Duffie Adelson Award for Lifelong Achievement in Community Arts Education

Named after Trustee Duffie Adelson, the namesake Award honors individuals who have dedicated a minimum of 20 years to the field of community arts education. Recipients are esteemed for their unwavering commitment and significant impact on the sector.

2024 Awardees

Paul Babcock, President & Chief Operating Officer, MacPhail Center for Music, has played a pivotal role in its growth and transformation. Over his three-decade tenure, Paul's strategic leadership has led to significant advancements. From spearheading the expansion into new locations to pioneering innovative program areas, Paul has deepened MacPhail's commitment to providing exceptional music education. Under his guidance, enrollment has more than doubled to an impressive 15,000 students, demonstrating MacPhail’s commitment to fostering musical talent and nurturing individual potential. Paul was the visionary project manager for MacPhail's landmark 55,000-square-foot building in downtown Minneapolis. This project opened in January 2008, marking a significant milestone in the institution's journey. Paul also orchestrated MacPhail’s expansion into Austin, MN, and Madeline Island, WI, furthering its reach and impact. Paul's dedication to music is not just professional but personal. He is a talented teaching artist and performer on percussion instruments. His journey in music education began with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and business administration from Monmouth College (Illinois), a foundation that he built upon with a master's in music in percussion performance from the University of Minnesota. This unique blend of musical and business acumen informs his leadership at MacPhail, where he is committed to providing exceptional music education.

Madaha Kinsey-Lamb, Founder, Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, has been a resident of Valley Cottage NY and then of Nyack for over six years, as well as having lived in 4 of the 5 boroughs of NYC over her lifetime. Her work for more than five decades has encompassed being a poet/writer/spoken word artist, teacher, and recent retirement from 45 years as Executive Director & Founder of Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center in the Northeast Bronx. The invention of the handy iPhone rekindled her enthusiasm for photography that to date had included only one formal semester in b/w photography at NYU during her senior year as an undergraduate in 1972. Madaha holds an M.S. in Educational Leadership from CCNY, and was also an adult ‘work exchange’ student at the Westside Y’s Writer’s Voice, as well as an active member of the Harlem Writers Guild for five years that included work on a young adult novel for which publication will soon be actively sought. Madaha is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and an often astounded and grateful student of life who is passionate about having Black youth, those of color, and their communities realize their power, their beauty, and vast capabilities.