At the Acadiana Center for the Arts on April 20, the inaugural ICON Arts and Cultural Awards pulled off a two-for: honoring a dozen artists and a philanthropic foundation for their contributions to Acadiana culture while raising money to create and sustain an endowed fund at the Community Foundation of Acadiana — the ABC Fund, short for Arts, Business and Culture — to support the creative economy. Honorees at the gala were artist George Marks (creative economy for his work with NuNu Arts & Culture Collective in Arnaudville), Joshua Caffery and Joel Savoy for their re-creations of early Lomax recordings; choreographer Clare Cook (rising star); the Heymann Foundation for its support of the arts; photographer Debbie Fleming Caffery (visual arts) and singer-songwriter Zachary Richard (performing arts). Saxophonist and conceptual artist Dickie Landry received a lifetime achievement award, and Special Trailblazer Recognition was given to four late artists who have shaped generations of creativity in various disciplines: painters Elemore Morgan Jr. and George Rodrigue, and musicians Clifton Chenier, Stanley “Buckwheat Zydeco” Durel and David Egan.
1. Cathi Pavy and Dickie Landry
2. Dickie Landry, CC Adcock, CJ Chenier and Zachary Richard
3. Kathy Broussard, Richard Broussard, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Daynese Haynie and Randy K. Haynie
4. Bobette M. Robideaux, Mayor Joel Robideaux and Randy K. Haynie
5. Joel Savoy
6. Cheryl Castille and Darrell Bourque
7. Alice Landry and Tim Basden