Virginia Heritage Awards
Virginia Heritage Awards To Be Presented For The First Time In 2009
Virginia Heritage Awards
2009
PRESS RELEASE
Nomination Deadline
Nominations must be received in the Virginia Commission for the Arts office by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 3, 2009.
Description
The Virginia Heritage Awards will be presented for the first time in 2009 to honor Virginia masters of the traditional arts for their contributions to the cultural heritage of Virginia, to recognize the preservationists of traditional culture, and to bring public attention to important cultural traditions.
Nominees must currently reside in Virginia. Anyone may submit a nomination.
The six Awards will be presented on Friday, October 9, in Richmond as part of the Richmond Folk Festival. Honorees are expected to attend the award ceremony.
Definitions:
Masters of traditional art forms exhibit a longstanding dedication to that art form, a high quality of skill within the genre, recognition of “master” status by their communities, and a role in sharing their skills with others within the community.
Traditional communities, or folk groups, are defined by a combination of factors such as race, ethnicity, history, beliefs, geography, occupation, or gender.
A traditional art form is an element of expressive culture within a community. The traditional arts are passed on by informal observation and practice outside of institutional instruction. Of course, in modern society it would be extremely rare for a traditional artist’s work to be completely uninfluenced by the mass media or the fine arts. However, a traditional art form primarily reflects the longstanding informal common knowledge and aesthetics of the artist’s community. Some traditional arts are by nature performance oriented, such as storytelling or ballad singing. Others are defined by the creation of material culture items, such as boat-building or doll-making.
Selection of Winners
The Virginia Commission for the Arts will coordinate the selection of the Award winners. A selection panel will review the nominations and make recommendations for the Awards to the Virginia Commission for the Arts. The selection criteria are:
· Authenticity
· Current and past record of artistic excellence
· Significance of the nominee within the context of their particular cultural tradition.
How to Make a Nomination
Nominators must complete a nomination form, write a narrative, and provide support materials following the instructions below. One copy of the complete nomination is required. The materials should be mailed to:
Virginia Commission for the Arts
223 Governor Street, Second Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Nomination Form
· Type 2009 Virginia Heritage Awards at the top of the page
· Type the name of the nominee, a contact person if the nominee is an organization, complete mailing address, and telephone number (both daytime and evening for individuals)
· Type the name of the nominator, complete mailing address, telephone number, and email address.
Narrative
- Include a concise biography of the nominee
- Describe the artistic contributions of the nominee to a community tradition. Explain the importance of this tradition to the nominee’s home community.
- Describe the impact of the nominee on his or her home community, the state, or the nation. Explain why the nominee deserves statewide recognition.
- List noteworthy recognition or awards received by the nominee and participation in special events or exhibitions.
Use 12 point font size and one inch margins for the narrative, and limit the narrative to four pages or less.
Support Materials
Submit one or more of the following, clearly labeled with the nominee’s name and date of the work.
- For still images submit a sample of up to 25 digital images on a standard CD
- For audio recordings submit a standard CD
- For films/videos submit a standard DVD
- For publication submit copies of articles, catalogues, program books, and other publications that include information on the nominee’s life and work
Support materials will not be returned. Do not submit the only copy of sounds recordings, photographs, or publications.
Letters of Support
Nominations may include letters of support from individuals knowledgeable about the nominee’s particular artistic tradition and/or contributions to the community through this tradition.
For More Information
Contact Peggy Baggett at 804-225-3132 or peggy.baggett@arts.virginia.gov
Thank You
Thank you to Venture Richmond, sponsor of the Richmond Folk Festival, for the partnership with the Virginia Commission for the Arts in presenting the 2009 Virginia Heritage Awards.
Virginia Commission for the Arts
223 Governor Street, Second Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
804-225-3132
arts@art.virginia.gov
www.arts.virginia.gov