(Award object Wanderers Delight | Photo courtesy of Oregon Arts Commission)
Please join Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Arts Commission at 5pm on Thursday, October 15, to celebrate the recipients of the 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards.
Oregon’s highest honor for exemplary service to the arts, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize and honor individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the arts in Oregon.
The 2020 Governor’s Arts Award recipients are Darrell Grant, a jazz musician and educator from Portland; H’Klumyiat Roberta Joy Kirk, a traditional artist and educator from Warm Springs; John Laursen, a writer, designer, editor and typographer from Portland; Toni Pimble, the founding artistic director of the Eugene Ballet; and Portland Gay Men’s Chorus in Portland.
Read the full release with recipients bios.
The Virtual Celebration will feature remarks by Governor Brown and each of the awardees, as well as three special performances: a new reading by Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani; a commissioned performance by conductor/cellist Zachary Banks and violinist Viet Block of Pendleton; and an encore performance by Harriet Tubman and Faubion Middle School dance students from Artslandia’s showcase of Portland Public Schools’ arts programs. Note: Zachary and Viet are former students of awardee Darrell Grant.
The Virtual Celebration is being produced by Artslandia and will be livestreamed on the Arts Commission Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The award objects to be presented to the honorees will be created by wood artist Jim Piper.
Piper’s hand-turned, carved and painted wooden vessels take inspiration from the diverse natural environments of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. His artworks range from simple, elegant forms that accentuate the natural characteristics of the wood to vessels with intricate and imaginatively detailed surfaces.
The Governor’s Arts Awards are supported by The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation/Jordan Schnitzer.