WYOMING — Governor Mark Gordon has announced the recipients of the Wyoming Arts Council’s 2021 Governor’s Arts Awards.
Artist and curator Bronwyn Minton from Jackson and Off Square Theater Company from Jackson are among the recipients.
Other recipients include Debora Soule, an arts administrator from Rock Springs; James Bama, an artist from Wapiti and a posthumous award to Charles Belden, a photographer from Meeteetse.
Established in 1982, the Governor’s Arts Awards winners are selected based on their substantial contributions made in Wyoming that exemplify a long-term commitment to the arts, with special consideration given to nominees whose arts service is statewide.
According to the Wyoming Arts Council, there are many nominations submitted for the Governor’s Arts Awards each year, and the selection process is quite competitive. Nominations are submitted to the Wyoming Arts Council in October and reviewed in November by the Wyoming Arts Council Board, which sends recommendations to the Governor, who makes the final decisions on which recipients are honored.
Nominations are open to any Wyoming citizen, business or community member. Award criteria include: length of commitment to the arts, outstanding contribution or impact, breadth of support, involvement in special initiatives supporting the arts, artistic excellence/level of standards.
Recipients will be honored at a dinner and awards ceremony on Feb. 4, 2022, in Cheyenne.
The Governor’s Arts Awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a life-long patron of the arts. Over the years, individuals and organizations from more than 30 Wyoming communities and state-wide organizations have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming.
