Dubin Is Honored

Zan Dubin, a reporter on The Times Orange County Edition’s Calendar staff, was one of 12 women honored Sunday by the Woman’s Building in Los Angeles for “significant contributions to the arts in Southern California.”

Others receiving the Vesta Award included Cathy Guisewite, who writes the comic strip “Cathy”; artist Lita Albuquerque and novelist/Times book critic Carolyn See. Previous winners include actress Lily Tomlin, singer Holly Near and Times film critic Sheila Benson. The awards have been given annually since 1982.

Terry Wolverton of the Woman’s Building’s advisory council said: “We’ve been especially impressed by Zan’s contributions to the arts scene. She has given extraordinary coverage to artists’ organizations, helping to expand the circle of coverage beyond the ‘prominent’ organizations to smaller, equally deserving ones. The result has been a broadening of appreciation of not only these organizations but of contemporary art. She has helped make the public better informed, and more aware.

“We’ve also been impressed by the quality of her research, the thoroughness of her work and the care she takes to accurately present a situation.”

Dubin, 31, joined the Orange County Calendar staff in August after working in The Times’ Los Angeles office for four years.