Beth Young Awarded George M. Irwin Lifetime Achievement Award; 2024/2025 Arts Awardees Recognized

Arts Quincy: America’s First Arts Council - proudly announces the recipients of the 2025 George M. Irwin Arts Awards, honoring individuals and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to arts access and cultural vitality in the Quincy area. These awards are this community’s top honors in the arts and will be presented during the regular Quincy Rotary Club Meeting on Tuesday, June 10th at noon at the Holiday Inn. The awards recognize community champions in arts education, engagement and leadership. 
 
“These awardees exemplify the spirit of creativity, service and community that makes Quincy’s arts scene so dynamic,” said Laura Sievert Hesseltine, Executive Director of Arts Quincy. “Their dedication helps ensure the arts are accessible and enriching for all.” 
2025 Award Honorees: ​

Beth Young – Lifetime Achievement Award 
Honored for a lifelong commitment to arts education, historic preservation and public service. Her work spans local schools, civic boards and statewide leadership in the humanities. 
 
Beth has been an avid volunteer on behalf of an incredible number of nonprofits including the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County, Arts Quincy, the Quincy Public Library, Habitat for Humanity, Woodland Cemetery, Quincy Human Rights Commission, Quincy Tree Commission, Tri-State Civil War Roundtable, the Church of St. Peter, the Illinois State Historical Society Advisory Board. She also volunteers for the Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority and has been the bugler for Legion Post 37 for twenty years. 
 
Beth also is retired from the Quincy Public Schools in 2003 where she taught AP English and other English and history courses and was Director of Library Services. She was also the QHS Scholastic Bowl Coach for 23 years and has three IHSA State Championships and 7 national tournament appearances and has been inducted in the to the IHSA Scholastic Bowl Hall of Fame. 
 
One of Beth’s standout contributions to the arts and humanities community is the founding of Quincy’s Civil War Symposiums (2018-present.) She also led a fund drive to install the US Grant marker in Clat Adams Park and developed and monitored a cemetery marker program for the Woodland and Valley of Peace cemeteries to research and acknowledge individuals in the Civil War era.   
“It is exceedingly rare to find anyone as dedicated to selfless service as Beth Young,” explains director Laura Hesseltine. “She explained to me that the Franciscan maxim “Pax et bonum,” meaning “peace and good” has guided her service to others. I think that’s a beautiful representation of a sentiment about a life spent lifting up this community. She’s made Quincy and the entire area a better place through impactful work, and it’s is an honor to present her a well-earned George M. Iriwin Lifetime Achievement Award today.”    
Also receiving recognition: 

• Friends of the Log Cabin Village – Arts Nonprofit of the Year, and  
  Celebrated for preserving local heritage and fostering cultural enrichment through exceptional programming and community outreach. 

• Rebecca Hoskins – Outstanding Fine Arts Teacher, City of Quincy 
  Recognized for her dynamic visual arts instruction at St. Dominic School and other schools throughout Adams County, she inspires creativity and confidence in students across all grade levels. 

• Christa Salinas – Outstanding Fine Arts Teacher, Adams County 
  Applauded for revitalizing the Camp Point-Central art program and creating strong connections between students, families and the broader community through hands-on engagement. 

• Deborah Husar – Arts Access Leader of the Year 
  Commended for her powerful arts journalism and dedication to giving a voice to underserved communities through inclusive storytelling. 

A special posthumous George M. Irwin Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to John Gebhardt, who passed away in February. The award will be presented to his wife Betty in memory of John’s tireless dedication to the Friends of the Log Cabin Village that preserved our pioneer history for future generations. His unwavering commitment, leadership and volunteerism touched many Quincy nonprofits throughout the arts community and beyond.  His volunteerism also touched many other Quincy nonprofits who are appreciative of his selfless service. 
Winners will also be featured in Arts Quincy Magazine and online at artsquincy.org.  
 
Arts Quincy: America’s First Arts Council, is a dynamic nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the cultural vibrancy of our community by creating access to the fine arts and humanities. Through education, advocacy, and promotion, Arts Quincy builds connections to foster our sense of community, improve our quality of life, and enhance the economy in the Quincy area.