The Independent – Rising Star Reception
Stargazing has always been a favorite pastime for many, and the evening of July 29th was no exception. The gifted and generous Rising Stars of 2021 were honored by The Independent at a soiree at the 1900 Building, complete with recognition, gifts, a lovely buffet, and lots of applause. Luke Deets, Deanna DiSalvo, Jessica James, Katasha Kumar, Danny Ritz, and Danielle Trabon were honored for their professional accomplishments and their devotion to philanthropy and civic involvement in Our Town.
Tony and Danielle Trabon, 2021 Rising Star |
Henry Wash |
Dan Ryan and Jake Falcon |
Jessica Morrow and Brandon Ramos |
Katherine Lee |
Caden Junk, Sam Yates, and Chris Meier |
John DiSalvo, Jeni Briley, Deanna DiSalvo, 2021 Rising Star; Carol DiSalvo, and Gina LoPorto |
Jessica Earnshaw and Todd Jordan |
Todd Jordan and Malik James |
Lisa Shea and Dana Chatlin |
Anne and Norbert Russ |
Rachel Falcon presented 2021 Rising Star Deanna DiSalvo with her award. |
Rachel Falcon presented 2021 Rising Star Jessica James with her award. |
Rachel Falcon presented 2021 Rising Star Katasha Kumar with her award. |
Rachel Falcon presented 2021 Rising Star Danny Ritz with his award. |
2021 Rising Star Danielle Trabon received her award from Rachel Falcon. |
Christin Painter, Lisa Shea, and Laura Gabriel |
Jake Jacobson |
Kristi and Andrew Fenton |
Joanna Cuda and Charles Staufer |
Deanna DiSalvo and Chuck Cuda |
Artist Liz Vargas’ watercolor artwork was chosen as the award for each of the members of the 2021 Class of Rising Stars. |
Joanne Collins and Greg Lever |
Tom Styrkowicz |
Each member of the Rising Star Class of 2021 received a framed copy of this illustration by Liz Vargas of the fountain in Kauffman Gardens. Liz originally trained as an engineer. In recent years, she has renewed her childhood interest in art. She prefers to work with ink and water colors. Liz greatly enjoys painting from life, particularly outdoor scenes in Our Town. Her work has won many awards. In addition, Liz is a co-founder of Urban Sketchers Kansas City, a global community of artists who practice drawing on location. Her work can be found online at etsy.com/shop/lizvargasart. |
Additional photos featured in the September 4, 2021 issue of The Independent
Photo credit: Phoebe Rain and Tom Styrkowicz
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