And the winner is…
Storyteller, actor, musician, writer and teacher Logie Meachum, who, sadly, passed away in December of last year at the age of 66.
This week ArtsGreensboro awarded Meachum the 2019 Betty Cone Medal of Arts Award posthumously. The award, which was established two decades ago, honors local artists who “have achieved clear excellence in their discipliane and have made extraordinary contributions to their field or the community through their artistry or expertise.”
According to a press release sent out by ArtsGreensboro announcing Meachum as the winner, very few people in Greensboro “exemplify excellence and have made a lasting impact more than Logie Meachum, making this year’s decision to make this award posthumously an easy one.”
In the letter recommending Meachum for the award, Piedmont Blues Preservation Society President Atiba Berkley wrote that, for over 40 years, Meachum was recognized as “Greensboro’s consummate bluesman, storyteller, actor, writer, and arts educator.”
The letter stated that he was one of Greensboro’s most talented musicians and added that he mentored a host of younger performers. It also addressed his devotion to music and to learning – as well as his many contributions to the community.
Berkley wrote that Meachum’s wide range of talents “allowed him to cultivate an authentic presence that was equally at home in a barroom blues jam or an interfaith religious service.”
Berkley added: “As a Greensboro native who grew up during the time of segregation, Meachum infused his music and storytelling with a spirituality and a knowledge of local history in a way that commanded moral authenticity.”
Many called Meachum a “renaissance man” while he was alive.
In 2007, Meachum performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
He also won the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society’s competition, and he subsequently moved on to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Others also wrote in support of Meachum complimenting his teaching at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the way in which his audiences loved him when he performed.
The Betty Cone Medal of Arts was awarded to Meachum posthumously at ArtsGreensboro’s Annual Celebration on Wednesday, June 19.
