June 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 9, 2022
Contact: Brenda Thomson, Executive Director / bthomson@azhumanities.org / 602-257-0335
ARIZONA HUMANITIES ANNOUNCES 2022 HUMANITIES AWARDS
Congratulations to Ricardo Guthrie, Jean Baxter, Amber McCrary, Rosemarie Dombrowski, Janice Klein, and The Arizona Jewish Historical Society.

Arizona Humanities is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 Humanities Awards. The Recipients of this year's awards are:


  • Ricardo Guthrie, Humanities Public Scholar Award
  • Jean Baxter, Friend of the Humanities Award
  • Amber McCrary, Rising Star Award
  • Rosemarie Dombrowski, Outstanding Speaker Award
  • Janice Klein, Outstanding Supporter Award
  • Arizona Jewish Historical Society, Founder's Community Partner Award

Every year we honor and celebrate outstanding contributions to the humanities in our state. Since the inaugural awards in 1990, Arizona Humanities has recognized individuals who have advanced the humanities in Arizona through their scholarship, leadership, support and advocacy. This year, our theme is Hands-on Humanities. All of this year's winners are hands on humanitarians, meaning they engage the community in their efforts to promote the humanities in Arizona. Read more about each award recipient below.

The 2022 Arizona Humanities Awards Ceremony: Hands-on Humanities will be livestreamed on October 1, 2022 from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. Information about the livestreamed event can be found at www.azhumanities.org or by calling 602-257-0335. 

Ricardo Guthrie - Humanities Public Scholar Award 

Dr. Ricardo Guthrie is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at Northern Arizona University and the lead artist for the Historic Southside Mural at the Murdoch Center in Flagstaff. As a communications scholar specializing in ethnic studies and media analysis, Dr. Guthrie focuses on Black and Indigenous presence in racial landscapes and the Route 66 corridor. He has brought to light the untold history of Arizona, such as stories of resilience and achievement of African Americans in Flagstaff’s Southside neighborhood. He has published widely in academic journals and books as well as local newspapers, and his academic and public scholarship have been supported by numerous grants. As a public scholar and artist, he actively engages with the community through town hall presentations, community talks, public murals, art walks, oral histories, and many other humanities-based activities that connect students, campus and community leaders, and residents and visitors of the historic Southside. These activities have encouraged the community to learn about race, class, gender, and culture, and inspired them to action.  
Jean Baxter - Friend of the Humanities Award 

Jean Baxter is the volunteer Director of Education at Tucson’s Presidio Museum and a former educator in the Flowing Wells School District, where she spent twenty-five years collectively as a reading teacher, staff development specialist and teacher trainer. She has served on the Board of the Presidio Museum since 2011. As Director of Education, she developed Presidio Museum’s flagship, award-winning field trip program, Friday-at-the-Fort, which has inspired over 10,000 local children since its launch in 2011. Providing hands-on history activities, including tin-smithing and tortilla-making, Friday-at-the-Fort exposes children to Tucson’s history and multi-cultural heritage. As a professional storyteller, Baxter also visits local schools to tell engaging stories about Presidio that enthrall her young audiences. Baxter wears many hats at the Presidio Museum, from coordinating volunteers to managing monthly lectures, and every role helps to advance the humanities in Arizona.  
Amber McCrary - Rising Star Award 

Born in Shonto and raised in Flagstaff, Amber McCrary is a Diné writer, poet, zinester, multimedia artist, and educator. She is the owner and founding editor of Abalone Mountain Press, the first Diné woman-owned press dedicated to publishing Indigenous voices. Over the past several years, she has supported Indigenous writers and artists in Arizona through community-based workshops, independent publishing, and justice-rooted cultural work. As an educator, she has taught creative writing and zine making workshops in colleges, museums, and bookstores. She recently published her debut chapbook of poetry, Electric Deserts! (Tolsun Books). Her poems have been published in Yellow Medicine Review, Mayday Magazine, AZCentral Poetry Spot, Room Magazine, Martin Lake Journal, among others. She is a member of the Saad Bee Hózhǫ́: Diné Writers’ Collective; board member of the Northern Arizona Book Festival; and co-chair of the PEN Across America Phoenix Chapter. Dedicated to nurturing, curating, and celebrating Indigenous voices, McCrary is a leader in the cultural landscape of Arizona.  
Rosemarie Dombrowski - Outstanding Speaker Award 

Dr. Rosemarie Dombrowski is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Phoenix, AZ and the founding director of Revisionary Arts, a nonprofit that provides therapeutic poetry workshops for vulnerable populations, the medical community, and the community at large. She has published three collections of poetry including The Book of Emergencies (Five Oaks Press, 2014), a lyrical ethnography of the culture of nonverbal Autism. She is also the founding editor of rinky dink press, publisher of micro-poetry for the people, and The Revolution (Relaunch), a resurgence of the official newspaper of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association. Dr. Dombrowski has shared the power of poetry in countless public talks with diverse audiences, from Latinx youth in AGUILA to medical physicians at Banner. Her speaking engagements have had a profound impact on the understanding and appreciation of poetry in Arizona. She is the recipient of an Arts Hero award, a Great 48 award, Academy of American Poets fellowship, and others. She serves on the advisory board of the Narrative Medicine program at the University of Arizona Biomedical campus and teaches courses in literature and the medical humanities at Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus.  
Janice Klein - Outstanding Supporter Award

Janice Klein is the Executive Director of the Museum Association of Arizona and a longtime advocate for Arizona Humanities. She has been instrumental in connecting Arizona Humanities with museums, big and small, across the state. She is the face and voice of Arizona museums and the bridge that helps us connect with people statewide. Over the years, she has volunteered her time to Arizona Humanities by serving on many grants, awards, and program committees, sharing her professional expertise and deep knowledge of the cultural organizations and leaders of Arizona. Finally, Janice Klein has supported Arizona Humanities through generous donations. Her support has helped ensure that Arizona Humanities can continue to bring public programs to every corner of Arizona.   
Arizona Jewish Historical Society - Founder's Community Partner Award 

The Arizona Jewish Historical Society preserves and celebrates the rich heritage of Arizona’s Jewish communities, educates the public about the Jewish historical experience including the Holocaust, and promotes awareness of our state’s diverse history through arts, culture, and educational programming. The programs, events, stories and exhibits of this cultural treasure are both timeless and timely. AJHS teaches us that the experiences and lessons of the past are still important and meaningful today. The voices, past and present, help us navigate the challenges of a world still challenged by division, so that we can celebrate and honor humanity, dignity and resilience. 
Arizona Humanities | azhumanities.org | (602) 257-0335