AAI honors 2022 Art Benefactors

SEELEY LAKE –Carol Evans and Jean Dickey were completely surprised when their names were announced for the Alpine Artisans, Inc (AAI) 2022 Art Benefactor Award at the 2 Valley Stage (2VS) performance March 27.

Each year, AAI honors an AAI member or members who have exhibited exceptional support of the arts in the Clearwater Valley. Most often, the person chosen is a practicing artist in either the visual, performing or literary arts. While both Evans and Dickey love the performing arts, their contributions to AAI have been primarily to support the organization and further its mission to promote the arts and artists in the Valleys.

"You might know her as a can-can dancer, modern day Carmen Miranda and overall dance and joy coordinator," AAI Program Director Jenny Rohrer said about Evans while presenting the award. "I know her as someone I can always count on for good advice when things get confusing and for an important spiritual boost."

And about Dickey, Rohrer said in her presentation, "I can not overestimate how valuable her work has been. She has coordinated too many raffle campaigns, many of which have raised most of the funding for our popular senior scholarship and youth grant award programs...Jean is someone whose curiosity and support are a constant and her tenacity is an example I learn from every day."

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Evans grew up tap dancing. There was a local theater group that put on productions in the summer that she loved attending.

When Evans moved to Seeley Lake, she missed the performing arts she enjoyed back east.

"You can go see concerts and all kinds of performances all the time. I came here and there wasn't anything except for 2 Valleys Stage and Alpine Artisans," Evans said. "I loved that arena. I wanted to help promote that and support it."

Evans joined AAI in 2006 because of her love of performing arts and, "I love to be on stage."

Evans started as the Director of the Front of House for the 2VS. She arranged the ticket sales, programs, refreshments and set things up for the concert.

"That is how I really got involved," Evans said. "It just kind of snowballed until I took over as the Director of 2 Valley Stage."

In addition to 2VS, Evans participated in the Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Winterfest Murder Mysteries and variety shows. Through these connections she helped develop the AAI Talent Shows and recruit performers.

In 2015, Evans became the director of 2VS. She served in that role until 2017.

When Gene Schade was stepping down as president of AAI, he told Evans and Dickey they needed head up AAI. Evans served as president in 2019 and 2020 while Dickey was the vice president. Rohrer added Evans was also a Maclean Festival Special Events Planner, Loon & Fish worker, long time board member.

"I think a lot of it is, the people that we work with to put on the events, whatever it is, are a lot of fun and they just enjoy it," Evans said. "How can you get tired of art?"

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Dickey grew up with music as a big part of her life. Her dad was a singer and they used to attend traveling Broadway shows in San Francisco, California. In school she was involved in the choir and dance continuing ballet and modern dance through college.

"It is something that I love and it meant a lot to me and I think it adds so much to a person's life for joy," Dickey said. "To be able to share that here in this community and get people out and have fun."

Dickey and her husband first purchased a vacation home in Seeley Lake 20 years ago. They started volunteering with the Seeley Lake Historical Society, attended events when they were in town and got to know the community little by little.

After Dickey's husband passed away, she retired in 2013. By then she had moved to Seeley Lake permanently. Friends Lee Boman and Carla Schade approached her and gave her a choice of boards to join. She could no longer use the excuse that she was not here full time.

"My philosophy when I retired is when someone asks me to do something I'm going to say yes unless it is something I really don't believe in," Dickey said. "That way I'll get involved plus it is a lot more fun than staying home alone."

Dickey joined the Seeley Lake ROCKS board. She also was an active volunteer with AAI and served on the AAI Finance Committee. Rohrer said Dickey is the one hauling kayaks and paddleboards around town, selling raffle tickets to support student scholarships and grants as well as fundraising for the Maclean Festival.

"I like to find new and different ways to bring money into the coffers," Dickey said. "I'm not too shy about asking people to support the community and support our kids through all the different venues and all the different ways AAI has started to raise money and successfully raised money."

Soon Rohrer and Evans twisted her arm to be on the AAI board. She served as vice president with Evans in 2019 and 2020.

"I love the arts as well but volunteering has always been a part of giving back to the community I live in," Dickey said adding her mother was a professional volunteer. "I was very involved back east in that sort of a thing and it was a natural thing for me to do here as well. Working with some wonderful people on the board made it fun as well as getting me out and about and more involved in the community."

Along with fundraising, Dickey collects tickets at the 2VS concerts and especially likes working with the students by bringing arts and music to them. Dickey and Evans really pushed for dance programs and were able to bring in the Utah Ballet Group and get dancer Katie Thompson with Missoula's Movement 4 Movement involved in the schools.

Dickey added it has been fun to watch the Maclean Festival grow since its inception in 2015. The Festival ran every other year except 2021 was rescheduled for June 24-26 this year due to COVID. The free event this year has already outgrown the venue and will now be hosted at the Wilma in Missoula. She is proud that such a small organization has created an international event.

"It all started with people who fell in love with Norman Maclean and 'A River Runs Through It' and it has branched off from that and has grown each year," Dickey said. "It is exciting to have it back again."

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Dickey said when Rohrer announced that Evans won the 2022 AAI Benefactor Award, she was so excited for her and was rushing to get a camera to get a photo.

"And then Jenny called my name I thought she probably didn't tell me that she wanted me to come and say some nice things about Carol," Dickey recalled. "Which I would have done because she really earned that award. I felt very honored to be up there alongside of her."

While Dickey did not feel that she has been around long enough to receive the award,

Evans said Dickey's contributions have been incredible to AAI, "she just jumps in and always says yes."

"It really means a lot to be recognized because we put in a lot of hours. But it is also, we are apart of that community and this is sort of a badge of honor to know that we are involved in that community at that level," Evans said. "So many people have gotten that award over the years I've been here. It is sort of like, oh wow, it is like the academy awards, look at all these people and I'm in that group."

Evans said they are always looking for more volunteers and board members. AAI has a board of nine that meets monthly and the past president stays on as a non-voting member.

"Jenny has really taken on a lot. That is why she needs a group of good people that are active and involved," Evans said. "We all appreciate what she is doing but also what the organization has done and continues to do."

Dickey added that the goal is to support the local artists in the valley and get people involved and know about all the wonderful art that is out there.

"It is a fun organization, we do some really good things and we would love to have some more members," Evans said. "If we weren't having fun, we wouldn't be there."