Richard L. Puckett Leadership in Arts Award
Richard "Dick" L. Puckett, founding Director of LeMoyne Arts, was a champion of local arts. He originated the LeMoyne Holiday Show, now a cherished Tallahassee tradition, he supported and raised up local artists, and created an atmosphere on community, compassion, and creativity that has stayed at the core LeMoyne's work.
In honor of his legacy, the Puckett Award for Leadership in the Arts was created in 2008 as a key tradition of the Art & Soul Celebration. This award is given to those who embody the spirit of Dick Puckett by bringing people together through art and proving their leadership and impact on the fabric on the arts community of Tallassee.
In honor of his legacy, the Puckett Award for Leadership in the Arts was created in 2008 as a key tradition of the Art & Soul Celebration. This award is given to those who embody the spirit of Dick Puckett by bringing people together through art and proving their leadership and impact on the fabric on the arts community of Tallassee.
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2025 Award Winner - Josh JohnsonJosh’s unwavering commitment to supporting artists and fostering an inclusive, thriving arts scene makes him a true champion of culture in our region—a reminder that leadership and advocacy are as vital to the arts as the art itself.
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2024 - Amanda ThompsonCEO & Founder, AKT Artful
2022 - Paula FortunasRetired, President & CEO, Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare Foundation
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2023 - Susan BaldinoFSU Arts History Professor, Art & Inclusive Learning/Living Advocate
2021 - Dan TaylorArtist, Community Advocate, IT Consultant, President of LeMoyne Arts
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2020 - Kelly Simmons DozierOwner of Mad Dog Construction and Community Volunteer
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2019 - Dorothy & Don VodickaOwners of The Gem Collection
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2018 - Beverly FrickPhotographer/Artist
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2017 - Gil ZifferTallahassee City Commissioner
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2016 - Segundo FernandezAttorney
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2009 - Zoe GollowayFounding Director of Gadsden Art Center
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2008 - Four Women of Vision: Mary Metzke, June Strauss, Nanette Fisher, & Clifton Lewis, Founders of LeMoyne Arts
Located in Tallahassee’s Park Avenue historic district, LeMoyne Arts has been the city’s premier art center since its founding in 1963 by four community women leaders, Mary Metzke, Clifton Lewis, June Strauss, and Nanette Fisher along with the first President, Al Block.
In the 1950s, Clifton Lewis had curated a gallery in the lobby of The Lewis State Bank, as a place for local artists to display their works. Her efforts led to the organization and establishment of LeMoyne Art Foundation at its original location behind the bank on South Calhoun Street in the Deeb House. (LeMoyne is named for Jacques LeMoyne de Morgues, who was an artist and member of a sixteenth-century French expedition to Florida.) The founders of LeMoyne Art Foundation were determined to make a fine art gallery and venue for art education that was inclusive, welcoming all to participate and enjoy community through the visual arts. LeMoyne codified a nondiscrimination clause in the organization by-laws, the first private organization in Tallahassee to do so. In 2014, Clifton Lewis was recognized by the City of Tallahassee as a Foot Soldier in the Footsteps to Freedom, acknowledging her participation in the local struggle to end racial inequality.
In the 1950s, Clifton Lewis had curated a gallery in the lobby of The Lewis State Bank, as a place for local artists to display their works. Her efforts led to the organization and establishment of LeMoyne Art Foundation at its original location behind the bank on South Calhoun Street in the Deeb House. (LeMoyne is named for Jacques LeMoyne de Morgues, who was an artist and member of a sixteenth-century French expedition to Florida.) The founders of LeMoyne Art Foundation were determined to make a fine art gallery and venue for art education that was inclusive, welcoming all to participate and enjoy community through the visual arts. LeMoyne codified a nondiscrimination clause in the organization by-laws, the first private organization in Tallahassee to do so. In 2014, Clifton Lewis was recognized by the City of Tallahassee as a Foot Soldier in the Footsteps to Freedom, acknowledging her participation in the local struggle to end racial inequality.
