Governor's Arts Awards
2024 Governor's Arts Awards
See the Livestream on Arkansas PBS
View the livestream of the 2024 Governor's Arts Awards at 12:30 p.m. March 8 via Arkansas PBS.
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Established in 1991, the annual Governor's Arts Awards program recognizes Arkansas artists, arts patrons, arts educators, arts organizations and businesses for their outstanding contributions to the arts community. Recipients are nominated by the public, then selected by an independent panel of arts professionals from around the state. Each recipient receives an original work of art created by an Arkansas artist. Awardees will be honored during a special luncheon and ceremony on March 8, 2024.
This year’s awardees are:
• Garbo Hearne of Little Rock - Arts Community Development Award
• Virmarie DePoyster of North Little Rock - Arts in Education Award
• Pam Setser of Mountain View - Folklife Award
• Stephen Driver of Ozark - Individual Artist Award
• Tony Waller of Bentonville - Patron Award
• Charley Sandage of Mountain View - Lifetime Achievement Award
• Gay Bechtelheimer of El Dorado - Judges Recognition Award
• General Mills of Rogers - Corporate Sponsorship of the Arts Award
Read about our recipients on our blog.
Cheri Leffew
Special Projects/Events Manager
Award Categories
Arts Community Development Award
A civic leader who has taken a leadership role in creating an environment for artists and the arts to flourish in their local community. Potential nominees include arts administrators, elected public officials, and community volunteers.
Arts in Education Award
An individual or organization that has made significant contributions in integrating the arts into the educational curriculum within the school system or through creating educational opportunities in the arts outside the school setting
Corporate Sponsorship of the Arts Award
An Arkansas for-profit business that has made a significant contribution in support of the arts in this state. This does not include foundations associated with for-profit businesses, stand-alone foundations or 501 ( c )(3) nonprofits.
Folklife Award
An individual or group that actively practices, shares and preserves folklife traditions within a cultural community. Examples include traditional crafts, dance, foodways, music, storytelling or shared contemporary cultural traditions and artforms built on tradition.
Individual Artist Award
An artist active in the field of architecture, contemporary crafts, design, film, literature, performing arts or visual arts who has made significant contributions to their art form. (Please include images of the artist's work as part of the nomination.)
Patron Award
An individual or family who has made significant philanthropic contributions to the development of the arts.
Lifetime Achievement Award
An artist or group whose contributions to the arts over a lifetime has fostered significant recognition, or an art patron whose lifetime of dedication to the development and support of the arts will sustain the arts beyond their lifetime.
The Selection Process
Every year, the Arkansas Arts Council seeks nominations of potential Governor's Arts Award recipients from the community. An independent panel of arts professionals from around the state select the recipients, which are honored at a luncheon and ceremony.
Nominees must be current Arkansas residents or Arkansas-based corporations or organizations. Outstanding artists, arts patrons, corporate sponsors, arts education coordinators and local leaders in arts development are all eligible.
Current Arkansas Arts Council members, staff of the Department of Arkansas Heritage or their immediate families and selection committee members are not eligible to nominate or be nominated. Posthumous nominations will not be accepted. Past recipients are not eligible in the category for which they have received a previous Governor’s Arts Award.
Nominees are judged on the following criteria:
- The significance of the contributions and achievements of the nominee, as related to the arts.
- The range of individuals and groups served by the nominee’s contributions.
- The length of time and the degree of the nominee’s dedication to the arts.
1997 - Benini - Hot Springs
1998 - Charlotte Rierson - Fairfield Bay
1999 - Ken Bailey & Jim Gresham - Harrison
2000 - Nancy Hendricks - Fayetteville
2001 - Carlos Price - Hope
2002 - Ray Baker - Fort Smith
2003 - Betty Jo Hays - Hope
2004 - Steve Arrison - Hot Springs
2005 - Dwight Hobbs Curry - Fort Smith
2006 - Mayor Jim Dailey - Little Rock
2007 - Dick Trammel - Rogers
2008 - Paul Leopoulos - North Little Rock
2009 - Beth James Burns - El Dorado
2010 - Robert Ginsburg - Fayetteville
2011 - John Gaudin - North Little Rock
2012 - Jeff Baskin - North Little Rock
2013 - Bob Ford and Amy Herzberg - Fayetteville
2015 - Remica Gray - Texarkana
2016 - Dr. Dean Kumpuris - Little Rock
2017 - Sam and Barbara Tobias - Mena
2018 - Peggy Kjelgaard - Eureka Springs
2019 - Steve Clark - Fort Smith
2020 - Gretchen Hall - Little Rock
2021 - Pat Qualls-Taylor - Jonesboro
2022 - Ed Clifford - Springdale
2023 - Christina Littlejohn - Little Rock
2024 - Garbo Hearne - Little Rock
1991 - Dorisenne Hill - Little Rock
1992 - Donna Wallace - Batesville
1993 - Winston Taylor - Russellville
1994 - Dr. Mary Hamilton - Magnolia
1995 - Glynn Calahan - El Dorado
1996 - Andee Evers - Pocahontas
1997 - Lynda Lyon - Hot Springs
1998 - Susan Turner Purvis - Little Rock
1999 - Frankie Goza - Arkadelphia
2000 - Dianna Denton - Morrilton
2001 - Cross County Arts Council - Wynne
2002 - Crittenden Arts Council - West Memphis
2003 - Fred Boosey - Little Rock
2004 - Linda McLeod - Springdale
2005 - Fort Smith Symphony (Organization) - Fort Smith
2005 - Patricia Relph (Individual) - Fayetteville
2006 - Brenda Turner - Little Rock
2007 - Walton Arts Center - Fayetteville
2008 - Zinse Agginie - Little Rock/Hope
2009 - Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild - Little Rock
2010 - Dr. Neale and Elaine Bartee - Jonesboro
2011 - Nicole Capri - Little Rock
2012 - Christen Burke Pitts and Clayton Scott - North Little Rock, Fayetteville
2013 - Paul Leopoulos - North Little Rock
2015 - DeltaARTS - West Memphis
2016 - The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas - Pine Bluff
2017 - Art Porter Music Education - Little Rock
2018 - David Woolly - Alma
2019 - The Center for Children and Youth - Fayetteville
2020 - Jeannie Hulen - West Fork
2021 - Kai Coggin - Hot Springs
2022 - Dr. Timothy Crist - Jonesboro
2023 - Jorge and Maria Botti Villegas (Arts Educators) - El Dorado
2023 - Foundation of Arts (Arts Organization) - Jonesboro
2024 - Virmarie DePoyster - North Little Rock
1991 - Worthen Bank - Pine Bluff
1992 - St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center - Hot Springs
1993 - American Cablevision - West Memphis
1994 - J M Products - Little Rock
1995 - International Paper Company Foundation - Pine Bluff
1996 - Murphy Oil Corporation - El Dorado
1997 - Stone & Ward, Inc. - Little Rock
1998 - Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield - Little Rock
2000 - Southwestern Bell Wireless - Fort Smith - Fort Smith
2001 - The Bank of Fayetteville - Fayetteville
2002 - Zero Mountain, Inc. of Fort Smith - Fort Smith
2003 - Simmons First National Bank, Corp. Headquarters - Pine Bluff
2004 - Tyson Foods, Inc. - Springdale
2005 - The Sentinel Record - Hot Springs
2006 - Lennox Industries,Inc. - Stuttgart
2007 - Greenwood and Associates Inc. - Fayetteville
2008 - Brackett - Krennerich & Associates Architects - Jonesboro
2009 - Land O'Frost - Searcy
2010 - 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa - Eureka Springs
2011 - Thoma Thoma - Little Rock
2012 - TRUE Marketing - Jonesboro
2013 - Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, PLLC - Little Rock
2015 - Entergy Arkansas - Little Rock
2016 - Deltic Timber Corporation - El Dorado
2017 - Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP - Little Rock
2018 - Highlands Oncology Group - Fayetteville
2019 - Murphy USA - El Dorado
2020 - Arkansas Health and Wellness - Little Rock
2021 - Bylites, Inc. - Little Rock
2022 - Cranford Co. - Little Rock
2023 - The Springs Magazine - Hot Springs
2024 - General Mills - Rogers
1997 - Kerri Jucas - El Dorado
1998 - Kelly Grooms - Pocahontas
2000 - M.G. Miller - Fayetteville
1997 - Jerry Fisk - Washington
1998 - Sondra Torchia - Eureka Springs
2007 - Rex Harral - Wilburn
2008 - Ruby Sales Rayder - Lake Village
2009 - Frank Jones - Conway
2010 - Still on the Hill - Fayetteville
2011 - Mike Shirkey - Fayetteville
2012 - Marty Phillips - Crossett
2013 - Paula Martin Morell - North Little Rock
2015 - Margaret Bolsterli - Fayetteville
2016 - Sonny Burgess and The Legendary Pacers - Newport
2017 - Freda Cruse Hardison - Mountain View
2018 - Brockwell Gospel Music School - Brockwell
2019 - Oxford American - Little Rock
2020 - Marty Scarbrough - Jonesboro
2021 - Joe Doster - Huntsville
2023 - The Music Roots Program/Founder Danny Thomas - Mountain View
2024 - Pam Setser - Mountain View
1991 - Cliff Baker - Little Rock
1992 - Jorges Villegas - El Dorado
1993 - Rebecca Whitfield - Little Rock
1994 - Carl Scott - West Memphis
1995 - Brad Mooy - Little Rock
1996 - Sheila B. Parsons - Conway
1997 - E. Fay Jones - Fayetteville
1998 - C. Michael Tidwell - Little Rock
1999 - Mike Nichols - Little Rock
2000 - Repha Buckman - Hope
2001 - Gary Simmons - Hot Springs
2002 - George Price - El Dorado
2003 - Dale Carpenter - Fayetteville
2004 - Betty Dortch Russell McMath - Little Rock
2005 - Anita Huffington - Winslow
2006 - Bryan W. Massey, Sr. - Conway
2007 - Darcy Pattison - North Little Rock
2008 - John Erwin - Little Rock
2009 - Sandra McDonald - Little Rock
2010 - Virgil "Spot" Daniel - Prescott
2011 - Larry Foley - Fayetteville
2012 - John Jeter - Fort Smith
2013 - Robert Hupp - Little Rock
2015 - Kevin Kresse - Little Rock
2016 - RB McGrath - Jacksonville
2017 - Reese Rowland - Little Rock
2018 - Richard Stephens - Hot Springs
2019 - Marjorie Williams-Smith - Little Rock
2020 - Mark Landon Smith - Fayetteville
2021 - Warren Criswell - Benton
2022 - Perrion Y. Hurd - Little Rock
2023 - Sammy Peters - Little Rock
2024 - Stephen Driver - Ozark
1991 - Dolph Whitten - Arkadelphia
1992 - Joe Harris, Jr. - Blytheville
1993 - Polly Crews - Fort Smith
1994 - Billie Starr - Fayetteville
1995 - June Freeman - Pine Bluff
1996 - Donald Munro - Hot Springs
1997 - Janine Earney - West Memphis
1998 - Elizabeth Pruet - El Dorado
1999 - William Bettwy - Pine Bluff
2001 - James Dyke - Little Rock
2002 - Barbara Mashburn - Fayetteville
2003 - Dorothy Morris - Hot Springs
2004 - Dr. Paul Tucker - Hot Springs
2005 - Dr. Ted Bailey - Little Rock
2006 - Jim Blair - Springdale
2007 - Dr. and Mrs. Henry Udouj Jr. - Fort Smith
2008 - Coleman and Shirley "Peaches" Peterson - Rogers
2009 - Ferold and Jane Arend family - Bentonville
2010 - Marilyn Patterson - Fort Smith
2011 - Denise and Hershey Garner - Fayetteville
2012 - Drs. Mack and Vern Ann Shotts - Paragould
2013 - Lee and Dale Ronnel - Little Rock
2015 - Curt and Charlotte Bradbury - Little Rock
2016 - Dr. Thomas A. Bruce - Little Rock
2017 - Johnelle Hunt - Rogers
2018 - Charlotte Hudspeth Gadberry - Little Rock
2019 - Jim and Joyce Faulkner - Little Rock
2020 - Madison and Suzanne Murphy - El Dorado
2021 - The Bob Bogle Family - Bentonville
2022 - Sharon Heflin - Little Rock
2023 - Kelly and Marti Sudduth - Fayetteville
2024 - Tony Waller -Bentonville
2000 - Rhonda Hicks - El Dorado
2001 - Sleepy LaBeef - Springdale
2002 - Dr. Wesley Branstine - Arkadelphia
2003 - Kathi Sweere - Conway
2004 - Alice Guffey Miller (Arts in Education) - Monticello
2004 - Doug DeMorrow (Individual Artist) - Arkadelphia
2005 - Chuck "Lucky Russell" Lomerson - Clinton
2006 - Julia Gardner (Lifetime Arts Patron) - Wynne
2006 - Lorenzo Smith (Arts in Education) - Little Rock
2007 - Dr. William Clements - Jonesboro
2008 - RuAnn Ewing - Hindsville
2009 - Charles B. Pierce - Redfield
2010 - David Peterson - Greenbrier
2011 - Claire Haun - North Little Rock
2012 - Jim D. Johnson - Little Rock
2013 - Farrell Ford - Arkadelphia
2015 - Kaki Hockersmith - Little Rock
2016 - Theresa Timmons-Shamberger - Maumelle
2017 - Max Elbo - Eureka Springs
2019 - Anthony Tidwell - Hot Springs
2020 - The Breakfast Club Interdisciplinary Arts Program at Ramay Junior High School - Fayetteville
2021 - Elmer Beard - Hot Springs
2022 - Lyon College Scottish Heritage Program - Batesville
2024 - Gay Bechtelheimer - El Dorado
1993 - Lucy Cabe - Little Rock
1997 - May Harris Gray - Fort Smith
1999 - Cliff Baker - Little Rock
2000 - Susan Morrison - Eureka Springs
2001 - Al Allen - Little Rock
2002 - Townsend Wolfe - Little Rock
2003 - Stanley Rames - Hot Springs
2004 - Evan Lindquist - Jonesboro
2005 - George Dombek - Goshen
2006 - Charles Banks Wilson - Fayetteville
2007 - Jeane M. Hamilton - Little Rock
2008 - Peggy Caudle Vining - Little Rock
2009 - Julia Lansford - Jonesboro
2010 - Gene Hatfield - Conway
2011 - Vincent Insalaco - North Little Rock
2012 - Zeek Taylor - Eureka Springs
2013 - Billie Seamans - McGehee
2015 - Jana Beard Hendrix - Little Rock
2016 - Suzanne Vining Kunkel - Little Rock
2017 - Thom Hall - Little Rock
2018 - June Biber Freeman - Little Rock
2019 - Billie Joe Starr - Fayetteville
2020 - Henri Linton Sr. - Pine Bluff
2021 - Trout Fishing in America - West Fork
2022 - Linda Williams Palmer - Hot Springs
2023 - Andrew Kilgore - Fayetteville
2024 - Charley Sandage - Mountain View