2025 Fairmont Arts & Humanities Commission awards to be presented Sunday
FAIRMONT — Each year, the Fairmont Arts & Humanities Commission recognizes students and adults in Marion County who are committed to growing, supporting and participating in the fine arts. The awards will be presented Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. at Central Christian Church, 1640 Big Tree Dr., Fairmont. The event is free and is open to the public. Here is a look at this year's honorees. Colton Daft, a 2024 graduate of Fairmont State University who studied English creative writing and theatre, currently teaches English and theatre at Trinity Christian School. He joined theatre at North Marion High his freshman year, and immediately fell in love with the art. Over the last 10 years, he has been involved in over 40 productions and 27 theatrical competition festivals, ranging from acting, to design, stage management, and directing. After high school graduation, he returned as an assistant director to North Marion, has been involved in several productions through Fairmont State Masquers, Town and Gown and The Academy for the Arts. Daft is passionate about theatre, and inspiring young minds to allow them to become their best selves through their craft. Rachel Ellis, grew up in Rivesville, where teachers showed her the power of story and how it can change students' lives. A 2011 graduate of Trinity Christian School and 2015 graduate of Evangel University where she majored in English, Ellis returned home to Fairmont with her husband Michael after college. Through her time home raising two kids, she has worked to increase an appreciation for the arts in education. She founded History in Skirts in 2021 to teach students about famous women in history. She currently teaches theatre at Fairmont Catholic School and helps other local schools with their costuming and theatre productions. She and her husband founded Emerge, a creative studio for arts education, in Fairmont. Samantha Lilly, currently in her third year as choir director at West Fairmont Middle School, teaches 5th and 6th grade general music and leads the 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade choirs as well as the after-school, contemporary pop a cappella ensemble, Polar Vortex. In her tenure at WFMS, the choral program has more than tripled in size, and was the only middle school from Marion County to have singers participate in the W.Va. American Choral Directors Association Middle School All-State Choir. Polar Vortex students have sung the national anthem at Fairmont State and WVU sporting events, participated in the Nordonia A Cappella Festival in Macedonia, Ohio, recorded a two-song EP with WVU's Blues Alley Studios, and performed with Metropolitan Opera Soprano, Maureen McKay and the American Pops Orchestra under the direction of maestro Luke Frazier in Washington, D.C. Prior to returning home to W.Va., Lilly had a storied career in music education in Louisville, Kentucky. Cathy O'Dell, a Fairmont native, has an undergraduate degree in theatre from Fairmont State University, and a master of fine arts degree in acting from West Virginia University. She is a certified teacher of the Michael Chekhov acting technique, where she trained under actor and Broadway Casting Director Joanna Merlin, among others. Currently, O'Dell is a professor at West Virginia University's School of Theatre and Dance where she teaches acting, vocal technique, and introduction to the theatre. She is author of the e-textbook, 'Introduction to Theatre' and portrays Helen Vicks on season four of the HBO/Max series, 'Banshee.' She has also directed and acted at West Virginia Public Theatre, M.T. Pockets Theatre, Fairmont State Town & Gown Players, West Virginia University and Fairmont State. Dr. Stan Swihart, is a retired physician who is a passionate patron of the arts whose life has been influenced by music and creativity. From his early years singing in the Children's Choir at First Presbyterian Church to his involvement with various musical groups, including the Fairmont Senior High Choraliers and the University Choir at WVU, Swihart's love for the arts has been a constant thread throughout his life. His musical journey continued as a member of the First Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir and the Naples Philharmonic Chorus in Florida, and later, as a member of Fairmont's Vocal Tapestry. His contributions to the arts extend beyond his personal involvement, as he has been a vocal advocate for arts education, emphasizing its importance in shaping the hearts and minds of future generations. Lydia Warren, who has served as director of the Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State since 2022, has fostered the University's connection to local and regional arts by hosting events by and for community members, such as jams, dances, concerts and grant-funded arts exhibitions. Her goal is to create free opportunities for the community to participate in the arts while ensuring that local artists are featured and paid fairly. Lydia is a board member of the Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the West Virginia Humanities Council and she has served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Each year, the commission honors a number of students for their advancement and participation in the arts. Here are this year's honorees. East Fairmont High student Emma Wright is a member of the Elizabethan Chamber Choir, Busy Bee Band, and MCPARC Community Band. She has also had the honor to serve as first chair flutist for the Gold and Blue Bands at WVU Honors Band in 2024 and 2025 as well as serve as a member of the All-State Chorus in 2024. Emma has also gained experience in leadership by being section leader for the flutes at EFHS for three years and band commander of the Busy Bee Band in 2024-25. Her musical experiences have opened her eyes to the beauty of the arts and have inspired her to become a music educator. Emma has been accepted to WVU's College of Creative Arts where she plans to pursue a degree in music education starting this fall. Fairmont Senior High honors graduate Lillian Tomana has a passion for creative expression after four years of art studies in high schools. In her young career Lillian's art has gained regional notoriety. Two of Lillian's pieces — a silk batik replica of Monet's The Artist's Garden at Vétheuil and an acrylic painting of Montel Fish — were recently showcased at the Stifel Fine Arts Center in Wheeling as part of the Oglebay Institute's Regional Art Exhibition. Her silk batik piece earned second place in the exhibition and was met with high praise, and led to an invitation for a portfolio review at West Virginia University. Lillian was awarded a Creative Arts Scholarship and will continue her academic journey at WVU to pursue degrees in art therapy and nursing. North Marion High student Lydia Hatten, joined the Fairmont State Academy for the Arts when she was four and is still with them. Lydia's favorites roles have been Mrs. Potts from 'Beauty and the Beast Jr.' and Jojo from 'Seussical Jr.' Her current role for her senior show is Mary Poppins from 'Mary Poppins the Musical Jr.' She has been a member of the North Marion Theater Troupe 4145 for all four years of high school. Her favorite roles from there have been Elise from Moliere's 'The Miser' and Bottom from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' She is currently senior director of the Notables Soundstation where she has been a four-year member. This year's Youth in the Community award winner goes to homeschool senior Aidan Gross, who has been playing piano for 11 years. He also plays bass guitar and lends his talent to the MCPARC Community Band in several concerts throughout the year. He has been an active member of the Fairmont State Academy of the Arts Improv Team. Aidan became a valuable player to the team as he honed his skills. He has performed with the team at various venues including Barrackville Covered Bridge Festival, Fairmont Tomato Festival, Feast of the Seven Fishes, Halloween shows at Short Story Brewing Co., Marion County Public Library and Fairmont State. Luke Elam, a musician and music educator from Clarksburg, is this year's winner of the Marian Satterfield Award. A graduate of Robert C. Byrd High, Elam obtained his undergraduate degrees in music education from Fairmont State University. While at Fairmont State, Elam served as principal alto saxophone in the wind ensemble, marching band, and jazz band, and as the field commander of the Falcons Marching Band. In 2022 and 2023, he was selected for the Fairmont Concert Association Scholarship, an auditioned scholarship which is awarded to high-achieving music students at Fairmont State University. He currently teaches private music lessons at the Fairmont State Academy for the Arts and at Bandland LLC.
FAIRMONT — Each year, the Fairmont Arts & Humanities Commission recognizes students and adults in Marion County who are committed to growing, supporting and participating in the fine arts.
The awards will be presented Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. at Central Christian Church, 1640 Big Tree Dr., Fairmont. The event is free and is open to the public. Here is a look at this year's honorees.
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