The 17th Annual Artys will take place on Thursday, August 26th, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Steeple on St. Francis. This year there will be performances by The Symone French Trio, Chickasaw Civic Center, Mobile Ballet, Bent Broadway, and Mobile Opera.

This year, the arts organization is honoring Frida Schnitzler, Amanda Youngblood, the Downtown Mobile Alliance, Alabama Contemporary Art Center, Lawrence Specker, Mobile International Festival, Headphones On, William (Bill) Watts, Soynika Edwards-Bush, Mary and Charles Rodning, and Scott Wright. This year’s Arty awards, which are always an original work of art, are being created by mixed-media artist Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough.

The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They enable and inspire us – fostering empathy, beauty, and creativity. The arts also bolster our communities socially, educationally, and economically – benefits that endure even during a pandemic that has been devastating to the arts. This year has been a…