73 Nominees Vying For 2018 Governor's Arts Awards

Seventy-three nominations from around the state have been submitted for 2018 Governor's Arts Awards in eight categories. Finalists in each category will be announced at the Nominees Reception on Feb. 6, 2018 at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe in Phoenix. The 2018 Shelley Award honoree will be announced in January.

Honorees will be announced at the 37th annual Governor's Arts Awards dinner and celebration, March 22 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort.

The Governor's Arts Awards are presented by Arizona Citizens for the Arts in partnership with the Office of the Governor. Since 1981, more than 200 distinguished artists, individuals, arts and cultural organizations, educators and businesses have received Governor's Arts Awards.

Nominations are reviewed by three volunteer selection panels comprised of community, business and arts leaders from across the state. Awards are based on the following criteria: significance of the contributions and achievements of the nominee, range of individuals or groups served by the contributions of the nominee and length and degree to which the nominee is dedicated to the arts.

Nominees are:

Artist

Maria Isabel Delgado, Chandler; Yingxia Gao, Phoenix; Liliana Gomez, Phoenix;

Asha Gopal, Phoenix; Will Hightower, Glendale; Doug Hyde, Prescott; Carolyn Lavender, Phoenix; Lia Littlewood, Yuma; Patsy Lowry, Paradise Valley; Ann Morton, Phoenix; Dennis Rowland, Phoenix; Mike Vax, Dewey; Danielle Wood, Tempe.

Arts in Education | Individual

Julian Ackerley, Tucson; Dr. Mary Erickson, Tempe; Areya Kugler, Flagstaff; Tim McKay, Flagstaff; Dennis Ott, Sedona; Karen Rolston, Mesa.

Arts in Education | Organization/School

Center Dance Ensemble, Phoenix; Children's Museum of Phoenix, Phoenix; East Valley Children's Theatre, Mesa; Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, Flagstaff; Foothills Fine Arts Academy, Glendale; Hilltop Gallery & Arts Education Center, Nogales; Phoenix Youth Circus Arts, Phoenix; Sierra Vista Symphony Association Education Committee, Sierra Vista; SOUNDS Academy, Phoenix; Stories That Soar!, Tucson; The Invisible Theatre's Pastime Players, Tucson; The Symphony Women's Association, Tucson; Tucson Girls Chorus, Tucson; University of Arizona Museum of Art, Tucson; Washington Park Neighborhood Association, Phoenix; Willcox Historic Theater, Willcox; Young Arts Arizona Ltd., Phoenix.

Small Business

Arizona Copper Art Museum, Clarkdale; Benner-Nawman, Inc., Wickenburg; Carlyle ER Metro LLC, Phoenix; Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe; LDVinci Art Studio, Chandler; Manley Films and Media, Phoenix; Partridge and Associates CPA's, Scottsdale; Versant Capital Management, Inc., Phoenix.

Large Business

Alliance Bank Of Arizona, Phoenix; Vestar, Tucson.

Community

ARTability, Phoenix; Carolyn Eynon Singers, Scottsdale; Community Performance & Art Center, Green Valley; Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts, Wickenburg; Maricopa Arts Council, Maricopa; Phoenix Center for the Arts, Phoenix; PSA Art Awakenings, Phoenix; Scottsdale Philharmonic, Scottsdale;

Sedona Gallery Association, Sedona; Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, Tucson; The Sierra Vista Community Chorus, Sierra Vista; WHAM (What's Happenin' in Art Movement), Surprise.

Individual

Oonagh Boppart, Paradise Valley; Yvonne Ervin, Tucson; Elena Kohn, Scottsdale; Lin Ling Lee, Scottsdale; Tracy Liz Miller, Tempe; Hope Ozer, Paradise Valley; Sam, Phoenix; Vincent VanVleet, Phoenix; Linda Yarbrough, Chandler.

Philanthropy

Laurie and Chuck Goldstein, Paradise Valley; Judith Hardes, Phoenix; Patricia Langlin-Brazil, Tempe; Sharron Lewis, Paradise Valley; Connie McMillin, Sun City; Jerry Miles, Fountain Hills.

For more information, visit www.azcitizensforthearts.org.