The Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County (ACA) has announced that the inaugural LeRoy White Soul & Conscience Award will be presented to Greg “Greggy Good” Ferreira at its June 21 Raise Up the Arts event. Ferreira is Newport groove, pop, and funk musician known for his vibrant and diverse repertoire. “We are very pleased to recognize Greg for his work, which connects our community and brings people together in a joyful way,” said Susan Woythaler, ACA board president.
The award was established in 2022 to honor LeRoy White, a well-known Newport musician who died in 2021. Deborah White, his widow, will present the $4,000 award. “There are so many people doing wonderful things in the arts on this island – an island that LeRoy loved. This is not so much an award as is is a reward, given to help someone to recognize their dreams,” she stated. Individuals may be nominated by others or may nominate themselves. Additional information on the annual award may be found on the ACA website.
The Raise Up the Arts reception will take place on Wednesday, June 21, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Atlantic Pavilion, Wyndham Newport Hotel. The event will feature live music, light hors d’oeuvres, and the presentation of this and three other awards: the Tinney Family Arts Scholarship, the Spring 2023 Artist Award, and the Dominique Award.
The Tinney Family Arts Scholarship will be presented to Cassie Taber, a visual artist and 2023 graduate of Tiverton High School. The Artist Award will be presented to Historic Music of Newport and will be accepted by Mark Stickney, the group’s founder. The Dominique Award will be presented to Lynne Tungett, publisher and editor of Newport This Week and longtime supporter of the arts.
The event will feature a silent auction with tickets to local performances, events, and attractions, and items such as the 10th anniversary Newportopoly© board game. Live music will be provided by guitarist Michael Barclay de Tolly. The event is open to the public and tickets may be purchased on the ACA website (www.newportarts.org). Tickets are $20 for members/$45 for non-members (includes one-year membership to ACA). Please direct questions to info@newportarts.org.