The Mildred W. Spicer Arts Fund was created in 2013 in honor of Spicer’s retirement from Charlottesville’s Department of Parks and Recreation after 33 years as therapeutic recreation supervisor.
On November 5, 2018, Hiromi Johnson, Director of the Charlottesville T’ai Chi Center, was awarded the fifth annual Arts Award from the Mildred W. Spicer Arts fund for her efforts in promoting the art form of T’ai Chi.
“Hiromi represents the spirit of the Mildred W. Spicer Arts Award through her dedicated support of individuals with disabilities and seniors in a variety of settings and through her commitment to positive awareness of artistic expression, improving the lives of others, and fostering inner growth and creative development,” Spicer fund officials said in a prepared statement.
Additional details found in an article at the Daily Progress.
Hiromi’s Thoughts on the Award:
14 years ago, when T’ai Chi and Qi Gong were not well known, Mildred was interested in having classes at Carver Rec Center. I felt a sense of destiny coming full circle, starting a class with Mildred then, and receiving the Mildred Spicer Arts Fund Award on Monday at City Space as a representative of CTCC.
I am grateful for the recognition we have received for our work. However, I didn’t make this journey alone. I was accompanied by all the dedicated teachers and staff who believed in us and gave us inspiration to work with the community. Instructors and students at CTCC have supported my vision and passion, too.
Why am I so interested in sharing T’ai Chi with the community? It is because you can see each person has something special inside. We introduce T’ai Chi as a means of help people express themselves. In return, we receive beautiful smile, voice (which we couldn’t hear in the beginning of semester), and movement that make you smile back.
Serving the community has been a joy and privilege and we will continue working with them and keep improving our skills so more people will benefit from T’ai Chi and Qi Gong practice.
With Gratitude,
Hiromi