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Arts Council
Governor's Awards in the Arts recognize outstanding achievements and contributions
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Arts Council announces the 2010 recipients of the Governor's Awards in the Arts, the Commonwealth’s highest honor in the arts. The recipients will be honored by Gov. Steve Beshear at a public ceremony and celebration at 10 a.m., October, 28, 2010, in the Capitol Rotunda, Frankfort.
"I am pleased to recognize this group of organizations and citizens who believe in the power of the arts," said Gov. Beshear. "Their contributions have been generous and their achievements extraordinary."
The Governor’s Awards in the Arts are presented in nine different categories. The Milner Award is the first and most prestigious. It was established by the Kentucky Arts Council in 1978 and named in honor of the late B. Hudson Milner. Al Shands of Crestwood is the 2010 recipient of this award. Mr. Shands is an arts patron, community leader and philanthropist. He was a founder of the Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation and the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft and has given significant, long-term support to a range of arts and cultural organizations in Kentucky and across the nation. Mr. Shands has served on the boards of numerous arts organizations, including The Speed Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the University of Kentucky Art Museum, American Craft Council, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky Opera, The National Gallery, New York City Ballet, Socrates Sculpture Park, Greater Louisville Fund for the Arts and many other civic, educational, health and community organizations.
Stephen Rolfe Powell of Danville is the recipient of the Artist Award, which recognizes a lifetime of achievement by an artist who works in any discipline and resides in Kentucky. Mr. Powell is an award-winning glass artist and educator. His artwork has been exhibited at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and the Hermitage Museum in Russia. He has been profiled on television and in numerous publications. As a faculty member of Centre College, he has established a first-class glass program that has produced many successful graduates, several of whom now head university programs of their own.
The Business Award honors a Kentucky business or businessperson for outstanding support of the arts. Based in Louisville, J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons LLC, this year’s recipient, is a generous and long-time patron of virtually every arts organization in the region. This includes its support of the Louisville Orchestra, Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Kentucky Opera and its sponsorship of numerous events. The company has worked closely with private clients in support of arts organizations and provided the leadership of its employees on the governing boards of the community’s arts organizations. Hilliard Lyons enhances the quality of life and furthers the economic development of the region through its support of the arts.
A Kentucky individual or organization that has made a positive impact on their community through the arts is eligible for the Community Arts Award. The Mayfield/Graves County Art Guild is the 2010 recipient. Established and housed in a renovated historic ice house on Broadway in Mayfield, the Guild offers a rich program of cultural opportunities for the counties of far western Kentucky. This community-focused organization provides an extensive series of exhibitions, art workshops for children and adults, poetry appreciation classes and an annual gourd-art festival in partnership with the Mayfield Tourism Commission.
The Education Award for significant contributions to the arts in education is awarded to a Kentucky individual, school, school district or organization. Melanie Wood of Louisville was so honored this year. A band and choral director in Kentucky public schools for 34 years, Ms. Wood was the first woman to serve as a high school band director in Jefferson County. She has been responsible for curriculum development, instruction, assessment and professional development for 167 teachers and numerous students in 133 schools. Ms. Wood has received prestigious awards, including a life membership in the Parent Teacher Association for community involvement, the Kentucky Music Educators Teacher of the Year award and the Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA) Award for Distinguished Service. Since her retirement, Ms. Wood has served as the president of the Jefferson County Music Teachers Association, president of KMEA, committee chair and president of the Jefferson County and Kentucky Retired Teachers Associations and founder and director of The Master’s Men, a 100-member choir at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville.
Loyal Jones of Berea receives the Folk Heritage Award in 2010. This award is presented to an individual resident of Kentucky, or an individual or organization closely related to Kentucky, that has made an outstanding effort to perpetuate and promote the Commonwealth’s artistic traditions. A native son of Appalachia, a founding director of the Appalachian Center at Berea College from 1970 to 1993, the creator of the Celebration of Traditional Music held annually in Berea since 1974, an avid documentarian and field recorder of early Kentucky music, and a devoted lecturer, teacher and writer of numerous books, Mr. Jones is well known for his delight in Appalachian culture. He has served on the board of Hindman Settlement School for 29 years, chaired its Cultural Committee for several years and is now an Emeritus board member.
The Government Award for significant support for the arts through government action is awarded to a government entity or leader in Kentucky. This year’s recipient is the Mountain Arts Center, which is organized and operated as an entity of the city of Prestonsburg. This performing arts center provides educational events and community-outreach programs for eastern Kentucky on a year-round basis. Programming includes classes in visual and performing arts, concerts, exhibits, teacher professional development, band and choral festivals, and workshops on grant writing and arts advocacy. The center and the city leaders recognize and support the arts for their ability to improve the quality of life and the economic development of the region.
Rich Copley of Lexington receives the Media Award, which honors a Kentucky journalist or media organization that has outstanding commitment to bringing the arts to the attention of the public. As culture writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader and LexGo.com, Mr. Copley has covered a wide range of topics from pop music to opera, film to theatre and visual arts to politics. He has been tireless in his efforts to bring the broad spectrum of choices for experiencing and participating in local, regional and national arts to the public’s awareness. Mr. Copley was a 2007 fellow at the National Endowment for the Arts Journalism Institute in Classical Music and Opera at Columbia University, and his blog, “Copious Notes,” was a 2008 EPpy Award nominee for best entertainment blog.
Finally, the National Award is awarded to a Kentucky native son or daughter who has achieved national or international acclaim in the arts. Brought up in Franklin and perhaps best known for her role on the television show “Designing Women,” Annie Potts is this year’s recipient. This versatile actor has performed in a wide variety of prominent roles in theater, television and film. She has also served as narrator for several audio books. Ms. Potts generously contributes her time and talents to raise funds for nonprofit arts organizations in Kentucky, including the Kentucky Repertory Theatre at Horse Cave, where she starred in benefit performances of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters” in 2003 and 2004.
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The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, creates opportunities for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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