70 Artists, Organizations, Businesses, Educators Nominated for 2017 Governor's Arts Awards

Seventy artists, arts organizations, advocates, businesses, educators and philanthropists from 19 communities across Arizona have been nominated for 2017 Governor's Arts Awards in eight categories.

Winners will be announced at the 36th annual Governor's Arts Awards dinner and celebration, May 4 at the Phoenician Resort, 6000 E. Camelback Road in Scottsdale. The Governor's Arts Awards are presented by Arizona Citizens for the Arts in partnership with the Office of the Governor.

The Philanthropy category, which was added for the first time in 2017, garnered five nominations to recognize extraordinary philanthropic leadership through the contribution of financial resources to non-profit arts and culture organizations, and by encouraging the philanthropic support of others.

Nominees in all categories will be recognized at a special Nominee Event when three finalists in eight categories and the Philanthropy Honoree will be announced. Since 1981, more than 200 artists, individuals, arts and cultural organizations, educators and businesses have received Governor's Arts Awards.

Nominees hail from every corner of the state including Casa Grande, Clarkdale, Chandler, Dewey, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Goodyear, Mesa, Page, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona, Sierra Vista, Sun City, Tempe, Tucson, Wickenburg and Willcox.

Also at the Governor's Arts Awards, the 12th annual Shelley Award, honoring those who have advanced the arts through strategic and innovative work in creating or supporting public policy beneficial to the arts in Arizona will be presented. The award is named for Shelley Cohn, who spent more than 25 years as executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. The honoree will be announced soon.

For registration information and to purchase tickets, visit www.azcitizensforthearts.org.

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2017 Governor's Arts Awards Nominees:

Artist: recognizing an Arizona artist of significant merit, leadership or reputation whose creations or contributions enrich the state and the field of the arts. This category is open to artists of all artistic disciplines.

Connie Brannock, Tucson; William Clipman, Tucson; BoBB Cooper, Phoenix; Maria Isabel Delgado, Chandler; Liliana Gomez, Phoenix; Michael Harrelson, Phoenix; Katherine Josten, Tucson; Deborah McMillion Nering, Phoenix; Claudine Morrow, Page; Kirk O'Hara, Mesa; Alfred Quiroz, Tucson; Dennis Rowland, Phoenix; Marilyn Szabo, Phoenix; Mike Vax, Dewey.

Small Business: recognizing small, private businesses (1-99 employees), that have demonstrated significant support locally or statewide, through a contribution of time, energy, personnel, expertise and/or financial support or by participation in activities which foster excellence in, appreciation of, or access to the arts.

Arizona Copper Art Museum, Clarkdale; Art Intersection, Gilbert; Galiano's Cafe, Douglas;LDVinci Art Studio, Chandler; Partridge and Associates CPA's, Scottsdale; SoSco Duo, Fountain Hills; Tucson Clay Co-op, Tucson.

Large Business: recognizing large, private businesses (100+ employees), that have demonstrated significant support locally or statewide, through a contribution of time, energy, personnel, expertise and/or financial support or by participation in activities which foster excellence in, appreciation of, or access to the arts.

Alliance Bank of Arizona, Phoenix; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Phoenix; Casino Del Sol Resort, Tucson; DMB Associates Inc., Scottsdale; Sanderson Lincoln, Phoenix.

Arts in Education | Individual: recognizing educators, teaching artists, school administrators or school volunteers that have demonstrated significant support or participation in activities which foster excellence in, appreciation of, or access to arts education in the State of Arizona.

David Andres, Tucson; Dr. Mary Erickson, Tempe; Lori Lyford, Chandler; Dennis Ott, Sedona; Carol Sottosanti, Tucson.

Arts in Education | Organization: recognizing a nonprofit arts organization or a school that has demonstrated significant support for or participation in activities fostering excellence in, appreciation of, or access to arts education in the State of Arizona.

Arizona Art Education Association, Mesa; Capoeira Mandinga Tucson, Tucson; Children's Museum of Phoenix, Phoenix; Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Mesa; Osborn School District, Phoenix; Phoenix Children's Chorus, Phoenix; Sonoran Glass School, Tucson; Superstition Review, Mesa; Tucson Museum of Art Education Department (TMALearn), Tucson; University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson; Willcox Historic Theatre Preservation, Inc., Willcox; Young Arts Arizona Ltd., Phoenix.

Community: recognizing an organization that has demonstrated significant support or participation in activities which foster excellence in, appreciation of, or access to arts in the State of Arizona.

Arizona Theatre Company, Phoenix & Tucson; BlackBox Theatre Foundation, Casa Grande; Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts, Wickenburg; Mesa Arts Center, Mesa;

Phoenix Center for the Arts, Phoenix; Phoenix Chorale, Phoenix; Scottsdale Philharmonic, Scottsdale; Sedona Arts Center, Sedona; Sierra Vista Symphony Association, Sierra Vista; The Torch Theatre, Phoenix; Fountain Hills Cultural & Civic Association Public Art Collection, Fountain Hills; Theatre Artists Studio, Scottsdale; Warehouse Arts Management Organization, Tucson.

Individual: recognizing an individual for significant contributions to the arts in Arizona in the areas of arts leadership and personal commitment of time and talent.

Lili DeBarbieri, Tucson; Yvonne Ervin, Tucson; Eric Faulhaber, Chandler; Charles & Laurie Goldstein, Paradise Valley; Lin Ling Lee, Phoenix; Lisa Lovallo, Tucson; Hope H. Ozer, Paradise Valley; Dr. Ruth Tan Lim, Mesa.

Philanthropy: recognizing extraordinary philanthropic leadership through the contribution of financial resources to non-profit arts and culture organizations, and by encouraging the philanthropic support of others.

Judith Hardes, Phoenix; Vern Lewis, Goodyear; Connie McMillin, Sun City; Jody Summerford, Phoenix; Mary Way, Paradise Valley.

Arizona Citizens for the Arts, a 35-year-old 501 c3 organization, acts as the eyes, ears and voice of the nonprofit arts and culture sector in Arizona at the State Legislature, in local city halls and partnerships with business and community leaders involved in building and supporting quality of life in Arizona.

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