The Richardson Arts Alliance announced the recipients of the annual "Heart for the Arts" awards at its Garden Party on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. Award recipients Gary Grahnquist, Dr. Abby Kratz, and Suzanne Etman will be honored at the annual Heart for the Arts Gala on Saturday, February 13, 2016.

“I am so thrilled that we have three wonderful recipients representing the arts community here in Richardson. They exemplify what it means to ‘give tirelessly,’ and each one has promoted, supported and advocated for the cultural arts in Richardson,” said Myron Stennett, President of the Richardson Arts Alliance.

Gary Grahnquist will be recognized as the “Patron for the Arts,” which is given to outstanding community leaders who have devoted time and resources to further the arts in the greater Richardson area. “Gary has been an active board member of three different arts organizations over the past twenty years. His dedicated support of the Contemporary Chorale, Tuzer Ballet and Richardson Symphony Orchestra are representative of his commitment to support a wide variety of the arts in Richardson,” said Myron.

Dr. Abby Kratz, Associate Provost and Director of the Office of Institutional Scholarship Administration at the UT Dallas, will be recognized with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for her dedication and leadership in supporting all of the arts in Richardson. “Abby served as Arts Commission Chair from 2009-2014 and led the efforts for the City of Richardson to develop a Cultural Arts Master Plan that helped illustrate the importance of the arts in our community. She has been an advocate and supporter of numerous arts organizations in Richardson and throughout the DFW area”, said Myron.

Suzanne Etman will receive the "Ambassador for the Arts Award” for her creation of opportunities for children to experience the arts. “Suzanne’s efforts are seen throughout the year including the ArtStop children’s area at Cottonwood Arts Festival, the Wildflower Budding Talent Singing Competition and Student Art Contest and coordinating the Huffhines Art Trails for over fifteen years,” said Myron.

The award recipients will be honored at the annual Heart for the Arts Gala on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, at the Charles W. Eisemann Center. The mission of the Richardson Arts Alliance is to promote and develop the cultural arts in the City of Richardson through communications, collaboration and education by the organizations interested in the arts.