Award-winning artist Whitney Brock and community leader Dr. Nathaniel L. Bishop are this year’s recipients of the Perry F. Kendig Awards.

The awards, which are cosponsored by Hollins University and Roanoke College, celebrate the people and organizations that support excellence in the arts in the greater Roanoke Valley region.

Mary Dana Hinton, president of Hollins University, and Roanoke College President Frank Shushok, Jr. honored the 2024 winners during a ceremony held at Hollins’ Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center on October 1.

“This event is special for many reasons,” said Hinton. “It is an opportunity for Hollins and Roanoke to affirm the arts, our patrons, and leadership for the arts. Hollins and Roanoke were both founded in 1842 and have served the region for 180 years. This is a tangible way for us to cooperate and express our joint values of the importance of the arts and community.”

Shushok added, “It is a privilege for Roanoke College to link arms once again with our friends at Hollins University to present the Kendig Awards in honor of Roanoke’s seventh president, Dr. Perry F. Kendig. These awards shine a light on the tremendous creative talents and cultural programs and resources throughout our region.”

Hinton and Shushok presented Brock with the Individual Artist Award. Brock’s paintings are in many private collections worldwide. She teaches art and is a member of the Oil Painters of America, the International Guild of Realism, and the Portrait Society of America.

“Whitney participated in the City of Roanoke and Grandin Village Natural Foods Co-Op collaboration called Walls That Unite,” said Hinton. “Her painting Hope is a celebration of the wonder and awe that children bring to our lives and how these gifts inspire the best in our community and engender faith in the future.”

Brock’s latest endeavor is A Thread Through Roanoke: Celebrating Contemporary Traditional Portraits of the People that Make Roanoke Matter. “Whitney has identified ten individuals in the Roanoke community with whom she is spending the year, bringing their spirits alive in large portraits,” Hinton explained.

Bishop is the recipient of this year’s Individual or Business Arts Supporter Award. Hinton described him as “a distinguished and dynamic leader who elevates the arts and cultural initiatives across the Roanoke Valley as well as education and health care.”

Bishop, who retired this summer as the senior associate dean for diversity, inclusion, and student vitality at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, led the creation of the Henrietta Lacks statue in downtown Roanoke to commemorate the African American woman from Roanoke whose cancer cells are the source of the first immortalized human cell line in medical research. He has successfully advocated for historic designation of sites significant to Roanoke’s Black community and organized film screenings to stimulate cross-cultural conversation and understanding. Bishop has also served as a leader on the boards of Mill Mountain Theatre and the Taubman Museum of Art.

“Being a trailblazer has become Dr. Bishop’s gift to our community,” said Hinton.

This year marks the 39th anniversary of the Kendig Awards and the 12th year that Hollins and Roanoke College have partnered to present them. The awards highlight the vital and important role that the arts play in the economic development, education, and cultural identity of Virginia’s Blue Ridge.

Hollins University and Roanoke College are dedicated to providing students with the finest arts and cultural learning experiences. From artist residencies, gallery programs, live theatre productions, music concerts, creative writing activities, and film projects, students are exposed to amazing faculty and professional artists of all disciplines. To enhance learning and build upon these unique campus offerings, both Hollins and Roanoke have actively sought ways for students to experience the rich and vibrant Virginia’s Blue Ridge* arts and cultural community.

In 2013 the Perry F. Kendig Awards, an annual program that has recognized excellence in arts and culture for more than 25 years, found itself without a home. Hollins University and Roanoke College came together to keep the tradition alive in appreciation of Virginia’s Blue Ridge cultural community resources. In addition, Hollins and Roanoke hope that in presenting this annual program it will build an even stronger arts and cultural bridge between the campus environment and community at large.

Award Categories

One award will be presented in each category only (for a total of three (3) awards).

  • Individual Artist (of all disciplines – dance, literature, music, media arts, visual arts, and theatre)
  • Arts and/or Cultural Organization
  • Individual or Business Arts Supporter

Please see the FAQ section for more information on the nomination process.

*Roanoke Regional Chamber defines Virginia’s Blue Ridge as the counties of Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke, and the cities of Salem, Roanoke, and the Town of Vinton.

Important Note

The Perry F. Kendig Arts and Culture Awards is a programmatic offering between Hollins University and Roanoke College since 2013. Past Perry F. Kendig Awards recipients from 1985-2012 are eligible for consideration – see complete lists:

Kendig Award Recipients from 1985-2012
Kendig Award Nominees Winners 2013 to present

Programs and full-time employees of Hollins University and Roanoke College are eligible to be nominated.

Deadline for Nominations

The deadline for 2024 nominations is Thursday, August 15 by 4 p.m. (EDT). All nominations with at least two required supporting documents must be received by the deadline to qualify.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.) Are supporting materials important to include along with my nomination form?

A.) Yes, at least two supporting letters/documents are required; any additional information will help the review committee learn more about your nominee and why you feel they should be selected as a recipient of an award. We highly recommend including samples or links to work, especially for visual artists.

Q.) How are nominations evaluated?

A.) The review committee will evaluate nominations through the lens of three core categories:

  1. Leadership contributions (i.e., advocacy, education, formal leadership roles, development of the arts community);
  2. Patronage (i.e., participation and/or financial support); and
  3. Overall body of work and involvement in the local arts community.

A strong nomination provides examples or evidence to support excellence in the above listed categories. Two letters in support of the nomination are required and examples of work (especially for visual artists) are encouraged to supplement the basic nomination form.

Q.) How are review committee members selected?

A.) Hollins University and Roanoke College have selected faculty with expertise in arts and culture along with community supporters. In addition, past year’s recipients will also serve on the committee to ensure a comprehensive scope and understanding of arts and culture in the greater Roanoke region.

Q.) Where will the Perry F. Kendig Arts and Culture Awards ceremony take place?

A.) The awards will alternate between Hollins University and Roanoke College. The 2024 awards presentation will take place on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, at Hollins University, with more details to come.

Q.) The organization/individual I want to nominate was a past recipient of a Perry F. Kendig Award. Are they eligible?

A.) Yes. As of 2013, and the new collaboration and programmatic offering between Hollins University and Roanoke College, only past recipients during 1985 and 2012 are eligible moving forward.