2000 Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts and Distinguished Service to the Arts


Mary Helsaple, Manitou Springs
Artist, Business Leader, Philanthropist, Educator, Mentor

Mary Helsaple & Neal Williams with their Emmy for "Spirits of the Rainforest"

Mary Helsaple defies easy labeling…She is a nationally recognized watercolorist and nature photographer, a community educator, an Emmy award-winning director/co-producer of nature and art documentaries, and the executive Vice President of a local manufacturing company. As one of her nominators said, "She is a living example that being an artist, a steward of nature, a community leader, and businesswoman can go hand in hand." She chairs the Pikes Peak Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration Steering Committee, collaborated on numerous local and national environmental exhibitions, and volunteered countless hours sharing her artistic spirit and her love of nature with artists, children, educators, and business leaders. Her ability to understand and communicate the value of the arts, to inspire, and to lead by example, are all reasons why she is most deserving of this award.

See Additional Helsaple art at: Conservation Treaty Support Fund

Governor’s 2000 Presentation Acceptance Speech: Mary Helsaple     March 8th, 2000

Imagination, Creativity and Self-Expression have benefited humankind from the dark ages through the present day.  These things lead us to explore new horizons, find amazing technological discoveries encourage us to become more socially aware and responsible, and venture into the unknown places of the world and our minds.  We don’t do this by ourselves.  

And so I must share this recognition with my mentors, Neal Williams, Mary Mashburn, Gwen Pratt, and so many dedicated and generous friends, some of who are here tonight. They are a bright, energetic, dedicated, persistent, unsung and as hearty as a "hummingbird".  They have taught me many special Truths and are my true heroes.

Most times they are unaware of how they provide my spirit with inspiration.  Without hesitation they have accepted my ideas and projects with, excitement, enthusiasm, dedication, encouragement, and yes, even wide-eyed skepticism. But non the less, they are the constant in an ever shifting world.  

I think of my friends as I do most things, in relationship to nature.  That’s the best way for me to understand and analyze the world and and find "Equilibrium".

Daydreaming, imagining, and creating with our eyes wide open enables the brain to buzz with ideas, solutions.  For the most part, these ideas lead to the betterment of the person and the world.  The imaginative and encouraged child becomes the imaginative man or women who invent designs, solves and contributes to civilization and society.

When I was young, I couldn’t reach out into the world through math, or perfect spelling, physics, and factual memorization.  I found my place in civic and family responsibility, business acumen and accountability, philanthropy, and a strong desire to learning through the creative arts.  We have half a world made up of visually tuned people like me.  We must save a place for them to contribute to the quality and future of our society.

To be an artist means to problem solve follow-through, train, and practice, dedicate time & effort, compromise, search to understand and explore.   In the basics, not that much different than an engineer, civic leader, parent or teacher, or an astronaut.

Thank you for this recognition. It is a special gift I will always treasure from my friends and my community.

 

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Copyright 2007 Mary Helsaple          Email:  mary@helsaple.com
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