Accountant wins Hillsdale County ‘Artist of the Year’ award

Hillsdale College alumnus Greg Bailey, ’89, received ArtWorks of Hillsdale County’s 2025 Artist of the Year award at a reception at the Dawn Theater Sept. 28.

Mary Wolfram said she nominated Bailey for the award because of his financial and administrative work for various arts programs in Hillsdale, such as writing grants, keeping the books, and submitting paperwork. Bailey also performs in local musicals and sings as a bass in the Arts Chorale.

“I believe that art is not the same thing to everyone,” Bailey said in his acceptance speech. “Art is in the eye of the beholder. So why not me? Why not any of us? If you are passionate enough about what you do, it can become art.”

Bailey said he was surprised to receive the award because most of his contribution to the arts in Hillsdale is behind-the-scenes work.

“My first reaction to hearing about my nomination was ‘Why me?’ I am an accountant, not an artist,” Bailey said when accepting the award. “As I thought more about it, I guess that I have been surrounded by art my whole life.”

ArtWorks is a nonprofit organization that supports local artists in and around Hillsdale and hosts community events. 

According to ArtWorks Secretary Sarah Gray, the Artist of the Year award was established more than 20 years ago to recognize active members of the arts community. She said anyone involved in the arts in any way can be nominated, including visual, performing, or literary artists; arts educators; or local art advocates.

At the reception, ArtWorks President Connie Sexton and Vice President Heather Tritchka presented Bailey with a state recognition award, signed by State Rep. Jennifer Wortz and State Sen. Joseph Bellino, both Republicans who represent Hillsdale County. Afterward, they presented him with the ArtWorks Artist of the Year Award, a glass trophy with his name engraved on it.

“He’s an accountant, or ‘bean counter’ as he calls himself,” Sexton said. “He helps out a lot of the arts nonprofits by doing their tax forms for free. He doesn’t charge any of us. With all the organizations that he does belong to, he is an avid participant in writing grants for them to put on their events.”

Bailey, who has lived in Hillsdale since around age 9, said arts in Hillsdale have become much stronger throughout his lifetime, which organizations like ArtWorks have been encouraging for years.

“The constant theme you hear is that there’s nothing to do in Hillsdale,” Bailey said. “But if you look around, there really is, between the college and the community. Everything may not be for everyone, but there is definitely something for everyone, whether it be theater, visual arts, music, or something else.”

Tritchka said the arts help bring communities together.

“It was St. Maximillian Kolbe who said only love creates art,” Tritchka said. “When you’re trying to make something beautiful and share it with others, it’s an act of love, and it’s a way we give back to our community.”

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