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Governor’s Awards

JOIN MAC ON THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16TH AS WE CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 2012 RECIPIENTS OF THE GOVERNOR'S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ARTS!

1:00PM

WELLS MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, JACKSON

Master of Ceremonies - Acclaimed musician and songwriter Mac McAnally

 

The host of the ceremony this year will be none other than Mac McAnally, the 2011 recipient of the Governor's Award for Excellence in Music.  We are delighted to have Mac back with us in this very important role. 

 

 

The Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts are presented annually to outstanding writers, artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made significant and lasting contributions through their work as well as to corporations or organizations on the basis of their dedication to arts advancement. Previous winners include B.B. King, James “Super Chikan” Johnson, Malcolm White, Mary Katharine Loyacono McCravey, the late Little Milton (Campbell), Dr. David Blackburn, the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education, USA International Ballet Competition, William Eggleston, Bo Diddley and Charles Burnett.

The Ceremony

The 2012 Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 1:00pm at Wells Memorial United Methodist Church in Jackson.  Wells is the recipient of the 2012 award for "Arts In Community" for their annual "WellsFest" held in Jackson, making this celebration an even more special event.

 

The 2012 Awards Poster

To commemorate the event each year, the Commission prints a poster for the Governor’s Awards. The poster boasts photography highlighting the influence the arts have on government, from a rose chandelier at the Governor’s Mansion to a Native American copper breastplate found in Mississippi.

The image for the 2012 event features the incredible work of world-renowned artist and Mississippi Gulf Coast native, Walter Anderson (1903-1065).  Majestic herons and ducks in flight are a detail from the celebrated 3,000-square-foot mural painted by Anderson in the Community Center in Ocean Springs. Part of the mural celebrates the natural environment of Anderson’s beloved Gulf Coast. Other scenes depict the early history of Ocean Springs. Painted in 1951-1952 directly onto the building’s cinder block walls, the mural was created by Anderson for a fee of one dollar—an illustration of his belief in the obligation that the artist and society have to each other. The Mississippi Arts Commission salutes the success of Ocean Springs, where artists, non-profits, and businesses work together for mutual benefit. Walter Anderson’s prolific legacy, the Anderson family’s Shearwater Pottery, and the town’s many other artistic endeavors are a testimony to how the creative economy benefits everyone.

The 2012 poster was designed by Vidal Blankenstein and features photography by Tom Joynt.  The poster will be available for free from the Arts Commission after the February 16th ceremony.

 

The Awards

The award presented each year to the recipients was created by acclaimed Mississippi artist, Bill Dunlap. The Board of Commissioners of MAC have chosen to adopt this incredible work of art as the permanent award for the Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts in keeping with the traditions of the Academy Awards, the Emmy's and the Grammy's.