Gov. Burgum has selected the recipients of the 2023 Governor’s Awards for the Arts.
- Individual Cultural Heritage: Bill Lowman, Sentinal Butte,
- Nonprofit Arts Organization: Empire Arts Center, Grand Forks
- Individual Achievement: Pieper Fleck Bloomquist, Grand Forks
- Champion for the Arts: former state Sen. Joan Heckaman, Dickinson
- For-Profit Arts Organization: Makoché Recording Studios, Bismarck
- Arts in Education: Donald E. Larew, Fargo
Established in 1977, the North Dakota Governor’s Awards for the Arts is a biennial program presented by the Governor’s Office and North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) to recognize organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts in the state. Recipients are chosen for their efforts to expand arts opportunities to new audiences, create an appreciation for North Dakota’s cultural heritage, make the arts more central to education, and incorporate arts as an integral part of community life. The nominees’ length of service within the state is also a factor.
The awards reception and ceremony honoring this year’s recipients will be held Feb. 1 at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. The event will begin with a social in the Northern Lights Atrium at 5 p.m., which includes light appetizers with a cash bar. The awards ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Russell Reid Auditorium. The general public is invited to attend this celebration of the arts in North Dakota. Admission is free but capacity is limited; reservations are required by end of the day Thursday, Jan. 26.
