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Alaskan Governor's Awards for the Arts and Humanities Announced

The Alaska State Council on the Arts and The Alaska Humanities Forum are proud to announce the following recipients of the Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities.  The Governor and First Lady will present the awards at a dinner on Friday, October 27, 6 pm at the Anchorage Marriott Hotel.

Conoco Phillips Alaska, Arts Business Leadership Award.  Since 2000, ConocoPhillips Alaska has contributed almost $7 Million to arts and culture programs in Alaska.

Janet Stotts, Palmer, Arts Education Award: Conductor and founder of the Anchorage Children’s Choir, Janet has been teaching music in Alaska since 1980. In 1996, Janet was the recipient of a Woman of Achievement Award presented by the YWCA.

UA Museum of the North, Fairbanks, Arts Organization Award,. The museum has undergone a major successful recent expansion, but continues its mission of research, outreach and education.

 Ray Troll, Ketchikan, Individual Artist Award: Ray moved to Ketchikan in 1983 and has become one of Alaska’s best known artists.  He is also involved in many arts and culture projects in Ketchikan and throughout SE Alaska.

Susan Malutin, Kodiak, Margaret Nick Cooke Award for Native Arts & Languages: Susan is a dedicated teacher of Alutiiq heritage and culture in Kodiak.  She also has reawakened the art of Kodiak Alutiiq skin sewing.  In 2003 she received the AFN President’s award for tradition bearer.

Senator Gary Wilken, Fairbanks, Arts Advocacy Award:   Senator Wilken has been a champion of  the arts for many years in the State Senate, including public funding for the arts and the Percent for Art program.

Anna Brown Ehlers, Juneau, Native Artist Award: Anna is a traditional Tlingit master weaver, whose work is featured in collections around the world.  Since 2000, she has received three prestigious First People’s fund awards.

Governor’s Awards for the Humanities will be presented to the following individuals:

Brenda Campen , Sitka, Alaska History Teacher of the Year Award:  Brenda Campen is a teacher at Mt. Edgecumbe High School and has taught Alaska History and Alaska issues for almost thirty years.  She was instrumental in the development of the Alaska History and Cultural Studies course and its standards.

Dermot Cole, Fairbanks,  Distinguished Service to the Humanities Award:  Dermot Cole is a longtime columnist for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and has written extensively about Alaska and Alaska history for thirty years including authoring a number of books on subjects ranging from the Alaska pipeline to the history of Fairbanks.

Dr. Terrence Cole, Fairbanks, Distinguished Service to the Humanities Award: Terrence Cole, a longtime history professor and Director of the Office of Public History at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has authored a wide variety of books on Alaska history and is a specialist on the Nome gold rush.

Perry Eaton, Anchorage, Distinguished Service to the Humanities Award:  Perry Eaton grew up on his father’s fishing boat in Kodiak and has made significant contributions to the humanities in Alaska through his work as and artist and community development professional specializing in rural Alaska, and as the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the Alaska Native Heritage Center.   

Dr. Edna Ahgeak MacLean, Barrow,  Distinguished Service to the Humanities Award:  Edna Ahgeak MacLean has devoted many years as a protector of Alaska Native languages and cultures through her work as the former President of Ilisagvik College in her hometown of Barrow and numerous publications about Inupiaq language and culture.

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts were created this year by Homer artist Ron Senungetuk.

For more information about the award recipients or the awards dinner, contact the Alaska State Council on the Arts at 907.269.6607 or 1.888.278.7424.