ArtsFairfax Unveils 2025 ArtsFairfax Awards Honorees

The 2025 ArtsFairfax Awards will honor U.S. Air Force Retired General Lester L. Lyles with the Jinx Hazel Award, Tim Rizer with the Philanthropy Award, IACC-Pars Place with the Impact Award, and Marco Rando with the Education Award. Held annually to celebrate visionary contributions to the arts in Fairfax, the 2025 ArtsFairfax Awards will take place at the Hyatt Regency Reston on Friday, October 24, 2025.

“The 2025 ArtsFairfax Award honorees demonstrate how the inclusion of arts in learning leads to innovation. When we invite artistic practice into other areas of our lives, including the study of math, science, and technology, we are celebrating creative and critical thinking,” says Stuart Holt, ArtsFairfax President & CEO.

The annual fundraising event raises the visibility of arts and culture throughout Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church. With a reception, luncheon, and awards ceremony, the ArtsFairfax Awards attract local, state, and federal elected officials, as well as private supporters, business professionals, and arts and community leaders. 

“Having arts in our lives allows us to share our humanity and we need that now more than ever,” says Bev Cosham, Board of Governors Chair of Reston Community Center, the Visionary Sponsor of this year's ArtsFairfax Awards. “Our organization supports ArtsFairfax through this annual celebration of philanthropy and great arts achievement because we believe that the creative work of these artists lifts our spirits through difficult times. We congratulate the awardees and thank all the artists and arts supporters who make Fairfax County such a special place to live and work.”

Proceeds from the ArtsFairfax Awards event help sustain the services, resources, and support that ArtsFairfax provides for the local arts sector. Major efforts in the year ahead include developing new opportunities for individual artists as an outcome of ArtsFairfax's Fairfax Regional Artist Survey.

ArtsFairfax Jinx Hazel Award: General Lester L. Lyles (USAF, Retired)

The Jinx Hazel Award is ArtsFairfax's premier award recognizing an individual or organization whose vision and commitment has helped shape the cultural life of Fairfax County. 

A passionate supporter of the performing arts and arts education, General Lyles has dedicated 20 years of service and support to Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. For his support of Wolf Trap's Education programs and his advocacy for the power of the arts to stimulate an early interest in STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and math, ArtsFairfax honors General Lester L. Lyles with the 2025 Jinx Hazel Award.

General Lyles, who believes that arts engagement at the earliest age is a vital entry to promoting curiosity and innovation, has commented, “As an engineer and scientist, I am endlessly fascinated with how the principles of STEM relate to the arts; while we cannot all be excellent artists or musicians, we should never underestimate the tremendous values of supporting and appreciating those who are!”

General Lyles served on Wolf Trap's Foundation Board from 2008-2017 and has been a member of Wolf Trap's Advisory Council since 2024. He has given his time and expertise in many leadership roles while on the Wolf Trap Foundation Board: Vice Chairman/Secretary for three years, and most notably as Chair of the Education Committee for five years. He also served on the Executive and Nominating Committees. Further, General Lyles and his wife, Mina, have co-chaired the annual Wolf Trap Ball and have served on the Host Committee of the Ball for over a decade.

In addition to Wolf Trap, he has served on the Board of Directors for several corporations including Chair of KBR Corporation, General Dynamics Corporation, Battelle Memorial Institute, and Chair of United Services Automobile Association.

Formerly a decorated commander of the United States Air Force, General Lyles served on the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee and chaired the National Research Council's Committee on the Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program. He was appointed by the White House to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board from 2009-2013 and was appointed to the State Department's International Security Advisory Board from 2013-2017. He has been a member of the NASA Advisory Council since 2005, serving as Chairman since 2016. General Lyles was appointed to chair the National Space Council's User Advisory Group in 2023 and has served as Chair of the Universities Space Research Association Board of Trustees since 2023.

General Lyles has received many military awards and decorations, including the General Thomas D. White Award for distinguished service in national security from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the prestigious Goddard Trophy for Lifetime Achievement in Space from the National Space Club in April 2025. ArtsFairfax is pleased to present General Lyles with the Jinx Hazel Awards for his significant philanthropic support to keep Wolf Trap's artistic and community programs accessible to all.

ArtsFairfax Philanthropy Award: Tim Rizer 

The Philanthropy Award recognizes an individual, corporation, or foundation that has provided leadership funding or long-term monetary support to the arts. 

For over six decades, Tim Rizer has called Fairfax County home—not just as a place to live, but as a community to believe in, build, and give back. After earning degrees from Emory & Henry College and the University of Tennessee, he founded Item, Inc., growing it into a leading international distributor of printer and copier supplies over the course of 45 years. After the 2008 financial crisis, Rizer assumed control over Real Estate Investment Trust fund with over 1800 investors. Additional professional roles include President and Managing Member of G & G LLC, and Managing Member of Marto 2 LLC and Occoquan Overlook, LP.  

Over the last two decades, Rizer has translated his business success into an investment in his community. He previously served as President and Land Use Committee Chair of the South County Federation, and he was Chairman and one of the Founders of the South Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he is an active supporter of the Lorton Community Action Center along with his wife, Barbara.  

He has also served on many Mount Vernon and Lorton planning initiatives and citizens groups, to address the closing of the Lorton Prison and the Mount Vernon Area Plan Review. His current service on the Lorton Vision Task Force is helping to shape a brighter future in the Lorton community for generations to come.  

Most notably, Rizer is the longest-serving board member and former Chairman of the Workhouse Arts Foundation. For over 16 years, he has worked tirelessly to ensure that art remains not only accessible but also a cornerstone of the South County identity. He has consistently been one of Workhouse's largest single donors each year and has provided seed funding for many key programs, including programs in the musical arts, performing arts, and visual arts, glass, and ceramics. 

Throughout the Workhouse Arts Center, he has invested in many Workhouse capital projects over the years, including the Rizer Pavilion, which hosts dozens of outdoor concerts, performances, and private events annually; the Glass Hot Shop; the Ceramics Kiln Yard; the Performing Arts Theater; and the future Music Barn. He is also an avid supporter of signature Workhouse events, such as the annual Workhouse Ball, Workhouse Golf Classic, and the Workhouse's annual Fireworks show each year.  

A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Rizer has been married for 49 years to his greatest supporter and partner, Barbara. Together, they've raised four children and now delight in the joy of 12 grandchildren, all proudly rooted in Fairfax County.  

Through business, service, and a heart deeply committed to others, Rizer has shown us what true philanthropy looks like: not simply giving, but uplifting; not just supporting art, but believing in its ability to improve the welfare and vitality of a community.

ArtsFairfax Impact Award: IACC-Pars Place 

The Impact Award recognizes an artist, arts organization, program, or activity that has provided significant engagement in the Fairfax community.

The Iranian American Community Center (IACC), known as Pars Place, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Iranian art and culture while fostering cross-cultural understanding in Northern Virginia. Located in Tysons Corner, IACC-Pars Place has become a thriving cultural hub, providing artists, performers, and the community with a space to engage, create, and connect. 

After seven years in a small office park, IACC relocated to Pars Place, a 9,000-square-foot facility with an art gallery, library, and auditorium. Committed to uplifting artists and preserving Persian heritage, Pars Place programming reflects a diversity of mediums, from Persian calligraphy to contemporary mixed media. In 2024 alone, Pars Place hosted over 110 arts and culture events.  

Through art exhibitions and artist talks, Pars Place presents a mix of local and International Artists to lift up both emerging and established artists from the Persian diaspora. By hosting Iranian and international musicians, Pars Place bridges traditional melodies with modern influences, and through their Persian Film & Poetry Nights, the center celebrates the storytelling traditions of Iran through cinema, spoken word, and literature. 

In all these initiatives, Pars Place extends its impact through collaborations with local and national arts organizations to nurture cultural exchange and artistic innovation. While Iranian American culture is at the heart of its mission, the center has become a gathering place for a wide range of artists and audiences. For example, the most recent Yalda group exhibition exemplified this diversity by featuring artists from Vietnamese, Romanian, Chinese, American, Indian, and Iranian backgrounds. The showcase highlighted how Persian traditions can inspire and connect people beyond cultural boundaries. 

Through these exhibitions and performances, Pars Place has become a vital cultural bridge, breaking barriers and fostering unity among communities. These events not only celebrate Persian heritage but also create shared artistic experiences that inspire dialogue, appreciation, and connection across cultures. The growing intergenerational engagement from audiences of all backgrounds reflects the profound and lasting impact of Pars Place on Northern Virginia's cultural landscape.

ArtsFairfax Education Award: Marco Rando 

The Education Award recognizes an artist or arts organization for providing exceptional arts education opportunities and experiences.

Marco Rando is a Reston-based artist and educator whose creative journey blends industrial design, sculpture, and public art. A graduate of Pratt Institute, Rando has exhibited extensively in New York, Washington, D.C., and locally including multiple shows at Reston's Grace Gallery—now Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art—where he held a solo exhibition in 2007. 

Since 2011, Rando has taught visual art at South Lakes High School, where he developed the STEAM Public Art Program in collaboration with Public Art Reston and the Reston Association. The program guides the high school's STEAM Team through the art and design process from concept to installation, culminating in the creation of large-scale, temporary public sculpture on Lake Thoreau's spillway.

Comparing the STEAM Team to a think tank, Rando shares different public art practices with the group, inspiring them to behave and think like artists. Students experience the same process that professional artists follow, including the presentation of design concepts to Public Art Reston and the Reston Association for panel review. Then, his students must create scaled models of the intended design to discover the impact of gravity and environmental elements on the structural design, and the unique challenges artists face in engineering and fabrication.

Also integral to his leadership of STEAM Public Art is Rando's open-door policy, which allows students to come and go as their schedules permit during the school year. The team invites students from all grades at South Lakes High School to benefit from both practical and creative skills. Many alumni of the program, now in its 13th year, return to help current students complete final construction.

A founding board member of Public Art Reston, Rando has contributed to the community through major commissions including Portal Seats of Memory, honoring architect Marcel Breuer's American Press Institute building, and Intent, The Wooden Horse, a tribute to Gonzalo Fonseca's Lake Anne play sculpture. 

Rando's work is rooted in an exploration of impermanence, material transformation, and the human condition. He blends natural and repurposed materials to create interactive experiences that invite public engagement. Drawing from his industrial design background, he approaches artmaking as a research-driven, hands-on process that bridges craftsmanship with conceptual depth. 

Central Virginia Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE LIGHTNING THIEF (The Hurrah Players)

7.2% of votes

2. RIDE THE CYCLONE (Little Theatre of Norfolk)

6.2% of votes

3. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (riverside center for the performing arts)

5.8% of votes

Vote Now!