Jan. 24, 2012 - Erie Announced as Site for 2012 Governor's Awards for the Arts Ceremony

On September 20, 2012, Erie will host the Governor’s Awards for the Arts, marking the first time the event has been held in northwest Pennsylvania. The Governor’s Awards is a celebration of arts in Pennsylvania inaugurated in 1980 by Governor Dick Thornburgh and continued by every Governor. The Awards represent the Commonwealth’s highest recognition for excellence in the arts and celebrated its 30th Anniversary in 2010.

Free and open to the public, the event will be held at the historic Warner Theater, 811 State Street, downtown Erie. The celebration will also include a showcase of community arts and a ticketed reception.

Two local organizations stepped forward to host the event for Erie: the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership and the Erie Downtown Arts and Cultural Coalition.

ERCGP President and CEO Barbara Chaffee said, “We are proud to be both the first host city for Governor Corbett and the first in this region. An event of this caliber showcases Erie’s cultural, natural, commercial, and social resources. It has the potential to draw visitors from every corner of Pennsylvania and adjoining regions.” Since 1980, there have been more than 160 Governor’s Awards recipients representing all artistic disciplines. The comprehensive categories reflect the excellence and variety of Pennsylvania’s cultural landscape and pay tribute to the Commonwealth’s rich cultural achievements and notable philanthropic traditions. Past recipients include: Actor Michael Keaton, Actor Jimmy Stewart, Comedian Bill Cosby, Author August Wilson, Pianist Lang Lang, Producer M. Night Shyamalan, Singer Patti LaBelle, The Ridgeway Chainsaw Carvers, Author Chaim Potok, Dancer LaVaughn Robinson and Sculptor Thaddeus Mosley.

In 2010, John Vanco, director of the Erie Art Museum, accepted the Creative Communities Award for his outstanding contributions to the vibrant cultural life of Erie and its surrounding regions.

Nominations will be open to the public in February; visit pacouncilonthearts.org for details. The Governor’s Awards for the Arts are administered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency under the Office of the Governor, whose mission is to foster the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania, and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state.

Local contributions support this event and related expenses. To make a contribution, contact Barbara Chaffee at 814-454-7191.