a/perture cinema honors Jeffrey “Smitty” Smith with the inaugural a/ward
Jeffery "Smitty" Smith
The nonprofit a/perture cinema announced the inaugural recipient of the a/ward is Jeffrey “Smitty” Smith. The a/ward honors persons who are making or have made significant contributions to both Downtown and the arts. Whether via gifts of their time, talents, or treasures, these individuals have shown dedication to improving the landscape of Winston-Salem’s Downtown with specific attention to the arts community.
The 2022 a/ward honors Smith for his contribution to Winston-Salem, Downtown and the arts community through Smitty’s Notes, currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. In 1997, when e-mail and the Internet were in their early period, Smith started sending emails out to friends about what to do in Winston-Salem. It caught fire with his friends and as a joke he called it Smitty’s Notes. What began as an email with a dozen subscribers has now grown into a newsletter with over 16,000 subscribers and a website that ranks among the most powerful information sources in Winston-Salem. There would be no Smitty’s Notes without Jeffrey L. Smith, this year’s a/ward winner.
Smith was presented with a seat named after him in one of the a/perture theaters and gifts have been made in his honor totaling $1,500. Special thanks to SueMo Consulting and Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership for their support.
“I feel fortunate and very happy to be the inaugural winner of this award this year. It means a whole lot to me.” said Smith
“When we developed the criteria for the a/ward, it was hard for me to not picture Jeff the entire time. He is the perfect person to help us establish this community a/ward,” said Monique Farrell, director of philanthropic engagement for a/perture cinema.
a/perture cinema is a non-profit art house cinema in downtown Winston-Salem, “with a mission to engage and entertain the community through the art of film by showcasing thought-provoking and inspiring films – films that enrich our lives, engage our minds, promote diversity, and build community.” Screening a mix of independent, foreign, documentary, local and festival films in two 80-seat theaters, one 45-seat screening room, and the 22-seat petit a/.
