Four people with ties to the Kansas University School of Fine Arts were honored during a ceremony Wednesday night at the Lied Center.

The honorees:

¢ Gary Foster, Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in Performing Arts. Foster, who earned KU degrees in 1959 and 1961, is a woodwind studio musician who has played with many performers and for many TV shows.

¢ Phil Risbeck, Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in Visual Arts. Risbeck, a professor of art at Colorado State University, has focused his career on poster design. He graduated with degrees from KU in 1962 and 1965.

¢ Polly Bales, Distinguished Service Award. Bales has served on the KU Fine Arts Advisory Board for more than 20 years. She has been involved in the KU Endowment Association and KU Alumni Association. Also, Bales Organ Recital Hall was created to honor Bales and her late husband, Dane.

¢ Christina Hixson, Distinguished Service Award. Hixson is the sole trustee for the Lied Foundation Trust, which donated the money to build the Lied Center performing arts facility. Hixson also has been instrumental in making student scholarships, performing arts programming and medical research funding available to KU.