Arts Orange County Announces Honorees for Its 25th Annual Awards
- Paul Hodgins
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
The ceremony on Sept. 16 will include honoring the group’s longtime leader, Richard Stein, who is retiring.
For the silver anniversary of its OC Arts Awards, Arts Orange County will honor several institutions, emerging and established artists and arts leaders, including its president and CEO, Richard Stein, who will step down at the end of June after nearly 17 years in the position. The county’s officially designated arts council will hold its annual awards ceremony and dinner at the Samueli Theater on Sept. 16.
To determine each year’s honorees, ArtsOC first receives submissions from people throughout the local arts community, including members of its board of directors, which are reviewed and discussed by the group’s executive committee and staff. Nominations from previous years are also considered for the six or seven honors (the number can vary slightly from year to year).
“Past honorees have ranged from internationally known artists and organizations that have Orange County connections to those who are ‘unsung heroes’ that may not be as well known to the wider community,” Stein said. “We also consider whether candidates are being or have been recently recognized in other arts-related awards events in our community, as we prefer not to duplicate those efforts, but rather afford the opportunity for recognition to others.”
Stein said a number of factors are involved when considering candidates for the awards. “We pride ourselves on awarding recognition … to lesser-known and emerging artists. We (also) feel that recognizing generosity to the arts is an important part of the role we play in fostering support for the arts in our community, and you’ll find the names of many of Orange County’s important donors on the roll of our past honorees, too, including the late Henry Segerstrom.”
The Honorees
JORG DUBIN | Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award: Dubin, an integral figure in Orange County’s artistic landscape for over five decades, maintained a prolific career as a painter, sculptor and mentor, and encouraged emerging talent. Dubin’s art encompassed painting, ceramics and site-specific sculpture, as well as film production design.
JARED MATHIS and THE MOULTON FAMILY | Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award: Mathis demonstrated a longtime commitment to the arts through financial support, dedicated leadership and a visionary approach to preserving and advancing cultural institutions in Orange County. As CEO of Moulton Company, Mathis continues the family’s legacy of generosity and leadership begun by his great grandmother Nellie Gail Moulton, an artist and arts patron.
RICHARD STEIN | Special Award: Stein has been a leading figure in the Orange County arts community for nearly four decades. He transformed the Laguna Playhouse into a major resident professional theater during his 17-year leadership. He then led Arts Orange County as its president and CEO for nearly 17 years, augmenting its traditional arts agency programs and services with consulting services in the areas of cultural planning and public art management.
Four Achievement Awards will also be presented at the ceremony.
BIN HE | Outstanding Artist Award: Bin He is a highly respected and accomplished Chinese musician, composer, conductor, educator and cultural ambassador. He is conductor of the Chinese South Coast Orchestra, the only full Chinese orchestra in Orange County.
ORANGE COUNTY CHILDREN'S THERAPEUTIC ARTS CENTER (OCCTAC) | Outstanding Arts Organization Award: For 25 years, OCCTAC has provided access to services for families facing physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional challenges. Under its founder, Ana Jimenez Hami, OCCTAC combines the arts, academics and creative therapies to empower and transform lives.
CAL STATE FULLERTON COLLEGE OF THE ARTS | Outstanding Contribution to the Built Environment Award: CSUF’s 85,000-square-foot visual arts complex modernization project, completed in 2024 at a cost of more than $65 million, includes two new buildings, major renovations to existing buildings and the addition of state-of-the-art creative spaces to train the next generation of artists and innovators.
GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS | Emerging Arts Leader Award: As director and acting curator of the Honarkar Foundation in Laguna Beach, Williams has demonstrated a deep and sustained commitment to fostering artistic excellence, community engagement and accessibility within Orange County’s cultural landscape. Under her leadership, the foundation has mounted ambitious, museum-quality exhibitions that highlight both historical and contemporary artists.
“Each year, we look forward to recognizing those in the arts who have contributed to Orange County over the course of a lifetime and those who have made a more recent impact,” said Patrick Brien, who will succeed Stein as Arts Orange County’s president and CEO on July 1. “This is an evening that celebrates our diverse artistic community, where we honor and thank those whose dedication to the arts enriches and benefits so many throughout Orange County.”
More information about the OC Arts Awards can be found on the awards announcement page.
Richard Stein, quoted in this story, is a member of the advisory board for Culture OC.
