BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A former board president of the ArtsQuest Foundation has been chosen as this year's recipient of the Linny Awards' Lifetime Achievement Award.
Thomas Riddle of Bethlehem, founder and chairman of Valley National Financial Advisors, will be recognized at the 2025 Linny Awards ceremony, ArtsQuest announced Tuesday.
The event, from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, in Musikfest Café at ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, will feature dinner, awards and festivities. It will be preceded by a cocktail hour.
Tickets, at $199 per person and $1,500 for a full table of eight, through Sept. 1 (and $250 and $2,000 afterward), are available at the ArtsQuest Foundation website.
“Each of this year’s honorees embodies the spirit of Linny Fowler’s legacy, championing the arts and inspiring others through their work."ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert
New this year, all Linny Awards attendees will be automatically entered to win a $200 voucher toward a visual arts class and two complimentary tickets to a Musikfest Café show of their choice.
The winner will be announced live at the Linny Awards.
Riddle served four terms as the foundation board president from 2019 to 2022, and was board treasurer before that.
He and his wife, Jo Anne Riddle, also were founding donors to ArtsQuest's Jeff Parks Founders Society.
Other winners
The Linny Awards are presented to distinguished individuals from the region for their long-term commitment and dedication to the arts.
Other winners this year are:
- Philanthropy in the Arts Award — Chuck Stehly
- Business Supporter of the Arts Award — PPL Foundation
- Emerging Artist of the Year — Jacob Morrow
- Visual Artist of the Year — Mallory Zondag
- Arts Educator of the Year — MaryJo Rosania-Harvie
- Performing Artist of the Year — Matt Pfeiffer
- Student Artist Scholarship Award — Todd Croslis
- Volunteer of the Year — Jada Amirah Lewis
Winners for this year’s award ceremony were selected by the ArtsQuest Foundation board of trustees, the ArtsQuest board of trustees, the ArtsQuest Performing Arts Board and the ArtsQuest Visual Arts Board.
'Elevate the importance of arts and culture'
ArtsQuest Chief Executive Officer Kassie Hilgert said,
“The Linny Awards are a celebration of the incredible individuals and organizations whose creativity, generosity and passion strengthen the cultural fabric of our community.
“Each of this year’s honorees embodies the spirit of Linny Fowler’s legacy, championing the arts and inspiring others through their work.
"We are proud to honor their impact and elevate the importance of arts and culture in our region.”
The awards are named after the late Marlene "Linny" Fowler, a stained-glass artist and community leader who supported artists and arts organizations throughout the Lehigh Valley for more than a quarter century.
They are designed to recognize and celebrate the region’s flourishing arts community.
The awards are open to people living or working in Lehigh, Northampton, Upper Bucks, Upper Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey.
Proceeds from the Linny Awards go to support the nonprofit ArtsQuest Foundation, which Fowler helped found in 2003.
The foundation is focused on supporting and strengthening the long-term sustainability of ArtsQuest, the nonprofit organization that presents Musikfest and more than 4,000 other programs, events and educational classes each year.
