Winners Announced for 2004 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio
by Jami Goldstein
Seven winners have been selected for the 2004 Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio. Winners were selected in six categories from 76 nominations. Awards will be presented at a ceremony honoring winners and members of the Ohio Legislature hosted by the Ohio Arts Council and Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation March 24, 2004, from 4:30-6 p.m. at The Capitol Theatre in the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts in Columbus. Winners will receive an original work by fiber artist Hildur Jonsson of Cleveland Heights.
The Irma Lazarus Award will be given to Thomas Morris (Cleveland). The award honors the memory of Irma Lazarus, who made countless contributions as an arts patron, advocate and leader in the development of state funding for the arts in Ohio. It goes to organizations or individuals who have helped shape public support for the arts through their work as advocates and have brought statewide, national and international recognition to Ohio through sustained dedication to artistic excellence. The Irma Lazarus Award is presented at the discretion of the Ohio Arts Council Board.
The 2004 Governor’s Awards Selection Committee, made up of Ohio Arts Council Board members, included committee chair Georgia Welles (Toledo), David Barker (Columbus), Joe Hale (Cincinnati), Alex Machaskee (Cleveland), Sheila Markley Black (Canton), and Susan Sofia (Columbus). More information about the Governor’s Awards for the Arts in Ohio, including a full list of past winners, is available in the www.oac.state.oh.us/events/GovAwards/Default.asp?strStaticPage=Introduction>Governor's Awards for the Arts section of the Ohio Arts Council website The Governor’s Awards ceremony will be held in conjunction with Arts Day, March 24, 2004. This daylong event demonstrating public value and support for the arts is sponsored by Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation. Arts Day will include an arts advocacy briefing, legislative visits, workshops, Statehouse tours and student exhibitions. Arts Day was created to foster a greater awareness of the value of the arts in Ohio. Citizens are encouraged to participate in Arts Day by visiting with their state legislators and communicating the need for public support of the arts and arts education. Each year on Arts Day Columbus is filled with arts supporters sharing the importance of the arts in their communities. To learn more about participating in Arts Day contact Ohio Citizens for the Arts by email or 614/221-4064. Sponsors for the Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Arts Day are Carrabba’s Italian Grill—Polaris, Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer/Cincinnati Post, Cinergy Foundation, The Columbus Dispatch, Dayton Daily News, Ohio Magazine, Ohio Cable Telecommunications Association, The Plain Dealer, and Time Warner Cable. Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation was formed in 1990 as a companion organization of the Ohio Citizens for the Arts, which was established in 1976. OCA is a volunteer, nonprofit grass roots organization working to increase public support of the arts in Ohio. Through the efforts of hundreds of individuals and arts and education organizations, Ohio Citizens for the Arts advocates on behalf of the Ohio Arts Council and the arts throughout the state. The Ohio Arts Council is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically. # # #[top]