Staff Reports

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FAIRBANKS — Ten Alaskans have been selected as recipients of the 2011 Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities by Gov. Sean Parnell. Five of those honored are Fairbanksans.

Six of the awardees are being acknowledged for outstanding contributions to the arts; one is receiving a joint arts and humanities award, and the three humanities award recipients are noteworthy for demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the enrichment of the civic, intellectual and cultural lives of all Alaskans.

Recipients include: Dr. Maryanne Allan of Fairbanks, Margaret Nick Cooke Award for Alaska Native Arts and Languages; Dr. Ray Barnhardt of Fairbanks, Humanities Award; the late Dr. Angayuqaq Oscar Kawagley of Fairbanks, Humanities Award; Arthur William “Bill” Brody of Fairbanks, Individual Artist Award; Mike Powers of Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Business Leadership Award; Jeff Brown of Juneau, Lifetime Achievement Award; Carol Comeau of Anchorage, both Arts and Humanities Award; Tom Heywood of Haines, Arts Advocacy Award; Mike McCormick, Whistling Swan, Eagle River, Business Leadership Award, and Jim Rearden of Homer, Humanities Award.

Allan is a retired elementary school educator in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. She founded the Athabascan Young Fiddlers Program 15 years ago, when she realized that Native students were not represented in school district musical events. Since that time the program has flourished, and now has more than 40 students, K-12, in the program.

Barnhardt is a professor of cross-cultural studies and co-director and co-founder of the Alaska Native Knowledge network at the University of Fairbanks. The network serves as an invaluable resource in compiling and exchanging information related to Alaska Native knowledge systems and ways of knowing and serves as a model venue for highlighting the importance of indigenous knowledge throughout the world. His published collaborations with Dr. Oscar Kawagley on indigenous cultures and education have transformed the way these subjects are viewed. Barnhardt is the recipient of distinguished service awards from the Alaska Federation of Natives and the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals.

Kawagley, who died in April, was a pioneer in the field of Native knowledge, scholar and educator. Kawagley spent his lifetime raising awareness of the values of Alaska Native languages and cultures. His unique perspective and ability to work across cultures has left a legacy that will have a positive impact for years to come. Kawagley worked in close consort with fellow Governor’s Award recipient Dr. Ray Barnhardt in the field of indigenous language and culture and the two were recipients of the University of Alaska, Anchorage’s William Demmert Leadership Award in 2011 for their groundbreaking work.

In addition to his 44-year career as an art professor, Brody, a professor emeritus at UAF, has been in numerous shows, galleries and exhibitions around Alaska and the U.S. He also has received numerous Percent for Art commissions and has served as a National Park Artist in Residence.

As CEO of Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and the Denali Center, Powers demonstrates how successful business leaders can exemplify support for arts and culture through his personal and professional support of nonprofit arts organizations in the Fairbanks area.

Former Fairbanksan, journalist, scientist and author Jim Rearden has been chronicling the history of Alaska and lives of its residents for six decades. During his career he worked as a wildlife management professor at UAF, a fish and game biologist Game, outdoors editor for Alaska Magazine and Alaska field editor for Outdoor Life magazine, and written innumerable magazine articles.

Brown, dubbed the “Minister of Merriment,” is a humorist, musician, story teller, circus artist, radio host and community arts advocate who has tirelessly used his many talents for over 25 years to bring delight and laughter to hundreds of adults and young people in Juneau.

Mike McCormick, founder and owner of Whistling Swan Productions along with his wife, Katy Spangler, has brought more than 300 artists to Alaska, working with communities outside Anchorage to ensure that smaller audiences have the experience of well known musicians.

Tom Heywood, owner of the Babbling Book bookstore in Haines and longtime volunteer leader of the Haines Arts Council, has been key to bringing a variety of high quality performing arts and culture events to the remote community.

Anchorage School District Superintendent Carol Comeau is the first joint recipient of both arts and humanities awards, honoring her nearly 50 years of service to education and the humanities. In her 11 years as superintendent, and 35 years as a teacher or administrator in the district, Comeau has steadfastly promoted the importance of the arts, history, and civic engagement as a critical component of student’s every day lives.

The awards, sponsored by the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Humanities Forum and the Office of the Governor, will be presented during a dinner event at the Captain Cook Hotel Oct. 19.