GAHA Nominations – Cancelled

The 2020 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Awards (GAHA) program has been canceled. Cancellation is a direct result of the COVID-19 virus, low nominations at deadline, and the uncertainties in general that the pandemic has brought. GAHA will return in 2021.

There are many deserving artists, tradition bearers, cultural institutions, arts & heritage advocates, community leaders, organizations, and educators doing exemplary work in their local communities around the state. We’d like to recognize the best of them. Your nominations make that happen.

Eligibility

To be eligible individuals or organizations must:

  • Have significantly contributed to the arts and cultural landscape of Washington State
  • Be current Washington residents or have resided or been based in the state during the time the contributions were made
  • Not be a previous recipient of a Governor’s Arts Award or Heritage Award (except for the Young Arts Leader Award)
Categories
Governor’s Arts Awards

The Governor’s Arts Awards were established in 1966. They recognize and honor individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to the arts and cultural development of Washington State.

Award categories:

Individual
Organization
Arts Education
Young Arts Leader
Arts Legacy
Arts Advocacy
Philanthropy Award
Community Award

A selection panel judges all nominations for these awards using two common criteria. Each individual category may have additional, specific criteria.

Common Criteria

  • Contributions to arts and cultural development of Washington State, or to a specific community within the state.
  • Impact on a Washington State community/region over time, as demonstrated by level of community engagement and/or community recognition.

Categories, Definitions and Specific Criteria

  • Individual Award: defined as an outstanding generative individual artist and/or arts leader.
    Additionally evaluated on the quality of the artworks produced and/or impact of significant projects or initiatives that advance the arts.
  • Organization Award: defined as arts presenters or supporters.
    Additionally evaluated on the quality and impact of significant projects or initiatives that advance the arts.
  • Arts Education: defined as an individual or an organization that demonstrates leadership, dedication, and accomplishment in arts education for youth in grades K-12. This includes work during the regular school day as part of basic education, as well as work in community settings.
    Additionally evaluated on the impact on the students, schools, and communities they serve.
  • Young Arts Leader Award: defined as an individual artist, arts administrator, or advocate between the ages of 18 and 40 as of the deadline date (June 3, 2019).
    Additionally evaluated on the quality and impact of significant projects or initiatives that advance the arts.
  • Arts Legacy Award: defined as individuals who have made a substantial and lasting contribution as artists, arts leaders and/or arts supporters to advancing the arts in Washington State. Nominations for posthumous awards accepted.
    Additionally evaluated on specific accomplishments and/or years of service and/or impact of career.
  • Arts Advocacy Award: defined as individuals, organizations, institutions whose arts advocacy efforts have raised awareness of and advanced the public value of the arts.
    Additionally evaluated on specific accomplishments.
  • Philanthropy Award: defined as individuals with a demonstrable history of philanthropy, investment, generosity, and altruism in the arts.
    Additionally evaluated on reach to diverse and underserved populations, culturally diverse organizations and institutions, and diverse geographic locations including under-resourced regions.
  • Community Award: awarded to an individual or an organization for exemplary arts based community development, service, and placemaking.
    Additionally evaluated on specific accomplishments, reach to diverse and underserved populations, culturally diverse organizations and institutions, diverse geographic locations including under resourced regions
Governor’s Heritage Awards

The Governor’s Heritage Awards were established in 1989. They recognize and honor individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to preserving traditions and cultural heritage in Washington State.

Award categories:

Individual
Organization

A selection panel evaluates all nominations for the Governor’s Heritage Awards using the criteria below.

  • Contributions to the heritage of Washington State, or to a specific community within the state.
  • Active participation in the artist’s community as a master traditional artist, community scholar, or traditional community historian.
  • Nominee’s work is representative of significant folk art or cultural traditions, and/or tradition bearers within the nominee’s community and recognized as such by the community.
  • Significant record of accomplishments.

Categories and Definitions

  • Individual: Outstanding Individual Artist/Practitioner.
  • Organization: An organization that provides outstanding support for heritage and culture.

 

Note: ArtsWA reserves the right to not issue an award in every category.

Policies and Support Materials
Policies
  • Renominations: Individuals and organizations nominated in previous years are eligible to be nominated again if they did not receive an award. A new nomination packet must be created.
  • By submitting a nomination form, you signify your intent to act as nominator for an individual or an organization for the 2020 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Awards.
  • You may only nominate one individual or organization.
  • Self-nominations are accepted.
  • Nominations for posthumous awards are accepted.
  • You can nominate Individuals or organizations either for the Governor’s Arts Awards or for the Governor’s Heritage Awards – but not both.
  • If you know of others nominating the same organization or individual, we encourage you to work together and submit a single nomination. Multiple nominations do not increase a nominees evaluation score.
  • You must submit applications electronically through ZoomGrants.

Information you will need for your nominee includes:

  • Mailing address
  • Phone number(s)
  • Email address
  • website address
  • Birthdate/age of nominee(s) if you are nominating for the Young Arts Leader Award.

The following support materials must be in digital formats and ready for upload to your nomination form.

  • For all nominees:
    • Nomination Letter. Your nomination letter introduces your nominee to the panel. It is one of the most important documents in your packet. Outline you nominee’s accomplishments clearly and succinctly. We recommend that you keep your nomination letter to one (1) page in length, single-spaced, 12pt font. Please Include:
      • The impact of the nominee’s work on a specific and/or the broader community.
      • Why the efforts, achievements, and accomplishments of your nominee are noteworthy.
      • How their efforts have been recognized.
      • If you are nominating for Heritage Awards, include information on how your nominee’s actions have preserved or promoted ethnic and/or cultural heritage.
    • Work Samples (Required). Work samples are examples of your nominee’s work. Work samples can play a key role in helping panelists understand your nominee’s accomplishments. A minimum of one work sample is required. Work samples can include:
      • Images of artwork
      • Videos
      • Audio samples
      • Articles
      • Literary art samples
      • Excerpts from books, etc.
    • Support Letters (recommended – maximum of three (3) one-page, one-sided letters). Support letters serve as endorsements from community members and others. Their input will serve to bolster your nomination. Support letters serve as valuable testament of your nominee’s achievements.
  • If nominating an individual:
    • Biography: (Required – limit up to eight (4) pages – two-sided)
    • Resume or CV: (Optional but recommended – limit up to eight (4) pages – two-sided)
  • If nominating an organization:
    • Organization History: (Recommended – limit four (4) pages). Provide an overview/timeline of the history of the organization. Include achievement benchmarks.

Download complete nomination guidelines (Available April 30)

Nomination Form
Click on the link above to arrive at ZoomGrants. Create your ZoomGrants profile. This profile is about YOU the nominator (not your nominee). Nominee information is collected in the application. You can start the nomination process by creating your profile on the system prior to April 30, 2020. The application will appear on your ZoomGrants dashboard on April 30, 2020.

2020 Governor’s Arts and Governor’s Heritage Awards Guidelines

Nomination form

Click on the link above to arrive at ZoomGrants. Create your ZoomGrants profile. This profile is about YOU the nominator (not your nominee). Nominee information is collected in the application.

Contact us

For more information or questions contact:
Miguel Guillén | miguel.guillen@arts.wa.gov | 360-252-9970

Governor’s Arts & Heritage Awards
Washington State Poet Laureate
Wellness, Arts, and the Military (WAM)
Tribal Cultural Affairs
Center for Washington Cultural Traditions
Change Leader Institute
Building for the Arts