Featured News | January 25, 2021
Governor Mark Gordon has announced the recipients of the 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards. The recipients are: Dr. Valerie Innella Maiers, Arts Educator & Scholar from Casper; John and Nancy Schiffer, Arts Patrons from Kaycee; Margaret Wilson, Dancer & Arts Educator from Laramie; and Sue Simpson Gallagher, Curator & Arts Advocate from Cody. Due to COVID-19, the Wyoming Arts Council will honor this year’s recipients virtually and in person in 2022.
Established in 1982, Governor’s Arts Awards winners are selected based on their substantial contributions made in Wyoming that exemplify a long-term commitment to the arts, with special consideration given to nominees whose arts service is statewide.
There are many nominations submitted for the Governor’s Arts Awards each year, and the selection process is competitive. Nominations are submitted to the Wyoming Arts Council in October and reviewed in November by the Wyoming Arts Council Board. The Board then sends recommendations to the Governor for the final decision.
Nominations are open to any Wyoming citizen, business or community member. Award criteria includes: length of commitment to the arts, outstanding contribution or impact, breadth of support, involvement in special initiatives supporting the arts, artistic excellence/level of standards.
The Governor’s Arts Awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a lifelong patron of the arts. Over the years, individuals and organizations from more than 30 Wyoming communities and statewide organizations have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming.
For additional information, please contact Brittany Perez, brittany.perez@wyo.gov, or 307-214-2701.
The Wyoming Arts Council believes that experiencing the arts should be accessible for all, including people with mental and/or physical disabilities, older adults, military/veterans, people living in institutions and those who lack access to the arts due to geographic isolation, cultural difference and economic hardship.
