Pollak Prize honorees include several artists with VCU ties

By Tom Gresham

Several artists with connections to Virginia Commonwealth University were winners of the ninth annual Theresa Pollak Prizes for Excellence in the Arts, which recognize the top artists in the Richmond metropolitan area.

Five individuals with ties to VCU were among those to earn the accolades announced in the September edition of Richmond magazine. In addition, one of the groups honored, the Ban Caribe musical ensemble, includes some VCU graduates. The Pollak Prizes are presented to artists in 10 categories. A panel of eight considered nominees for the awards and voted on the prize winners.

Myron Helfgott, professor emeritus in the Department of Sculpture and Extended Media at VCU, received the Pollak in the fine arts category. Helfgott, a former chair of the sculpture department, has served as an instructor at VCU for 35 years. Helfgott, whose sculptures incorporate audio, kinetics, photography, assemblage and other devices, has exhibited at the Whitney in New York City, the Philadelphia Arts Alliance, the Virginia Museum of Fine Art and abroad in Tokyo, Lima and Glasgow.

Starr Foster, a VCU alumna and adjunct faculty member, received the Pollak Prize in dance. Foster is the director of the Starr Foster/Dance Project, a performing troupe that also hosts instructional workshops and lectures about dance. Foster is the founder of the Richmond Choreographers Showcase. She teaches at St. Christopher’s School and is artist-in-residence at Appomattox Governor’s School.

Ashley Kistler, who received a master’s in arts history at VCU, was honored with the Pollak Prize in the category of arts innovator. Kistler is the curator at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond. She has been involved in a number of arts programs and institutions in the Richmond area, including the Richmond Moving Image Co-op, the James River Film Festival and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Roger Carroll, who studied jazz at VCU, received the Pollak in the vocalist category. Carroll, who is also an accomplished saxophonist, performs frequently with Chez Roue Orchette. Carroll toured for seven years earlier in his career with The Kingpins, a band that included well-known harmonica player Carey Bell.

Joe Inscoe, who studied graphic design at VCU, was honored with the Pollak Prize in theatre. Inscoe has performed in a host of Richmond stage productions during nearly three decades as a working actor in town. He has also appeared in a number of television and film productions.

Ban Caribe has been in existence for 22 years with a changing rotation of members. The ensemble plays a style of music that mixes Latin, Caribbean and Afro-Clave traditions.

The Pollak Prizes are named after Theresa Pollak, a highly regarded painter who lived in Richmond for much of her life. She helped found the VCU School of the Arts, which now resides in a building that bears her name.