TALLAHASSEE, FL – On Monday, May 19, 2003, Secretary of State Glenda E. Hood will present Frances R. “Dolly” Hand with the Florida Arts Recognition Award. The presentation and reception will take place from 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m. at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center at Palm Beach Community College.

“Dolly Hand’s life-long commitment in the arts has had a tremendous impact on the cultural climate of Palm Beach County and the rural community of Belle Glade,” said Secretary Hood. “Her achievements are extraordinary examples of what the arts can do for our local communities.”

A philanthropist, a visionary, and an arts patron, Dolly Hand was instrumental in bringing cultural events to an area of the state that would have otherwise been untouched by the arts. She was the leading figure in the effort to create a performing arts center for the Belle Glade community – a rural and relatively low-income area. The center, which opened in 1982, was dedicated to her commitment and now bears her name: Palm Beach Community College / Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center. Her educational and cultural commitments have also led to vital community programs such as the Center’s CAFE (Cultural Arts for Education) Series, which serves over 12,000 students each year and the Community Annual Living Christmas Tree Program.

The Florida Arts Recognition Award recognizes the outstanding initiative, leadership, or excellence that an individual or organization has demonstrated in advancing any discipline or field of culture and the arts in Florida. Nominees for this award may be patrons, educators, elected officials, arts groups, corporations or public agencies.

For general information about the Florida Arts Recognition Award, please visit www.florida-arts.org or contact Valerie Ohlsson at the Division of Cultural Affairs: 850/245-6470. Persons with hearing impairments, please dial Florida Relay at 711. This material is available in alternate formats upon request.