The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission has named Stefanie Hassett and the Ian M. Hassett Foundation as recipients of the 2025 Leadership in Arts Award.

The award will be presented as part of a county resolution proclaiming October as Arts and Humanities Month at the Board of Supervisors meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building, 511 Lakeside Pkwy., Santa Maria.
 
The Leadership in Arts Award was established in 2006 to honor individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing arts and culture in Santa Barbara County.

The commission selects leaders who are then honored by the Board of Supervisors.
 
Hassett is being recognized for her role in co-founding and directing the Ian M. Hassett Foundation; her service as treasurer of the Santa Maria Arts Council; and her leadership in shaping the city of Santa Maria’s first Public Art Master Plan.

The Ian M. Hassett Foundation, founded in memory of Ian Hassett, will also be recognized for its role in enriching the Santa Maria Valley through scholarships, mentorships, exhibitions, and community programs that support young artists and adults with disabilities.

Since 2013, the foundation has awarded nearly $30,000 in scholarships and created opportunities for students to engage in mentorship, field trips, and exhibitions.
 
“It is gratifying to have our small foundation recognized for the work that we have done the last 12 years in our community,” said Stefanie Hassett. “Our shared goal has been a simple one, to honor the last wish of my son, Ian, to encourage and support young artists like himself.

“This has definitely been a team effort in which our donors, supporters and volunteers made this outreach to thousands of young art students possible.”
 
“The commission is proud to recognize Stefanie Hassett and the Ian M. Hassett Foundation for their extraordinary leadership, which has strengthened opportunities for artists and fostered a spirit of inclusion in the arts,” said Robert Dickerson, chair of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.

“Their work reminds us that cultural growth happens when we support artists at every stage of their journey,” he said.