Last year, prior to The Chair Affair, the staff and some parents at Arts In Motion Studio created an award called The Great Equalizer. The first person to receive it was myself, in honor of the legacy of my forty years of working towards arts access for all. The award is to be passed on every year to a new individual in honor of the work they do in the community to assure equalization. The work can be in any area, but the award highlights the passion to provide and assure equal access. This year the board decided to give the award to Flip and Pam Mulliner.
This was an easy decision as they passionately support programming that would have met the future interests of their daughter Katura Ann Mulliner. Katura (Katie) was full of smiles and joy from the moment I first met her to the last time I gazed into her precious eyes. Katie had a long battle with leukemia and was not able to gain the hold on life her parents had fought for. But it was a big fight and a spirited battle until the end. Filled with grief, they poured their passions into helping several local nonprofits gain footholds and become realities in our community. Arts in Motion Studio was one of those organizations.
I came to Grand Rapids from metro Detroit because Katie was here to be a part of my desire to bring the arts to individuals with disabilities in West Michigan. Many of our current, long-term students were Katie’s peers. Flip and Pam believed in me and the organization. They spirited along our first website and brochure, and helped to create the board that would bring all the work to a reality.
Our lives often intersect in very personal ways. Katie’s life and her passing brought many pathways together. I am honored to have been able to present The Great Equalizer Award to Pam and Flip Mulliner and honor their gifts used to create an eternal memory of one sweet, french-fry eating girl.