Tickets On Sale For The 2025 ArtsFairfax Awards

ArtsFairfax Awards, the region’s premier event to honor major arts contributions in Fairfax County, has announced ArtsFairfax board member and four-time TV news Emmy winner Peggy Fox as the ceremony emcee and Diane Cairns as the commissioned artist who designed this year’s awards. 

The annual event, taking place on Friday, October 24, will include an Iranian string performance by Narmin Adiban and a vocal performance by Sopranessence, one of ArtsFairfax’s newest Operating Support Grant recipients,  to honor General (retired) Lester L. Lyles, Tim Rizer, IACC-Pars Place, and Marco Rando for their extraordinary contributions to the arts and to the Fairfax community.  

Single Tickets on Sale 

Following three years of sell-outs for the event, ArtsFairfax has moved the luncheon to the Hyatt Regency Reston, a larger location enabling the nonprofit to sell single tickets and increase sponsorships. By bringing over 400 business professionals, elected officials, and arts and community leaders together, the fundraiser provides direct support to ArtsFairfax as it embarks on new public art initiatives and endeavors to broaden services for individual artists in response to the recently conducted Fairfax Regional Artist Survey,  the first study of its kind in the County.  

Event Performances 

On behalf of IACC-Pars Place, Narmin Adiban will perform on the kamancheh, a traditional Iranian bowed string instrument. Trained as a violinist and kamancheh player, Ms. Adiban has performed throughout Iran and the U.S. Her musical journey began at age nine through a children’s music program where she learned the basics of how to read music, understand rhythm, and connect with sound. At age 12, she began her practice of the violin, and one year later the kamancheh. Today, Ms. Adiban carries on her musical legacy by teaching music, violin, and kamancheh to students of all ages from around the world.  

Sopranessence is an ensemble with a varied repertoire of operatic arias, Broadway show tunes, and American classics. For the Awards, the performance will feature Bharati Soman, Diana Coss, Hannah Leeper, Jenna Stein, Kathleen Allen, Nicole Lamm and Shaina Murphy accompanied by Ruth Locker. Formerly 7 Sopranos®, Sopranessence was founded by Cynthia Cole in 2007 with the vision of forming an ensemble of professional female singers whose performances would break the stereotype that classical vocal music is stuffy or inaccessible. Noteworthy for being fast-paced, fun, and entertaining, Sopranessence performances are joyous events for audiences of all ages. 

Commissioned Artist 

ArtsFairfax commissioned local artist Diane Cairns to create this year’s awards. A resident of Springfield, Virginia, Ms. Cairns is the former owner and manager of Virginia Stained Glass, through which she offered instruction in stained glass design, fusing, leadwork, soldering, foiling as well as mosaics and beading. She has completed commissions for private patrons, local businesses, nonprofits, and churches. Her work is on display in the lobby of the Defenders of Wildlife headquarters in Washington, D.C., and the Salvation Army chapel in Annandale, Virginia. She also has a large installation featuring 32 windows at the Hilton Christian Church in Hampton, Virginia. On view at the Artisans United Gallery in Annandale and at local juried craft shows, Ms. Cairns is a longtime member of the Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild which promotes artisans and art and craft in the region. She has a degree in Fine Arts from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland.