Philanthropists Marian and Benjamin Schuster and the Stivers School for the Arts have been selected to receive the prestigious 2013 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio.

Eight winners were selected from 66 nominations submitted by individuals and organizations throughout Ohio and will be honored at a luncheon ceremony on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at the Columbus Athenaeum in downtown Columbus.

Awards are given to Ohio individuals and organizations in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the arts statewide, regionally and nationally. Awards are given for Arts Administration, Arts Education, Arts Patron, Business Support of the Arts, Community Development & Participation and Individual Artist. The Schusters won in the “Arts Patron” category, and Stivers was recognized for outstanding arts education.

The luncheon is hosted by the Ohio Arts Council and Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation. Winners will receive an original work of art by Susan Danko, a painter from Parma.

Springfield Museum is re-accredited

It’s been an exciting year for the Springfield Museum of Art.

Not only was the museum named a Smithsonian affiliated museum but it has just earned its re-accreditation with the American Alliance of Museums. The announcement was made earlier this week at a Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce event by the museum’s executive director Ann Fortescue.

“It’s a self-motivated process, which means a museum must take it upon itself to see how it measures up against the highest standards of the field,” explained Dewey Blanton of the AAM. “Just 4.5 percent of the museums in the United States are accredited.”

Accreditation puts Springfield on a par with museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution. Blanton says the designation has proven to be helpful in fund-raising, applying for grants and says many European museums will not loan objects to institutions that aren’t accredited.

Blanton says there are 17,500 museums in the United States; his organization represents everything from zoos to art museums and everything in between. The AAM has 3,000 members, only 780 are accredited.

Rubi Girls Raise $1 million for AIDS charities

The Rubi Girls, Dayton’s comedic drag troupe, has now raised more than $1 million for HIV/AIDS-related charities.

Over 400 people attended Saturday night’s show, which raised more than $11,000. The troupe has been performing since the late 1980s and took its name from its first location on Rubicon Street. In the 1980s, members made the decision to donate monies raised from their shows to causes members believed in.

Free Family Films at The Neon

The Family Holiday Film Series will return to The Neon movie theater in December. On the first three Saturdays of the month, the downtown theater will offer free films for kids ages 12 and younger. Others pay $2 admission.

The series is sponsored by the Dayton Holiday Festival, DP&L, Channel 99.9 and The Neon. All films are shown at noon. Here’s the schedule:

Dec. 1: “Prancer”

Dec. 8.: “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Dec. 15: “Arthur Christmas”

The theater is located at 130 E. Fifth St. in Dayton.

Symphony plans family concert

A “pops” style family holiday concert will be presented by the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra and is slated for 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 at Temple Beth Or, 5275 Marshall Road.

Selections range from Victor Herbert’s “March of the Toys” to Holcombe’s “Festive Songs of Hanukkah.”

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $5 for students, available at the door. For more information: www.mvso.org