Philanthropy lauded
Acansa founding member honored with award for charity work
Philanthropist Sharon Heflin may not be an artist, but she definitely supports the arts. And it was for her contribution to the arts that Heflin was presented the 2020 Charlotte Gadberry award March 6 at the Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater.
The benefit for Acansa Arts Festival opened with a reception, complete with appetizers and libations, in the lobby. Guests then transferred to the auditorium, where they were welcomed by Dillon Hupp, Acansa’s executive director, and heard remarks by Argenta Community Theater co-founder Vince Insalaco.
Acansa founder and award eponym Charlotte Gadberry, along with John Gaudin, Acansa board president, lauded and presented the third annual award to Heflin. One of Acansa’s founding members, Heflin has distinguished herself as a volunteer/contributor to numerous other charitable organizations in the city. A large crowd of friends, loved ones, fellow board members, high school classmates and other supporters were there to cheer her on.
The entertainment portion of the evening began with vocalists singing numbers from ACT productions Follies, Fiddler on the Roof and Ragtime. The featured entertainer, Southern-born Broadway performer Analisa Leaming (The King and I; Hello, Dolly!), brought a delightful collection of Broadway and non-Broadway songs, starting off with a humorous rendition of “They Don’t Let You in the Opera (If You’re a Country Star).” She went on to such numbers as the Dixie Chicks’ “Cowboy Take Me Away,” “If I Were a Bell” from Guys and Dolls and “Hello Young Lovers” from The King and I.
As Heflin pointed out in her acceptance speech, proceeds from the event will support Acansa’s free Spring Break arts camps for children in the state.