2025 Mayor's Awards in the Arts Honorees

PAT POCE- Lifetime Contribution Honoree

Born and raised in Ogden, Utah, Patrick Poce has always believed that art is “the creativity of the soul.” Pat discovered his passion for design early on, and after studying art and interior design at Weber State University, he went on to launch two successful businesses: The Posy Place in 1977 and Olive & Dahlia in 2004, with his partner of over 40 years, Deon Gooch. Their businesses became creative landmarks in Ogden and across Utah, experiences that honed Pat’s eye for artistry, design, and community engagement—skills that would later shape his leadership at the Eccles Art Center.

In 2011, after decades in floral design and years of service on the Eccles Art Center’s Board of Directors, Pat became the Art Center’s Executive Director. His tenure has been marked by growth, innovation, and a deep commitment to community engagement. Pat has overseen renovations to all of the EAC’s buildings, including the historic Eccles home and Carriage House. He has established signature programs such as Art in Bloom and Petite Impressions, and launched the Northern Utah High School Art Competition, awarding more than $15,000 annually in scholarships to young artists. He has also advanced long-term projects, including the Children’s Art Yard, the Art Pantry, and a capital campaign to preserve the historic Eccles mansion. Through his leadership, Pat has ensured the Eccles Art Center remains a cultural hub, promoting the arts in all forms and enriching the quality of life throughout Ogden and Weber County.

RENE VENEGAS - Folk Art Honoree

René Venegas, a 16th-generation master silversmith, specializes in custom, handcrafted fine jewelry. As the proprietor of Galleon’s Gold Jewelry, alongside his wife Jenny, he offers a wide range of services, including jewelry making and silversmithing classes, repair work, polishing, and appraisal services. His family has a rich history in the craft, with ancestors among the first to arrive in the Americas during Christopher Columbus’ third voyage. Rene’s ancestor, Felipe Venegas, was the master silversmith for early Catholic cathedrals in the Dominican Republic and was credited with stamping the first European coins in the New World.

René immigrated to the United States about 20 years ago and has dedicated over 15 years to teaching jewelry design and silversmithing at Weber State University. Since its inception, he has also taught at The Local Artisan Collective in Ogden, where he not only shares his expertise but also showcases and sells his hand-crafted fine jewelry.

His expertise has earned him recognition, with features in The Standard Examiner, The Signpost, KUTV Inside the Story, FOX13 Good Morning Utah, The Salt Project, KTVX Good Things Utah as well as Fresh Living on KUTV.

JULIA ALDRICH - Legacy in the Arts Honoree

Julia Aldrich (1952-2025) was a loving mother, wife, and friend. Her life was devoted to healing and helping others with her hands. Throughout her life, she physically relieved people’s pain as a massage therapist. Prior to discovering her passion for pottery, she carried and bore quadruplets to full term at the age of 40. When her children graduated from high school, she decided to join her children as a student at Weber State University, where she had previously graduated with a Bachelor of Sociology 50 years earlier. While there, she enrolled in a ceramics class and ignited a new passion. After teaching water aerobics at the Marshall White Center since 2004, she eagerly created a pottery program in 2016, where she shared her artistry, imagination, and friendship. Julie molded more than just clay; she shaped her life around selflessly helping and teaching others, leaving indelible marks in countless lives and a legacy of love and creativity.

ANGELIKA PAGEL - Arts in Education Honoree

Born and raised in Germany, Angelika came to the United States right after High School to spend a year studying abroad. A lifetime later, she is still here, now happily retired after teaching at Weber State University for 37 years. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art history from UCLA, followed by her PhD from UC Berkeley. She then taught at Washington State University and the University of Idaho before coming to Ogden. Angelika relishes art and architecture across cultures and ages - with the 'infamous' exceptions, at least to her peers, of Baroque and Rococo art. Picasso, as well as the Mona Lisa, has also not fared well in her teaching. If coerced to name her favorites, though, she will have to commit to Art Nouveau, Dada, Surrealism, the Indigenous Arts of North America, and the art of comics and graphic novels. Her professional focus was always her students - that they should enjoy learning about global cultures and histories via art and architecture, and understand the complexities of the world. Angelika taught with enthusiasm (at least she hopes so) and continues that love for the history of art in her retirement as she travels and keeps learning about to her yet unfamiliar cultures and their arts.

JEAN-LOUISE ENGLAND - Performing Arts Honoree

Jean-Louise grew up in Logan and moved to Ogden in 1991 to attend Weber State University. After graduating, she built an impressive career in the performing arts, working across several cities before settling in Phoenix. There, she contributed her talents to renowned organizations, including Arizona Theatre Company, Valley Youth Theatre, Moscow Ballet, Palm Springs Follies, Arizona State University Theatre, and Childsplay AZ.

In 2007, she returned to Ogden to serve as Costume Studio Manager for Weber State University’s Theatre Program. In this role, she has designed and engineered costumes for theatre, dance, and opera, while also sharing her expertise through workshops and classes at the Local Artisan Collective in downtown Ogden. Beyond the university, she serves as board president of NEXT Ensemble, an organization dedicated to presenting distinctive chamber music and contemporary compositions to the Ogden community.

Passionate about mentoring the next generation, Jean-Louise thrives on working with students, faculty, staff, and community partners to inspire creativity and artistic exploration. Her collaborations extend to local and regional theatre companies, high schools, and libraries, where she is a trusted mentor to students past and present. Most recently, she collaborated on The Grownups with Sisyphus Happy Theatre Company—an immersive production staged in a garden on Ogden’s East Bench, evoking the nostalgia of summer camp.

Always eager to expand her artistry, she embraces new skills and technologies as part of her creative journey. When she is not in the studio or theatre, Jean-Louise can be found exploring the beauty of our National Parks and Public Lands—places she treasures deeply and advocates to preserve for future generations.