From our Lead correspondent, by way of Madison, South Dakotans for the Arts Director Pat Boyd:
South Dakotans for the Arts will celebrate the 20th Governor’s Awards in the Arts on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at the Best Western Ramkota in Pierre.
Recipients of this year’s awards are: Johanna Meier, Spearfish, for Distinction in Creative Achievement; Jim Clark, Sioux Falls, Outstanding Support of the Arts by an Individual; Dr. Victor Weidensee, Rapid City, Outstanding Service to Arts Education; and Sioux Jazz & Blues Society for Outstanding Support of the Arts by an Organization. An Honorary Governor’s Award will be presented to Ruth Brennan, Rapid City, for Outstanding Service to the Arts Community. The 2011 South Dakota Living Indian Treasure Award will be presented to Arthur Amiotte, Custer.
The biennial awards presentation banquet honors the achievements of South Dakota’s fine artists and arts patrons. Award winners are selected from nominations submitted in the four categories reflecting the work of professional artists and arts educators, and the support of individuals, businesses and organizations that encompass South Dakota’s arts community. The Living Indian Treasure Award is presented to a South Dakota Native American elder, in recognition of preservation of excellence in traditional Indian art forms or breaks new ground through innovations based in traditional forms.
Festivities will begin with a reception at 6:00pm on February 16, followed by a banquet honoring the award winners. Governor Dennis Daugaard will deliver the State of the Arts Address and present the 2011 Governor’s Awards in the Arts. Former State Senator Tom Dempster, Sioux Falls, will be the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, which features a performance by the Dakota Jazz Collective and Kaleidoscope, a virtual gallery exhibition of artwork by South Dakota visual artists.
The biennial awards are sponsored by South Dakotans for the Arts, a statewide nonprofit service organization and the South Dakota Arts Council, an office of the Department of Tourism and State Development. Tickets for the banquet are $35.00 per person. Order tickets from: South Dakotans for the Arts, PO Box 414, Lead, SD 55754; (605) 722-1467, or by email, soda@rushmore.com.
Visit www.sdarts.org for more information, including biographical highlights for the recipients of the 2011 Governor’s Awards in the Arts and a complete listing of previous award winners.
South Dakota Arts Council support is provided through the South Dakota Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts. South Dakotans for the Arts is a member of Americans for the Arts and the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education, Washington, DC.
