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Gov. Beshear announces 2022 Governor’s Awards in the Arts honorees

The 2022 Governor's Awards in the Arts were created by artist Fred Nez-Keams of Mercer County. The award is hand crafted, playable Navajo flute. The artist creates 10 awards — nine for the recipients and one for the Kentucky Arts Council's permanent collection.
Kentucky Arts Council
The 2022 Governor's Awards in the Arts were created by artist Fred Nez-Keams of Mercer County. The award is hand crafted, playable Navajo flute. The artist creates 10 awards — nine for the recipients and one for the Kentucky Arts Council's permanent collection.

Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced the nine recipients of the commonwealth’s most prestigious arts awards, the Governor's Awards in the Arts, in recognition of their dedication to sharing Kentucky’s rich arts history with all Kentuckians.

“The arts are transformational, and these Kentucky artists and organizations have used their talents to tell the stories of our commonwealth and lift up every community through their work,” Gov. Beshear said. “I want to congratulate the nine honorees and thank them for their commitment to our commonwealth and our people.”

The Governor’s Awards in the Arts is comprised of nine categories that celebrate the extraordinary and significant contributions of Kentuckians and Kentucky organizations to the state’s arts heritage.

The honorees will be recognized in a ceremony at 10 a.m., Jan. 10 in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.

The Kentucky Arts Council solicits nominations and coordinates award presentations on behalf of the Governor of Kentucky. The 2022 Governor’s Awards in the Arts recipients are:

Each year, the arts council commissions a Kentucky artist to create custom works of art to serve as the award for recipients. The artist creates 10 awards – nine for the recipients and one for the Kentucky Arts Council’s permanent collection. Mercer County Navajo flute maker Fed Nez-Keams created the 2022 Governor’s Awards in the Arts.

The Kentucky Arts Council, who recommends honorees to the Governor, accepts nominations for the Governor’s Awards in the Arts annually.