At a private reception last night, The Arts Community Alliance (TACA) announced the recipients of their prestigious Silver Cup awards, an annual honor awarded to two individuals renowned for their outstanding contributions to the arts in Dallas. The award will be given to John Eagle and Sarah Perot (pictured) during a ceremony at the Hilton Anatole on March 4, 2011. It will be presented by last year’s recipients, Cindy Rachofsky and John Cody.
UPDATE: There’s a full release after the jump.
TACA Names Sarah Perot and John Eagle
2011 Silver Cup Award Recipients
33rd Annual Luncheon to Honor Outstanding Volunteers
DALLAS, Texas – October 6, 2010 – On October 6, TACA Board of Governors, TACA Corporate Council, friends and guests gathered to celebrate the announcement of Sarah Perot and John Eagle as the 2011 Silver Cup Award honorees. The announcement was made at the home of Jennifer and John Eagle.
The Silver Cup is awarded each year to recognize one man and one woman for outstanding contributions to the arts in Dallas. Mrs. Perot and Mr. Eagle will receive their Silver Cups on March 4, 2011, at the TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon, to be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
“TACA’s 33rd Annual Silver Cup Award Luncheon will be a wonderful occasion to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism that makes Dallas the thriving cultural center it is,” said Lynn McBee, Chairman of TACA’s Board of Directors. “TACA is honored to recognize the contributions of Sarah and John by awarding them the TACA Silver Cup.”
Caren Prothro, 2003 Silver Cup Award recipient, explained why Sarah Perot is deserving of this year’s award. “Sarah has played a key role in the funding of the $354 million project to construct the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the largest cultural project in Dallas’s history. More than 133 individuals and families gave $1 million or more to its construction. This year Sarah will take on the co-chairmanship of the Development Committee of the AT&T PAC, and she is to be admired and applauded for assuming this important role for the Center.”
Sarah Fullinwider Perot
Sarah Perot is an active civic and philanthropic leader. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, where she was active in the campaign to raise $300 million dollars for construction of the nationally acclaimed performing arts complex and currently serves as Co-Chair of Development. In addition, she is a member of the Dallas Symphony Association Board of Governors and serves on the boards of The Global Fund for Children, the Blair House in Washington, DC, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin.
Mrs. Perot is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University, where she serves on the executive boards of the Meadows School of the Arts and the John Tower Center for Political Studies. Mrs. Perot is Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign for the Meadows School of the Arts and of the Women’s Initiative Advisory Council for the George W. Bush Institute.
Mrs. Perot is married to Ross Perot, Jr. Mr. Perot is the Chairman of Hillwood Development Corporation. They have two sons and two daughters, ages 15-24. The Perots are active members of Highland Park Presbyterian Church.
Perot said, “TACA has been an important culture creator in Dallas for the past 45 years through its dedicated efforts to fund and raise the profile of arts organizations in our city. It is an honor to receive the TACA Silver Cup Award.”
John Eagle
John Eagle is dedicated to the Dallas community where in 1962, his father and uncle opened the first family automotive dealership on Lemmon Avenue. In 1986, Mr. Eagle took over the family business, as Chief Executive Officer of John Eagle Dealerships, that has now grown to 15 franchises that include Acura, Aston Martin, Bentley, Honda, Lotus, Mazda, Scion, Toyota and Volkswagen located in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Panama City, Florida. John currently serves and has previously chaired the Board of Directors of the New Car Dealers Association, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association and the Better Business Bureau. In 2003, John received the Time Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year award.
Mr. Eagle is currently the President of the Board of Trustees for the Dallas Museum of Art, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Episcopal School of Dallas and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the newly constructed AT&T Performing Arts Center, for which he chaired the grand opening events. He is on the Big Thought Advisory Board “Big Thinkers”, and the Board of Directors for the S.M. Wright Foundation.
Mr. Eagle has been honored for his dedication, passion and enthusiasm for the arts and education of this community by receiving the North Texas Business for Culture and the Arts Obelisk Leadership Award in 2008, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas Profiles in Leadership Award in 2006 and the Dallas Independent School District Superintendent’s Award in 2005. Together with his wife Jennifer, he was honored with the S.M. Wright Foundation Appreciation Award in 2009 and the Episcopal School of Dallas Philanthropy Award in 2006.
The Eagles are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Amanda and Alexandra.
“When John chaired the grand opening of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in October of 2009, thousands of people came not only to the brand new Winspear Opera House, Wyly Theatre and Sammons Park, but also to all other venues within the Arts District. On Spotlight Sunday, the concluding day of the grand opening week, tens of thousands of people visited the District, many for the first time. John Eagle is largely to be thanked for this resounding success,” said Howard Hallam, recipient of the Silver Cup Award in 1999.
“I am honored to receive the TACA Silver Cup Award, and to be listed with so many great civic leaders is truly humbling,” Eagle said. “The arts are what make a city great and I am proud to be a part of everyone’s hard work and dedication at such an exciting time for Dallas.”
Heather Esping, chairman of this year’s TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon, said “Sarah and John are both truly esteemed leaders in the Dallas arts community. It is our privilege to honor them and shine the spotlight on two volunteers who are setting an example of excellence in all they do.”
ABOUT TACA:
Founded in 1966, TACA’s (The Arts Community Alliance) mission is to provide financial support and services and to increase public awareness and participation in the performing arts, which improve the quality of life for North Texas citizens of all economic, social and ethnic backgrounds. Since its inception, TACA has distributed more than $18.3 million to emerging and established performing arts organizations with budgets as small as $44,000 to as large as $30 million. Funds are raised through three signature events: the TACA Silver Cup Award Luncheon, which honors one man and woman each year for outstanding volunteer support of the arts, TACA Party on the Green and the TACA Custom Auction Gala. In addition, TACA receives strong support from its Board of Governors, Founders Circle and Corporate Council. More information can be found at www.taca-arts.org or by calling 214.520.3930.