Boyle is a life-long community member. Courtesy | Facebook 

Artworks of Hillsdale County awarded “Artist of the Year” to life-long community member Ronald Boyle for his work at the Sauk Theater and his dedication to the Hillsdale Theatre for Youth. 

Boyle was at the show “Mockingbird” with his wife when Connie Sexton, the president of Artworks of Hillsdale County, announced him as the winner of “Artist of the Year.” 

“I was just dumbfounded,” Boyle said.

Boyle said the play that was just performed had ended on a sad, touching note, so the emotions were already high for him.

“I was really amazed, very pleased, but it was overwhelming,” Boyle said. “I had been to the Artists of the Year galleries before, but never, ever in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be a nominee plus the recipient.”

Boyle has led the Hillsdale Theatre for Youth organization for 25 years and is currently president of the organization.

“I’m probably more of a producer trying to get more young people and young adults involved in directing,” Boyle said. “I still like to produce and be able to do a lot of things that have to do with the business aspect of the shows for the kids.”

Sexton said every year in early February, the Artworks of Hillsdale reaches out to the community to nominate potential recipients of the “Artist of Hillsdale Award.”

“The award that we give out every year doesn’t necessarily have to go to someone that is an artist — someone that draws or sings or does an instrument,” Sexton said. “It can also be somebody that promotes and supports the arts.”

Sexton said the board gives the community a month to write nomination letters.

“We don’t know everybody in the Hillsdale County area that has been really active,” Sexton said. “Some of these people are behind the scenes and give to or support the arts.”

After reviewing information on Boyle’s repertoire of shows, the board of Artworks of Hillsdale unanimously voted for Boyle to be the award recipient. 

 “He has devoted 25 years to the youth of Hillsdale County,” Sexton said. “He does these plays and musicals — that was amazing. Because there’s so many kids now that are older now, they have kids of their own that send their kids to be in this Theater for Youth.”

Sexton said her personal favorite of Boyle’s plays was “Shrek,” which the theater put on in March. She said she loved the work that the kids put in to bring the story to life. 

“The kids put on the singing, the costumes,” Sexton said. “It’s the overall performance of the kids.”

Boyle said heading the production process is difficult because of details like licenses for the sets, costuming, and rehearsal sites, but it is something he enjoys. 

“I am usually at all rehearsals to make sure everything’s going okay and doing a lot of problem-solving,” he said. 

According to the Artworks of Hillsdale Facebook page, Boyle has been heavily involved in The Sauk Theater, Hillsdale County’s Community Theater, having worked as an actor, director, sound designer, and set designer. 

“His work as a director has lead to some of the highest-attended and highest-grossing shows at The Sauk, and those who have been fortunate enough to work with him during the process know that he has a true vision for each production and gets the best out of each cast and crew member to bring that vision to life,” the page said.

Boyle’s involvement with the Sauk Theater began in 1993. His wife and daughter were playing parts in “Finian’s Rainbow,” and he decided to join the stage crew. 

“I had been to many shows at the Sauk that I have always enjoyed,” Boyle said. “I was like, ‘Gosh, I would like to be able to do that one day.’” 

Boyle said he kept up with kids productions and continued doing set crew, but when they needed a director for “The Homecoming: The Walton’s Christmas Story,” Boyle decided to step up. 

“‘I said, ‘I would like to get my hands on directing,’” Boyle said. “That was the first show that I directed, and I think that that was probably about 1995.”

Boyle is now spending a lot of his time doing set construction for the theater. 

“You really want to still be involved,” Boyle said. “I really get a lot of sense of satisfaction and gratification from doing set construction.”

Boyle said he enjoys working with the youth of Hillsdale and he has a delightful time with them. He recalled a time when all six scheduled performances of “The Lion King” were all sold out online, even after adding another performance that was sold out in 20 minutes. 

“I’m always amazed at the way that people will come out and support young people’s theater,” Boyle said. “We have quite a crew with theater with Theater for Youth — costumes and set and choreography. Just an awful lot of things, so I’m very grateful for that.”

Boyle said the most rewarding part of what he does is being able to work with a lot of people.

“If I am successful, I would have to hold that success to the fact that I have really surrounded myself with a lot of wonderful people,” Boyle said.

Artworks of Hillsdale County, an umbrella organization that sponsors other art-affiliated nonprofits and works to highlight the arts within the community, will be giving an honorary open house reception for Boyle’s invite list to present him with a state acknowledgement certificate and a unique glass award. Kathi Boyle, Boyle’s wife, said that she is delighted for her husband and that the award is an honor that he absolutely deserves.

“He does surround himself with wonderful people,” Kathi Boyle said. “But they allow themselves to spend that time with him because he really is very gracious in the way that he deals with people and deals with the kids and the parents of the children.”

Kathi Boyle said her husband’s hard work truly earned him the title of “Artist of the Year.”

“It’s a long, hard road to hoe when you’re working with 40 to 50 kids between the ages of 7 and 18,” Kathi Boyle said. “He never, ever loses his temper with them. He never is not kind. He is always teaching — he is excellent at what he does, and his vision is extremely art-worthy.”