The Second annual James S. Welch Sr. Arts Leadership Award was presented on Friday, September 23rdto Morton Boyd at the Kentucky Opera’s opening performance of Carmen. The award, presented by Fund for the Arts and Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, recognizes an outstanding volunteer for their sustained commitment and substantial impact on the arts in Louisville.
Morton Boyd is currently serving as President of The Gheens Foundation, Inc. Mr. Boyd served on the Board of Directors for Fund for the Arts, and served as Board Chair from 1986-1987. Mr. Boyd also served on the first Board of Directors for the Actors Theatre, assisting with their first fund drive of $100,000. He has also served on the Board of Directors for the Speed Museum, and is passionate about the ballet and the opera.
Kendrick Riggs, Vice Chair of Board of Directors at Stoll Keenon Ogden, and Barbara Sexton Smith, Acting President and CEO of the Fund for the Arts, presented the award onstage to Mr. Boyd during the curtain speech prior to the opening of Kentucky Opera’s Carmen.
“We selected Morton Boyd as the Second annual recipient of this award for the same selfless and humble leadership that Jim Welch, Sr. provided to the arts community as a volunteer in his lifetime,” said Barbara Sexton Smith. “Morton demonstrates the very best characteristics of quiet leadership in the ‘Welch’ tradition.”
The late James S. Welch, Sr. was one of the founding partners of Ogden Newell & Welch, now Stoll Keenon Ogden. Fund for the Arts and Stoll Keenon Ogden created the award in 2010 in honor of Mr. Welch’s engaged leadership both in and out of the corporate boardroom, and his enjoyment and respect for all aspects of the arts, particularly the opera. He was an active board member on many of Louisville’s arts, business and civic boards, serving on the board for the Kentucky Opera for more than 36 years. “The arts in Louisville were such a major part of Jim’s life. Our family is very moved that an award has been created in his honor,” said his wife, Jane Welch.
“With a deep passion for the arts, James Welch enhanced the stature of our law firm over the decades through his commitment to legal excellence and his extensive civic involvement. His mission was to bring new cultural opportunities to under-served areas through Fund for the Arts, and he did so over his career through leadership that always placed service over recognition,” said Kendrick Riggs.
The Fund for the Arts is the oldest united arts fund in the country, allocating funds to 27 member groups and programs, including grants to more than 200 community organizations and schools across the region. For more information, visit www.fundforthearts.com.
Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC is characterized by a commitment to client success and community engagement. Formed more than a century ago, Stoll Keenon Ogden is one of Kentucky’s largest and most established law firms with more than 140 attorneys practicing in five offices across the state (Lexington, Louisville, Frankfort, Henderson and Morganfield). Stoll Keenon Ogden offers diverse legal services in an array of industries that range from local to international. Additional information is available at www.skofirm.com.
