2026  Lifetime Achievement Awardees

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The 2026 recipients of the Cortland County Lifetime Achievement Awards are David Yaman, who was honored posthumously in the Visual Arts Category, and Julie Carr, who was recognized in the Musician category.

 

In 2009, Cortland Arts Connect established the Lifetime Achievement Award for a Visual Artist. In 2021, a Lifetime Achievement Award for Music was added. Selected by a committee of peers, the awards recognize and honor outstanding artists and musicians for their contributions to the cultural fabric of our community.

 

As a component of the Visual Arts award, Cortland Arts Connect purchases a piece of artwork created by the recipient. The intent of this annual Purchase Award is to build a permanent visual record of an important aspect of our artistic heritage. The complete collection, now numbering fourteen artworks, is on exhibit at the McNeil Gallery, 17-29 Main Street, Cortland through mid-November.

 

David Yaman, well known throughout the community for his career as a local realtor and developer, also had a lifelong passion for the arts and played an important role in their growth in Cortland County as a founding member of both the Homer Center for the Arts and Cortland Repertory Theatre, organizations that have grown to become cornerstones of the region’s cultural life.

 

One of Yaman’s most passionate private pursuits was photography. Working frequently in large format, he created striking images of local scenes while continually exploring new ways of seeing and interpreting the world around him. His willingness to push the boundaries of his work can be seen in photographs employing techniques such as intentional blurring to create a sense of movement and energy.

That energy—and Yaman’s unmistakable zest for life—can be felt throughout a special selection of his photographs now also on display at the McNeil Gallery. The exhibition will remain on view through mid-November.

 

Julie Carr has devoted much of her life to sharing music with young people. During her professional career, she led the string program in the Cortland schools, introducing generations of students to string instruments and helping them develop their skills and appreciation for music.

 

Retirement did little to slow that commitment. She created, and continues to lead, a string program at St. Mary’s School, extending opportunities for string instruction to another generation of young musicians. As part of the program, she has brought in students from Ithaca College to serve as interns, creating a valuable two-way learning experience in which college students gain practical teaching experience while younger students benefit from additional instruction and mentorship. She also continues to teach string students privately.

 

Over the course of her career, Carr has enriched the lives of hundreds of young musicians, not simply by teaching them to play an instrument, but by nurturing their confidence, musicianship and lifelong appreciation for music.