PURCELLVILLE, Va. February 10, 2020 The annual Jim “Doc” Wiley Leadership in the Arts Award was voted upon by the members of the Purcellville Arts Council and the 2019 recipient is Karlah Louis. The official recognition and presentation of the award will take place on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. during the scheduled Purcellville Town Council meeting.
The Jim “Doc” Wiley Leadership in the Arts award is named for the late Dr. James Wiley, beloved family dentist, former Town Council member, and long-time supporter of art and artists in Purcellville. The award is intended to recognize an individual or organization in the greater Purcellville area for making a significant impact on the arts in the community. Each year, nominations for the award are reviewed by members of the Town’s Arts Council and a decision is made based upon the criteria of said award. The Town’s Arts Council was founded by Jim Wiley in the Spring of 2014.
The 2019 recipient of the award, Karlah Louis, received multiple nominations and letters of recommendation. “The Purcellville Arts Council received a virtual avalanche of letters, cards, pictures, and other examples of the many local theatrical productions that Karlah has directed and the hundreds of lives Karlah has had a positive impact on.” Liz Jarvis, Chair of Purcellville Arts Council. Karlah Louis founded the non-profit Main Street Theater Productions in 2013 with her late husband, Arthur Louis. Previously, Karlah Louis had acted professionally and had directed numerous theatrical productions. Locally, Karlah Louis led the theatrical program at Harmony Middle School, ran summer camps for the performing arts and continued to perform in other plays and musicals herself.
The Purcellville Arts Council found that, over the years, Karlah Louis had a tremendous impact on the community by providing actors of all ages the opportunity to experience and excel in the performing arts.
Nominations for this year’s Jim “Doc” Wiley Leadership in the Arts Award are being accepted until April 3, 2020 and can be submitted through the following online link: https://purcellvilleva.gov/FormCenter/Purcellville-Arts-Council-8/2020-Jim-Doc-Wiley-Leadership-in-the-Art-50
Town Council meetings are conducted the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Purcellville Town Hall, 221 Nursery Avenue, Purcellville, VA 20132.
