Information submitted by Stockbridge Area Arts Council

On June 14, as part of the Stockbridge Area Arts Council’s Art Show, the council presented the 2025 Mike Jones Award for Contribution to the Arts to talented area artist and longtime SAAC member Beverly Glynn.

This award was established in 2019 to honor the late Mike Jones and his artistic influences in the Stockbridge area and to recognize other artists and organizations who create and support fine arts and art appreciation within our community.

When considering nominees for this award, the SAAC awards committee looks for someone who has made meaningful contributions to advancing arts in the community. This year’s winner, “Bev” Glynn, is an esteemed painter and has been a steadfast member of the Stockbridge Area Arts Council throughout its history. She is also a founding member of Stockbridge Area Artists.

The SAAC Art Show has been held simultaneously with the annual A Day in the Village in Stockbridge. During the show, works by various artists are displayed in the Township Hall in the Stockbridge Town Square.

 “I am so honored to receive this award,” Glynn remarked. “I have enjoyed promoting the arts in the Stockbridge Area.”

Glynn and her husband, Dave, moved to the Stockbridge area in 1968. When their children were young, an artist friend asked Glynn if she would like to paint with her. That’s all it took to spark Glynn’s enthusiasm. In 2010, after retiring from 35 years of teaching in the Stockbridge School District, this local artist had more time to spend on painting and supporting art in the community. In 2021, Glynn was the featured artist at the SAAC Art Show.

Glynn’s dedication has helped keep the Arts Council going, bringing arts into the schools and the community at large—even during the COVID pandemic in 2020.

SAAC president, Andrea Stickney, was pleased to weigh in about this year’s choice for the Mike Jones Award: “As we are all very much aware, Bev Glynn is an artist of great accomplishments, but she is not just an amazing artist, she is, in my estimation, a superwoman who excels in whatever goal she takes on.”

Stickney first met Glynn at a Stockbridge Area Arts Council meeting, hosted at Doreen White’s home, when Stickney was invited to join the board. At that time, Glynn was serving in the executive role of secretary for the group.

“At every meeting, I saw this woman taking notes, really good notes. And believe me, that is not easy when you are also expected to pay full attention and contribute as well,” Stickney recalled.

In addition to volunteering as secretary for decades, unpaid and often unacknowledged, Stickney mentioned that Glynn “also brings a splash of beauty to the community through the Stockbridge Area Garden Club.”

“What really bothers me is she never looks any older,” Stickney said with a smile! She added, “Not all heroes wear capes, or carry rifles. Some often go unrecognized for their amazing feats, serving in the trenches doing the jobs that need to be done and excelling in whatever they do. That is Bev!  Congratulations to Bev Glynn! We appreciate all you have done and continue to do to support art in the Stockbridge Community.”

The late Mike Jones was a professional figurative sculptor. He held a Master of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University and worked from his studio in Gregory, Michigan. He cared deeply for the people in his community and was always ready to share his knowledge and skills to encourage others to make and appreciate art. His sculptures in the community include “Available to All” in front of the Stockbridge library and the War Memorial in front of the Unadilla Township Fire Department in Gregory. His sculpture, “Considering Evolution,” was recently on display in front of Chelsea State Bank as part of Chelsea’s 2024-2025 Sculpture Walk.