Rosemary Magee speaks to the assembled crowd during the award ceremony.

The Creativity & Arts Impact Awards recognize significant contributions in creativity and the arts by members of the Emory community as well as the greater Atlanta communities.

Through these awards, the Center for Creativity & Arts (CCA) strives to recognize and spotlight creative discovery, societal impact, courageous inquiry, innovation, collaboration, human spirit, and the exploration of new frontiers – all of which are core to Emory’s research and public service mission.

This year, the Creativity & Arts Impact Awards recognized the lifelong devotion of Rosemary Magee to the advancement of arts and creativity on Emory’s campus with the “Arts Crusader” award. Rosemary was instrumental in the founding of the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, spearheaded the university initiative Creativity: Art and Innovation, and established the Creativity Conversation series.

(L to R): Laura Hardman, Leslie Taylor, and Rosemary Magee.

In addition to presenting Rosemary with the “Arts Crusader” award, the CCA was proud to announce the creation of a new endowment to support and sustain the Creativity Conversation series, originally established by Rosemary. The series has been named for Rosemary in honor of her vision and leadership.

The Rosemary Magee Creativity Conversations highlight creativity and imagination as essential to every discipline and enterprise. By putting distinguished visiting thinkers and creators in conversation with one another and members of the Emory community, Creativity Conversations give audiences access into the innovative minds and creative processes of leaders in a wide range of fields.

“The Center for Creativity and Arts spearheaded this new endowment in Rosemary’s name in recognition of her 30+ years of scholarly leadership, creativity, and artistic endeavors at Emory. It seemed most fitting to us to name the ongoing Creativity Conversation Series in her honor,” said Leslie Taylor, Executive Director of the Center for Creativity and Arts. “It has been over ten years since Rosemary conceived of and began hosting this innovative series on the origins and nature of the creative process. I am truly grateful to all those who contributed to this endeavor in appreciation of a valued colleague, mentor and friend to many of us in the Emory community.”

“I’ve been so inspired by the creative energies of this university for my entire academic career,” said Rosemary, “and I’m deeply honored by the graciousness and generosity of my colleagues in this most meaningful way. I look forward to more conversations with all!”