A Special Recognition Award went to painter and sculptor Mike Larsen of Perkins.
The Arts in Education Awards honored Choregus Productions of Tulsa, the Firehouse Art Center of Norman and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
“We are thrilled with this award,” said Oklahoma City Philharmonic executive director Eddie Walker. “We share it with our partner in philosophy of music education, the Oklahoma City Orchestra League. We consider music education the most important work we do.
“It meets critical individual needs today but it lays the foundation for building tomorrow's audiences, arts leaders and good civic citizens. We invest heavily in the financial and human resources that are required to mount 18 different education programs that span preschoolers through senior adults.”
Governor's Arts Awards recipients are selected from names submitted by members of the Governor's Arts Awards selection committee. The awards have been presented since 1975. In 1989, former Oklahoma Arts Council executive director Betty Price designed a medallion that is given to all recipients. The gold medallion features a detail of Allan Houser's sculpture “As Long As the Waters Flow.”
