Past Recipients
Stephan Allison was presented with COA's Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2021. Stephan has, since his youth, had a passion for the Arts. More a dilettante than a master, he found his calling as an arts administrator, promoter, and advocate. Over the years he has worked alongside artists, businesses, governmental agencies, and the public. He has served for over 30 years as a presenter, grant-giver, promoter, programs creator, and Arts champion. His skills were developed as the Executive Director and Music Director of The Buttonwood Tree, as a radio programmer for over 30 years in non-commercial radio (WPKN, WESU), and as the Arts Coordinator for the City of Middletown from 1999 until his retirement in 2018. He credits his wife of 30 years, Middletown’s Inaugural Poet Laureate and founder of The Buttonwood Tree, Susan Eastman Allison as his reason for a successful life in the Arts.
As part of Connecticut Arts Day, COA presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Lynne Williamson. Lynne served as the director of the Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program for 25+ years and was awarded the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her work with immigrant and ethnic communities to ensure that their art, craft, music, and performance traditions remain vital for future generations.
In April 2018, as part of Connecticut Arts Day, COA presented its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Judy Dworin, the founder, executive and artistic director of The Judy Dworin Performance Project, Inc. (JDPP).
Judy was awarded the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her unwavering belief that the arts make a difference in our lives and to honor her tireless commitment to raise awareness about social issues and to create positive change through creative expression.
JDPP is a nonprofit organization of professional artists who innovate, inspire, educate and collaborate on stage, in schools, in prisons and in the community. Judy founded JDPP in 1989 based on a commitment to the important role the arts can and do play in challenging and creating change — personal, educational and global.
Learn more about Judy and the Judy Dworin Performance Project here.