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The Governor’s Awards: a look inside the miracle
By Pat Boyd, Executive Director, South Dakotans for
the Arts
Every two years, the Governor’s
Awards in the Arts recognize the
contributions of one individual
artist, one outstanding individual
supporter, one outstanding
organization or business supporter,
and one outstanding educator.
We honor them with pride and
appreciation for their accomplishments,
and thank them for their
contributions to our lives. Their
work moves us forward, by
example and by enlightenment.
They are engaged in work that will
continue to move people, long
after we have each ended our own
list of lifetime achievements.
Like all things artistic, these
awards are the products of a
process that is engaging and
frequently difficult. South
Dakotans for the Arts puts out the
call for nominations in the fall
preceding a Governor’s Awards
year. The nominations begin to
appear in the mail. Most are
eloquently presented, with letters
of support, examples of work, and
carefully researched and articulated
arguments as to the worthiness ofthe nominee. Others are simple
and straightforward, some just a
name and an award category.
At first, we SoDA staff are
delighted with this outpouring of
response. Then, as we box the
nominations up to ship off to the
three panelists who must come to
agreement on the selection of
award recipients, we begin to fret.
The panel members are different
each time, but include one SoDA
board member, one South Dakota
Arts Council member, and one
past recipient of the Governor’s
Award for Distinction in Creative
Achievement. As we sort the
nominations by category, we are
struck by the variety of disciplines,
styles, aesthetics, histories and
personalities being piled up and
bundled together. It is awe
inspiring, all right. But what have
we asked these judges to do? How
many hours of deliberation and
anxiety have we required of these
very willing and able but busy
people?
That they do eventually come
to a consensus, that we are
actually able to present the awards
at all, seems one more miracle of
human endeavor. The process with
its inherent difficulty of choice
illuminates the richness of South
Dakota’s artistic resources and the
high energy they generate. This
arts advocate is always pleased to
hear the term “Creative Industry”
included in discussions and plans
for economic development, but the
reports of the revenues cultural
activities produce belie what is
really going on here. The level of
artistic activity in South Dakota is
rising faster than the economic
indicators can demonstrate; we are
a work in progress.
The Governor’s Awards
provide us with a chance to take
note of the great process of the
arts. All around South Dakota,
very young artists are smooshing
balls of clay, opening new boxes of
crayons, sitting on phone books to
reach the black keys, picking up
hoops, and embarking on the road
through their own lifetime of
creative achievements. They will
need guidance, support and
opportunities. They will move us
forward, but we all have work to
do, art work, in the spirit of those
who precede us and still lead us.
Please keep your best thoughts and wishes flowing toward
Washington for a full and joyous recovery for our friend Senator Tim Johnson. We
all await the reassuring sound of his voice, his return to office and his next
trip home to South Dakota.