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VisArts to Honor Bill And Pam Royall With Distinguished Service Award on March 7 at 34th Annual Collectors’ Night, Presented by Dominion Energy

February 06, 2020 News

The Visual Arts Center of Richmond will honor Bill Royall and Pam Kiecker Royall with the organization’s Distinguished Service Award on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at VisArts’ 34th Annual Collectors’ Night, Presented by Dominion Energy.

VisArts’ Distinguished Service Award honors a longtime friend of the organization who has demonstrated a sustained and extraordinary commitment to the center. This year’s award is sponsored by Kathryn Gray and Alex Nyerges. VisArts has presented the Distinguished Service Award since 1987 and past recipients include Brian Jackson, Carter Reid, Priscilla Burbank, Rhona Arenstein and Kathryn Gray, among many others.

Photo by Adam Ewing

“Our board is proud to recognize the considerable contributions that Pam and Bill Royall have made to VisArts and the broader Richmond art community,” said David Shuford, vice chair of VisArts’ board of directors. “Their support for the arts in Richmond has been transformative and we felt that 2020 was the year to formally recognize them for their service.”

Over the years, the Royalls have contributed to the growth of VisArts’ 16 professional art studios and the organization’s 1,800-square-foot True F. Luck Gallery. The couple regularly supports VisArts’ annual fund, capital projects and participated in two of the center’s strategic planning processes, the most recent of which was adopted in December 2019. Pam and Bill have also attended and sponsored VisArts’ Collectors’ Night and Craft + Design events for more than 10 years. At Craft + Design 2019, the couple sponsored the Best in Show Award, which was presented to Florida-based artist, Nicario Jimenez. They also added the artist’s work to their collection.

As art collectors and benefactors, the Royalls have left their mark on Richmond’s art community. Most recently, they facilitated the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ 2019 acquisition of “Rumors of War,” a statue created by artist Kehinde Wiley.

The Royalls also co-chaired the campaign committee that raised $37 million to build VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art, alongside local art patrons Steve and Kathie Markel, and Bill currently serves on the ICA Board of Advisors. Bill and Pam created Try-me, an art space and urban restoration project on Richmond’s Main Street that houses their private collection of contemporary art and offers space to support programs for artists, art educators and students of all ages.

Bill is the founder and former Chairman of Royall & Company, the leader in research-driven and technology-enabled direct marketing services to traditional, non-profit colleges and universities. Royall & Company was acquired by The Advisory Board Company in January 2015 and is now operating as EAB. Bill has served on the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Board of Trustees and as a couple, the Royalls have made many significant loans and gifts to VMFA. Bill has also served on the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Board of Visitors of George Mason University; he currently serves on the Board of Visitors of Virginia Union University. Pam has served on the boards of Richmond’s Neighborhood School of the Arts, 1708 Gallery, and is currently Vice-Chair of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, among other non-profit organizations.

Tables and individual tickets to Collectors’ Night, Presented by Dominion Energy are on sale now and donations can be made in honor of Pam and Bill Royall through the same ticketing platform. This year’s theme, “On Fire,” highlights VisArts’ clay studios. Kathryn Gray is the 2020 Collectors’ Night committee chair and Jenny Bassett is the committee co-chair. All proceeds from Collectors’ Night benefit VisArts.