NASHVILLE – Tennessee's highest honor in the arts will be awarded Tuesday, April 23, to nine recipients, including a Johnson City resident, who represent the state's finest cultural traditions. Established in 1971, the Governor's Arts Awards will be presented by Gov. Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam in a special ceremony produced by the Tennessee Arts Commission.
"We congratulate each recipient of the 2013 Governor's Arts Awards," said Anne Pope, executive director of the Tennessee Arts Commission. "These exceptional individuals represent excellence in the arts, and illustrate the rich diversity of our state's cultural heritage. It's gratifying to see their many accomplishments recognized in such a special way."
Recipients were selected from a field of nominees in three different categories – Folklife Heritage, Arts Leadership, and Distinguished Artist.
The Folklife Heritage Award recognizes folk artists or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to artistic tradition. The award is intended to honor long-term achievements within art forms that are rooted in the traditional culture of Tennessee. Receiving Folklife Heritage Awards are: Polly Page of Pleasant Hill, and independent radio station WDVX in Knoxville.
Arts Leadership Awards will be presented Donald Fann of Woodbury, and James C. "Jim" Martin of Johnson City, along with Knox Phillips and David Porter of Memphis. Recipients in this category may come from arts organizations, business, educators, patrons, arts administrators, corporations, or volunteers who have demonstrated significant support or participation in activities which foster excellence in, appreciation of, or access to the arts throughout the state.
As a Johnson City resident and a remarkable patron of the arts, James C. "Jim" Martin has made a tremendous impact on the arts in Northeast Tennessee. Over the past several years, he has made extraordinary gifts to regional arts organizations in memory of his late wife, Mary B. Martin. While he has contributed to many arts organizations throughout Northeast Tennessee, his largest gift since 2008 has led to the creation of East Tennessee State University's Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. The school brings all the arts at ETSU together under one umbrella, and provides support and advocacy for the visual and performing arts to the faculty, students, and general public. However, the primary mission of the school is to provide a wide range of arts activities including high-caliber performing arts events, exhibitions, and workshops.
In the fall of 2012, Martin provided another donation to the university, a gift that will serve as a catalyst for ETSU's proposed arts classroom building and performing arts center, a much-needed facility to be located in Johnson City.
As Martin has said, "I have been slowly trying to weave a tapestry of local art-oriented institutions that can cooperate and begin to form an influential presence in our area."
Receiving the Distinguished Artist Award are Bobby "Blue" Bland of Germantown, Ann Patchett of Nashville of Nashville, and Jim Sherraden of Nashville. The Distinguished Artist Award recognizes artists of exceptional talent and creativity in any discipline, who over the course of a career, have contributed to the arts and have helped guide and influence directions, trends, and aesthetic practices on a state or national level.
