Two Fredericton community members prominent for their art and advocacy were celebrated this week at the 2024 Arts Achievement Awards.
Richard Hornsby and Lisa Anne Ross were presented with the awards at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre Wednesday night. The awards were presented by Mayor Kate Rogers and Wayne Burley, Chair of the City’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee.
“On behalf of Fredericton City Council I wish to offer my sincerest congratulations to these talented and well-deserving recipients,” said Mayor Kate Rogers. “They have made outstanding contributions to Fredericton’s vibrant, artistic, and cultural landscape. Thank you for brightening our city with your creativity, leadership, and inspiring work.”
Richard Hornsby is the conductor and music director of the Fredericton Symphony Orchestra. Since 2010, the local musician has been devoted to the Orchestra’s artistic development, while elevating orchestral music across New Brunswick. Under Hornsby’s leadership, the Fredericton Symphony Orchestra has grown into a full-sized ensemble with more than 50 musicians.
Hornsby is also an educator and performer on clarinet, bass clarinet, basset horn and saxophone. In 1992 he was appointed Director of Music at the University of New Brunswick, where he teaches, and conducts ensembles.
Hornsby has either founded or been involved with projects like the UNB Music Camp, the UNB Music Conservatory, Atlantic Sinfonia, and the New Brunswick Summer Music Festival. Hornsby is also a volunteer and musical advocate. He has served as president of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, president of the New Brunswick Arts Board, and president of the New Brunswick Arts Council.
Lisa Anne Ross is the Founder and Artistic Producer of Solo Chicken Productions, a theatre company in Fredericton. She is an actor, playwright, director, and advocate for social inclusion through theatre.
Since arriving in Fredericton in 2010, Ross has developed several programs and projects that aim to promote inclusive arts practices. This includes MERGE, an initiative designed to hire artists with physical and intellectual disabilities. In 2019 she founded the Spirit Project, a weekly theatre workshop for adults with intellectual disabilities. Since then, artists involved in the program have performed in multiple shows and toured across Atlantic Canada
In 2023, her company headed a community art project that featured portraits of participants of the River Stone Recovery Centre, a clinic in downtown Fredericton that provides services to people with substance use disorder. The goal was for residents to foster a sense of compassion for people who rely on the centre for help. Ross also teaches and directs part-time at St. Thomas University. “It is a privilege to celebrate both of these musical and theatre professionals who devote their careers to stretching our imaginations,” said Wayne Burley, Chair of the Arts & Culture Advisory Committee. “There is no question, these recipients have influenced experiences, views, and conversations across our city and our province.”
The Arts Achievement Awards were created in 2017 to celebrate contributions, cultural achievement and excellence by individuals, organizations and/or businesses in all areas of the arts in New Brunswick’s capital city.
Past recipients include Emma Chevarie and Deborah Burns in 2022, David McKay and Matt Carter in 2019 and The SilverFish Photography Collective and Brigitte Clavette in 2017.