CARBONDALE AND LAFAYETTE WIN GOVERNOR’S ARTS AWARD
Gov. Hickenlooper today announced that the Town of Carbondale and the City of Lafayette have been selected as the recipients for the 2012 Governor’s Arts Award. They will be honored at the closing luncheon of the 1st Annual Creative Industries Summit on April 13 in Breckenridge.
“The communities being honored by this award have each made a major commitment to the arts and creativity,” said Gov. Hickenlooper. “They have invested in arts centers and downtown arts districts. They have made sure their young people continue to have access to the arts in school, and they have encouraged their citizens and their businesses to support local artists and arts organizations. I offer them each my hearty congratulations for their work to promote and grow Colorado as a premier creative hub.”
The annual Governor’s Arts Award recognizes a Colorado town or city for their collective efforts to enhance their community and their economy through strategic use of the arts. Carbondale Mayor Stacey Patch Bernot and Lafayette Mayor Carolyn Cutler will be presented with the awards, which are original oil paintings by artist John Lintott of Fruita. The artworks will hang in public locations in the respective cities, and a third painting by Lintott will hang in the lobby of the Governor’s Office.
“Extremely honored only begins to describe our reaction to being named a recipient of the 2012 Governor’s Art Award,” said Mayor Bernot. “Art and creativity are attributes that have been interwoven into the fiber of Carbondale for generations. Our community prides itself on our ability to appreciate, teach, and engage in arts and creativity in a multitude of ways. Whether viewed through the beauty of our public art program, our cultural centers and businesses or witnessed by the creative spark that is ignited in the minds of our youth through our programs, Carbondale values art and creative expression. We are grateful and proud to be this year’s award recipient.”
Mayor Cutler said “The Governor’s Art Award pays tribute to our community’s commitment to the arts articulated by the Cultural Arts Commission some years ago. That vision has been carried forward through the collaborative efforts and hard work of the cultural arts community, local creative industries and City staff. It couldn’t have happened without community support, artists, and local leaders. Lafayette is so proud to be honored for our efforts in the arts, efforts that will continue adding value and vitality to our community.”
Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, annually convenes a panel to review nominations. In selecting Carbondale and Lafayette as the recipients, the review panel cited each city’s detailed plans for making the arts central to economic and community development. They were impressed with both towns’ commitment to public art and their efforts to support and promote their artists and creative entrepreneurs. The other nominated cities were Aspen, Durango, Greeley, Lone Tree, Louisville, Mancos, Parker and Westminster.
The Colorado Creative Industries division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade combines state funds with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts to promote, support and expand the creative industries to drive Colorado’s economy, grow jobs, and enhance our quality of life. For more information and to register for the Creative Industries Summit, visit www.coloradocreativeindustries.org.