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Norwich Arts Council to honor founding member
Published on 04/06/2007 Lottie Scott said she's been trying to retire for years. As a board member for several city groups, including the United Way, Norwich Historical Society and Norwich Heritage Discovery Center, the Norwich resident can't seem to stay away from volunteering her time to serve the community.
She has received numerous accolades for her efforts through the years, including a Presidential Humanitarian Award for Diversity from the University of Connecticut and a President's Award from the Norwich NAACP. Now, she is about to be honored for her work in the arts.
Scott, 70, will be recognized for her work as a founding member of the Norwich Arts Council at the group's annual gala dinner April 20 at the Spa at Norwich Inn. The event, which also serves as a fund-raiser, is open to the public. "I was actually very surprised, but I'm pleased. It's been an honor for me to serve and work with them," she said. The South Carolina native moved to Norwich at 20, in 1957. She became a charter member of the city's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter when it began in 1963, and has been volunteering ever since. "There wasn't a lot for me to do in South Carolina, but I came here and had my own ideas about justice, and wanted to get involved," she said. Scott's work with the Norwich Arts Council began in 1987, when she and a group of artists, including Peter Leibert of Preston, decided to promote the arts in Norwich as it had never been done before.
A gallery was established on Broadway, and within a few years, the council had earned grants to refurbish the theater above the space, now the Donald L. Oat Theater, as a way of providing more entertainment for the city.We were really trying to prove our accountability, and before the theater or before we had purchased the building, the gallery was really the only visibility we had. It's what we were at the time," Leibert said. "Lottie really pushed for these galas, and she has an amazing amount of energy. She gets the job done."
Until she resigned last year, Scott served as a board member for NAC. Leibert now is the only remaining founding member of the group still on the board. "She has used her precious time and her contacts throughout the city to bring people and a higher public profile to our facility, always with an eye toward the mission of the organization," said Dianne Daniels of Norwich, an NAC member. "She has been a tireless advocate and booster for the arts since she helped found the NAC 20 years ago." In the past few years, Scott said she has tried to scale back the number of groups for which she volunteers and the number of boards on which she serves. Eventually, she would like to write her memoirs. Though she would enjoy a break, Scott said she will continue to push for more art programs for local children and fight for more arts funding. "I've had a wonderful time. This has been a thrilling journey, and I've met some wonderful friends. Things have grown and changed, but Norwich is still a great community," she said.
Aaron Flaum/Norwich Bulletin
Lottie Scott at the Norwich Arts Council gallery in Norwich. She helped to found the organization in 1987.
Reach Amy Lawson at 425-4235 or alawson@norwichbulletin.com