A program that provides college courses to incarcerated people, the state’s first countywide conservancy, a school that offers a comprehensive, tuition-free after-school arts program for students of limited resources, and an accomplished harpist who has performed on renowned national and international stages were among the recipients of the eighth annual Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities. Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp announced the 2019 recipients Thursday.
The awards were presented in partnership with the Georgia Council for the Arts and Georgia Humanities.
“Georgia is home to a strong arts and humanities culture that fuels creativity and innovation,” said Governor Kemp. “Growing and sustaining our arts and humanities sectors can create a catalyst for community revitalization and local economic development across the state. I congratulate the recipients of the 2019 Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities and thank these individual
Among the 2019 recipients is Common Good Atlanta, which provides college courses to incarcerated people with the belief that higher education can restore dignity and reconnect people to their own humanity. Founded in 2008 by Dr. Sarah Higinbotham and Bill Taft, Common Good has enabled more than 100 volunteer professors from Georgia universities to provide more than 4,000 hours of college-level humanities instruction inside state prisons in Buford, Forsyth, and Hartwell. Courses on literature, history, art, philosophy, and writing take place inside Georgia’s prisons five days a week, and the incarcerated students’ essays, artwork, and poetry have been displayed at Atlanta galleries, Emory University Law School, and Georgia Tech, and are permanently archived in Emory’s Woodruff Library.
Also among the recipients was The Jessye Norman School of the Arts ( JNSA) which has impacted the lives of thousands of children and families in the greater Augusta area over the last 16 years by offering a comprehensive, tuition-free after-school arts program for students of limited resources.
Angelica Hairston was recognized for her achievement as an accomplished harpist who has performed on renowned national and international stages, including with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and the Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra. Hairston has made it a priority in her career to expose marginalized communities to classical music.
Another honoree, the Madison-Morgan Conservancy is the state’s first countywide conservancy and has protected more than 4,300 acres of land, including wildlife habitats, farmland, and historic landscapes through voluntarily donated conservation easements by private landowners in Morgan County.
In all, 10 members of Georgia’s arts and humanities communities were awarded with this honor following a competitive selection process from nominations submitted from around the state. According to information from the Georgia Council for the Arts and Georgia Humanities, the recipients represent a diverse group of individuals and organizations that have contributed to and supported the growth of Georgia’s thriving creative industries through community involvement, pioneering programs and long-term financial commitment.
The recipients of the 2019 Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities are:
● Lucinda W. Bunnen, Atlanta
● Common Good Atlanta, Atlanta
● Hermina Glass-Hill, Kennesaw and Midway
● Christopher Johnson, Cuthbert and Columbus
● Madison-Morgan Conservancy, Madison-Morgan County
● Jessye Norman School of the Arts, Augusta and Richmond County
● Kathy Prescott and Grady Thrasher, Athens and Atlanta
● Rick McKnight, Columbus
● Mercer University Press, Macon
● Angelica Hairston, Atlanta
The 2019 Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities was hand crafted by Athens self-taught artist Cecel Allee. Allee created one-of-a-kind paintings on wooden box frames.
