Garland flourished with the opening of the City’s Arts Center in 1982. New and existing arts organizations thrived… Audiences flocked to see productions…. and quality artists were attracted to perform in a new state of the art facility. The arts have kept downtown Garland alive and will continue to be the catalyst in developing and enriching the lives of future generations!”
