Awards to be Named `AMBIES'; Dade Cultural Alliance To Honor Political, Administrative Leadership with Ambassador of Arts' Awards Friday, Jan. 22.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 1999--

-- Chuck Mangione, Mayor Penelas to Receive Recognition --

On Friday evening (January 22), the Dade Cultural Alliance -- the lobbying group for the arts -- is going to create its own version of the Academy Awards, Emmys and Tonys by honoring arts leaders, politicians, school administrators and others for supporting cultural life in this county.

Recipients of the Ambassador of the Arts medallions (called the Ambies and selected from five nominees in twelve categories) will not be known until envelopes are open at the dinner and ceremonies at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, starting at 6::30 p.m.

The Ambassador of the Arts program, according to Chairman and former Asst. Sec. of State Ron Levitt, is the group's newest means to attract attention to the 750 arts and cultural groups currently operating in Dade County and "their importance to the economy and quality of life here."

Highlight of the awards ceremony will be a Global Ambassador of the Arts Award to legendary flugelhorn jazz musician Chuck Mangione, whose career has been laced with pro-bono activities for schools and cultural institutions, and a special award to Dade Mayor Alex Penelas for his support of arts institutions and his "recent leadership in providing funds to major cultural institutions in the county...an act which the entire arts community applauds." The County Commission -- spurred by Penelas -- recently set aside $900,000 for major cultural institutions in the area.

The AMBIES recipients were selected by secret ballot and will be announced at the ceremonies, which will be shown later on WLRN-TV.

The actual awards include:

Miami Dade County Commissioner -- Most Supportive of the Arts

Dade State Representative -- Most Supportive of the Arts

Dade State Senator -- Most Supportive of the Arts State

Official -- Most Supportive of the Arts

State Official -- Most Supportive of the Arts

Miami-Dade School System -- Most Supportive of the Arts

City Official -- Most Supportive of the Arts

There also will be awards for "Arts Leadership" in the following categories: Individual Award for Building Community Audiences; Individual Award for Outstanding Work in Arts Education; and three Individual awards for Art Administration for medium, large and major organizations.

The Mangione award was voted by the DCA board of the directors. Mangione's good works are as legendary as his music. He hosted an eight-hour concert featuring jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Chick Corea, which benefitted the Italian Earthquake Relief Fund and his humanitarian concerns also included work with the Special Olympics and the Blind Veterans Organization. In Florida, he has worked with schools to both raise funds and increase musical awareness and is considering a major musical event in Florida to benefit those with spinal cord injuries.

Mangione -- for three decades -- has established himself as one of America's premier jazz musicians, known for his flugelhorn (and easily spotted by his famous "hat") . The Grammy multi-winner's mega-hit single "Feels So Good" is considered one of the most recognizable melodies on the American music scene and over the years his recordings such as "Children of Sanchez" and "Bellavia" have earned major awards. In 1980, Mangione's "Give it all you Got" was heard round the world as the theme of the Olympics in Lake Placid and during the 1980s, there were honors after honors, including a "Salute to Chuck Mangione", a one hour TV Special hosted by Dick Clark. Mangione's recordings are sought after in record shops throughout the world, most notably since 1989 when he took a hiatus from performing after 25 years on the road. In 1994, he returned to the stage.

Advance ticketing for this event is mandatory ($60 person; tables of ten for $600). Contact the DCA at [phone], by Fax at [phone] or by Email at [e-mail]. -0-

NOMINEES:

COUNTY COMMISSIONER - Most Supportive of the Arts
Gwen Margolis
Jimmy Morales
Dennis Moss
Miguel Diaz de la Portilla
Katy  Sorenson

DADE STATE REPRESENTATIVE - Most Supportive of the Arts
Rep. Annie Betancourt
Rep. Elaine Bloom
Rep. Larcenia Bullard
Rep. John Cosgrove
Rep. Rudy Garcia
Rep. Luis Morse

DADE STATE SENATOR - Most Supportive of the Arts
Sen. Howard Foreman
Sen. Daryl Jones
Sen. Ron Silver
Sen. Bill Turner

STATE OFFICIAL -- Most Supportive of the Arts
Peyton Fearington - Director Division of Cultural Affairs
Sen. Bob Graham
Sen. Katherine Harris
Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay

MIAMI DADE SCHOOL OFFICIAL -- Most Supportive of the Arts
R.T. Davis, Music Supervisor, Dade County Schools
Betsy Kaplan, Member, Dade School Board
Manty S. Morse, Member, Dade School Board
Bob Strickland, Drama, Speech and Debate Supervisor,
  Dade County Schools
Solomon Stinson, Member, Dade School Board

CITY OFFICIAL -- Most Supportive of the Arts
Joe Carollo, Mayor City of Miami
Willy Gort, Miami City Commissioner
Evelyn Greer, Mayor, City of Pinecrest
Neisan Kasdin, Mayor City of Miami Beach
Nancy Liebman , Council, City of Miami Beach
Raul Valdes-Fauli, Mayor City of Coral Gables

INDIVIDUAL AWARD FOR BUILDING COMMUNITY AUDIENCES
Rafael de Acha  - New Theater
Xavier Cortada - Artist/Activist
Chris Dunworth -  New World Symphony
Rhoda Levitt - State Cultural Affairs Advisory Council
Ruth Shack, Dade Community Foundation
Michael Spring, Cultural Affairs Council

INDIVIDUAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN ARTS EDUCATION
Ray Azcuy,District Supervisor, Arts Education, Dade School System
Laura Bruney, Arts & Business Council
Roger Cuevas, School Board Superintendent
Jillian Daniels Dade Division of Cultural Affairs
Lilia Garcia, Dade School System, District Director,
  Division of Life Skills
Cathy Leff, Wolfsonian

INDIVIDUAL AWARD FOR ARTS ADMINISTRATION (Medium Size Cultural
Organizations)
Rafael de Acha - New Theater
Delma Iles - Momentum Dance Company
Mary Luft, Tigertail Productions
Steve Mitchell - CG Congregational Church Concert Series
Mario Ernesto Sanchez - Teatro Avante

INDIVIDUAL AWARD FOR ARTS ADMINISTRATION (Large Organizations)
Ellen Beck, Landmark Theater
Suzanne Delahanty - Art Center of South Florida
Brian Dursum - Lowe Art Museum
Jane Gilbert - Art Center of South Florida
Karen Ruibbino - Miami Light Project
Barry Steinman - Past Chairman, Theater League of South Florida
Barbara Zohlman - Miami Children*s Museum

INDIVIDUAL AWARD FOR ARTS ADMINISTRATION (Major Cultural
Organizations)
Judy Drucker - Concert Association of Florida
Bob Heuer - Florida Grand Opera
Arnold Mittleman - Coconut Grove Playhouse
Randy Nimnicht - Historical Museum of South Florida
Barbara Stein - Actors Playhouse
Edward Villella - Miami City Ballet

INDIVIDUAL IN THE MEDIA for advocacy/cultural support
Alejandro Aguirre, Diario Las Americas
Jill Beach, Television Reporter Channel 6
Lyn Farmer WTMI
David Lawrence, Herald Publishing Co.
Gail Meadows, Miami Herald Columnist
Andrew Stark, Miami Beach Sunpost