Congratulations to Carol and Martin Stacey, recipients of the
2007 Mayor's Award in the Arts for the Support of the Arts.
For over 35 years, our community has been enriched by the significant contributions and generosity in the support of the arts by Carol and Martin Stacey. Quietly and enthusiastically pursuing their personal commitment to and love of the arts, Carol and Martin have sponsored countless musical and dance events for area residents to enjoy.
Beginning with the Nickel's Worth Concerts in the 1980's, Carol and Martin have engaged and promoted classical, folk and jazz musicians to perform in the historic Stacey home in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Unique events have also been presented under their personal sponsorship at North Idaho College Schuler Performing Arts Center, the Jewett House and the Greenbriar Inn.
In recent years, Carol and Martin, personally and with Nickel's Worth, have joined with a local concert organization, Friends of Music, to sponsor performances by pianists Stefan Kosinski, Archie Chang, Margie May Ott and Jody Graves. The Stacey's have generously shared their exquisite Bosendorfer grand piano to the delight of the artists and audiences. The Spokane String Quartet, under the direction of Kelly Ferris, has performed numerous concerts in various venues. (Martin Stacey is a longtime member of the board of the String Quartet.)
Other in-home concerts have featured University of Washington guitarist Steven Novacek and pianists David Roskowski, Greg Presley, Tadeusz Majeweski, James Edmonds and Aida Rivera. The guitar flute duo Paul Grove and Rhonda Bradetich as well as Soprano Michelle Troise have delighted in performing in home settings.
Since 1997, Carol Stacey has been a trustee of the Holmberg Memorial Charitable Trust, which was left by music lover Jean Holmberg, to be dedicated to "the performing arts, specifically including symphonic music, dance, opera, small ensembles, and theatre in the general area of Coeur d'Alene." Under the careful oversight of Trustee Carol Stacey, the Holmberg Trust has provided money each year for a Christmas gift program to the community. One year the gift was Amahl and the Night Visitors and last year the Holmberg Trust brought the Colorado-based David Taylor Dance Theatre to perform in the North Idaho Schuler Performing Arts Center. In addition, the Trust co-sponsors free Labor Day concerts in the Coeur d'Alene City Park.
For the last 25 years, Carol Stacey has been an active member of the Citizen's Council for the Arts, Art on the Green. She is the current president of CCA and has served in that capacity at least five previous times. Carol has been intimately involved in every aspect of Art on the Green, from announcing the entertainment to stacking chairs to scooping ice cream. Martin Stacey is also very involved with Art on the Green and can be relied upon to volunteer in the Chicken Booth, provide his truck, and to help with the tear-down at the end of the festival.
Martin and Carol Stacey's dedication to support awareness of the arts in Coeur d'Alene was recognized on October 11, 2007 when they were presented with the 2007 Mayor's Award in the Arts for the Support of the Arts.