Contact: Bruce Conley, News Information Director
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
e-mail: bruce_conley@augie.edu
www.augie.edu

May 11, 2004

Augustana Community Honored at Mayor's Awards for the Arts

SIOUX FALLS - Members of the Augustana community were among those honored at the sixth annual Mayor's Awards for the Arts sponsored by the Sioux Empire Arts Council.

The event was held Friday, May 7, at the Belbas Theater in the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Sciences.

James Johnson, conductor of the Augustana Choir, received the Excellence in Performing Arts award. Among the nominees were Augustana's Nancy Halverson, Leland Lillehaug, and Merle Pflueger.

Gerry Punt, who teaches ceramics and sculpture at Augustana, was named winner of the Excellence in Visual Arts award. He was selected from a field of eight well-known area artists.

Charles Luden, class of 1971, won the Excellence in Literary Arts award. Charles is a scientist at the EROS Data Center near Sioux Falls.

The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society was presented the Outstanding Organizational Advocacy award. Rob Joyce, music instructor at Augustana, is the group's executive director.

Art Huseboe, class of 1953 and executive director of the Center for Western Studies at Augustana, was a nominee for the Individual Advocate for the Arts award by the Sioux Empire Arts Council.