Governor Jay Inslee congratulating Edmund Littlefield, Jr. at the 2018 Governor's Arts & Heritage Awards celebration. Littlefield, who resides in Arlington, received the Governor's Arts Philanthropy Award for his significant contributions over the years. Photo by Sarah O'Neal.
Nominations for Governor's Arts & Heritage Awards open until June 3, 2019

The Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) invites nominations of outstanding arts leaders, artists, culture bearers, and arts organizations for the 2019 Governor's Arts & Heritage Awards.  
 
The Governor's Arts Awards, established in 1966, recognize outstanding individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to the arts and cultural development of Washington State. The Governor's Heritage Awards, established in 1989, honor outstanding individuals and organizations for their dedication to preserving and promoting traditions and cultural heritage in our state.  
 
The deadline to make a nomination is 5:00 p.m., June 3, 2019.  
 
"This is a chance to make a nomination for some of the most prestigious awards the arts and cultural community can receive," said ArtsWA Executive Director Karen Hanan. 
 
Since the program was established, 160 Arts Awards and 55 Heritage Awards have been given to citizens across Washington State. 

Glass artist Preston Singletary received the 2018 Governor's Arts Award for an Individual Artist. Singletary's artworks  feature themes of transformation, animal spirits, and shamanism through elegant blown glass forms and mystical sand carved Tlingit designs.  Photo by Sarah O'Neal.
GOVERNOR'S ARTS AWARD CATEGORIES
Common criteria include contributions to arts and cultural development of Washington State, or to a specific community within the state; and 
Impact on a Washington State community/region over time, as demonstrated by level of community engagement and/or community recognition.  There are eight categories for the Governor's Arts Award:
  • Individual 
  • Organization
  • Arts Education
  • Young Arts Leader 
  • Arts Legacy
  • Arts Advocacy
  • Philanthropy Award
  • Community Award
GOVERNOR'S HERITAGE AWARD CATEGORIES
The two categories for the Governor's Heritage Award include:
  • Outstanding Individual Artist/Practitioner
  • Heritage Organization Award, which recognizes an organization that provides outstanding support for heritage and culture. 
A selection panel evaluates nominations for the Governor's Heritage Awards using the four criterion for all nominations.
  • Contributions to the heritage of Washington State, or to a specific community within the state.
  • Active participation in the artist's community as a master traditional artist, community scholar, or traditional community historian.
  • Nominee's work is representative of significant folk art or cultural traditions, and/or tradition bearers within the nominee's community and recognized as such by the community.
  • Significant record of accomplishments.
The Washington State Arts Commission is committed to values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and creative expression. We believe in diverse forms of artistic expression, and we believe in access to arts and arts education for all individuals in our state. The arts can and should play a role in addressing inequities, modeling inclusion, and teaching empathy.
Glenda Carino | Washington State Arts Commission | 360.586.8093
[email protected] | arts.wa.gov

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