Spoleto Festival USA is proud to announce Jonathan Green and Cathy Marino as the 2026 recipients of the Mary Ramsay Civic Award, a distinction celebrating local philanthropic and public leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to the Charleston community.
2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Honorees, Jonathan Green and Cathy Marino
This award honors individuals and organizations who exemplify Mary Croghan Ramsay’s passion, public-spiritedness, generosity, and deep commitment to improving the lives of Charleston’s citizens. Recipients are recognized for inspiring meaningful and innovative change through exceptional leadership, coalition building, and philanthropic dedication—often with a tireless determination and open heart. Honorees include those closely connected to Spoleto as well as those beyond the Festival who share its values, alongside organizations that model this spirit through impactful work across the performing arts, higher education, urban development, and support for individuals with disabilities.
Guests at the 2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Luncheon in American Gardens
Held Friday, March 27 at American Gardens, the Mary Ramsay Civic Award Luncheon brought together community leaders, friends, and supporters to celebrate Jonathan and Cathy and their remarkable contributions.
A Cocktail Reception Took Place Prior to the Luncheon in American Gardens
The awards were presented in memory of Mary Croghan Ramsay, whose enduring advocacy spanned the performing arts, urban development, higher education, and the welfare of people with disabilities.
Family of Mary Croghan Ramsay at the 2026 Award Luncheon
The Mary Ramsay Civic Award recognizes individuals whose vision, generosity, and leadership reflect Mary’s enduring legacy. Present were her daughters Mariana Hay and Rhett Outten, who welcomed the crowd with a blessing, as well as extended family including seven grandchildren.
2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Honorees, Jonathan Green and Cathy Marino with Spoleto Festival USA General Director and CEO Mena Mark Hanna (L) and Board Chair Phil Smith (R)
Jonathan Green and Cathy Marino exemplify this spirit through their exceptional commitment to advancing the arts, fostering community development, and improving the lives of those around them. Their work serves as an inspiration, embodying the values and impact that Mary Ramsay championed throughout her life.
2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Honoree Cathy Marino (R) with Nella Barkley (L)
Cathy Marino is an esteemed educator, early childhood specialist, and community leader. Over a 36-year career, Cathy served as a teacher, preschool specialist, principal, and adjunct professor, and presented on child development and multi-age instruction. During her tenure in New Jersey, Cathy founded the state’s first Infant/Toddler Child Care Program, earned the 1991 New Jersey Governor’s Award for Outstanding Teacher and 1992 New Jersey Teacher of the Year, and served on the U.S. President’s National Teachers’ Advisory Council.
In 1997, Cathy moved to Charleston with her husband, Ben, where she quickly became immersed in the city’s educational and civic life. She was a founding board member of the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, Engaging Creative Minds, Charleston Promise Neighborhood, Arts, etc., and The Children’s Center at Carolina Park. She has served on boards supporting literacy, early childhood development, health, and the arts, including the SC Aquarium Education Committee, the Gaillard Center, the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the College of Charleston School of the Arts. Cathy co-founded Arts, etc. on Kiawah Island, raising over $2 million for nonprofit arts organizations, and leading community restoration projects. Cathy has also shared her expertisenationally, participating in Renaissance Weekends and panels with leaders such as President Bill Clinton and U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley.
For over three decades, Cathy has made her home in downtown Charleston, where she continues her community work. Today, Cathy is the devoted matriarch of a joyful family of three sons and six grandchildren—each one a source of pride and a reminder of the enduring purpose behind her life’s work: to build a world where every child’s potential is recognized, nurtured, and celebrated. In the years since the passing of her beloved husband, she has carried forward their spirit of generosity, deepening her commitment to the Charleston community and continuing to inspire through her time, talents, and unwavering dedication to serving children.
Reflecting on the award, Cathy Marino remarked, “Receiving the Mary Ramsay Civic Award is deeply meaningful. Mary’s dedication to the arts, education, and the wellbeing of our community inspires us all to give back and to work toward a Charleston that is vibrant, inclusive, and full of opportunity. I am honored to continue her legacy in whatever ways I can.”
2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Honoree Jonathan Green with Kim Cliett Long
Jonathan Green is an internationally celebrated artist, cultural preservationist, and global advocate for the heritage of African-descended maritime communities. Using the lens of Gullah Geechee traditions, his work honors the connectivity and continuity of Africa in the histories and lifeways of self-sustaining coastal and port city societies throughout the African diasporic world. Through vivid portrayals of community life, Green preserves and elevates the knowledge systems of communities whose survival and cultural identity are intertwined with the sea.
As a result of his lifelong dedication to this cultural preservation, the University of South Carolina is recognizing him with a museum in his honor on the Beaufort campus that will be dedicated to telling these stories. He has served for eight years as Ambassador of the Arts for the State of Florida and continues in the same capacity for the City of Charleston. Green has been a recipient of two Order of the Palmetto awards and the Elizabeth O’Neal Verner Award in the Arts, from the State of South Carolina. Americans for the Arts and The United States Conference of Mayors awarded him with the 2019 National Citizen Artist Award. His oral history is included in The History Makers Archive, the largest repository of African American achievement in the world which is housed at the Library of Congress. Green received the Key of Life Award for his contributions and achievements in the visual fine arts from the NAACP at the organization’s televised 40th Image Awards and a multitude of many other honors and recognitions, globally, nationally and locally.
2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Luncheon Guests Wore Accessories featuring Jonathan Green’s Artwork
The University of South Carolina has published two art books, Gullah Images and Gullah Spirit, chronicling selections from his catalog of over 5,000 and growing original works of art. His work was also featured in a wildly popular annual calendar published for over 25 years, bringing his vibrant imagery into homes, schools, and offices across the country and around the world.
The Mary Ramsay Civic Award, presented for the first time in 2012 to John and Norma Palms, honors philanthropic leaders in the Lowcountry who have made extraordinary civic and charitable contributions to the community.
This annual luncheon benefits Spoleto Festival USA, where Mary was a member of the board of directors for many years.
The 2026 luncheon was generously sponsored by Beemok Hospitality Collection and Croghan’s Jewel Box.