FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chris
Kellogg
September
3, 2003
or Terry Sebastian, 502-564-2611
Governor
and First Lady Host In Performance on the Road
In the early 80’s, about five years after the Kentucky Arts Council bestowed the first Milner Award that gave statewide recognition for an individual’s contribution to the arts in Kentucky, the Kentucky Center in the Arts opened its doors in Louisville. This Saturday, the two institutions join their considerable artistic forces to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Governor’s Awards in the Arts, which have grown to honor ten individuals, businesses or organizations annually. The event will include more than 150 honorees from the last quarter of a century and many others as Governor Paul Patton and First Lady Judi Patton welcome guests for In Performance at the Governor’s Mansion--On the Road.
The curtain rises on the 19th edition of the series, September 6 at 7:45 p.m. and will air on KET at a later date. Over the past seven years a variety Kentucky’s greatest performers have shared their talents via the program, which is usually staged in the ballroom at the executive mansion in Frankfort. Each year one program in the series has gone on the road to take advantage of the larger venues around the commonwealth. Made possible by support from a grant from Ashland Inc., other partners include Governor’s Office, the Cabinet for Education, Arts and Humanities, the Kentucky Arts Council, KET and the Kentucky Center for the Arts. “We are blessed with a broad array of rich cultural and artistic talent in Kentucky,” said Governor Patton. “In Performance has been an outstanding partnership to showcase some of the state’s best performers and share these treasures with all Kentuckians. We particularly appreciate the generous support from Ashland Inc. which has made the series such a wonderful success.”
First Lady Judi Patton is equally enthusiastic about In Performance. “To share the wonderful gifts these groups and individuals possess with the citizens of this great Commonwealth has been a joy I hold dear. We are incredibly fortunate that Kentucky possesses such an array of talent and that we’ve been able to create a venue to convey their vast contributions to our culture.”
Entertainment for the anniversary celebration will include performances by Imani Dance and Drums, under the direction of Harlina Churn; the Kentucky Cloggersperforming with the bluegrass group, Hog Operation; cellist Michael Fitzpatrick with the Gordon Dance Project; the American Spiritual Ensemble and the Kentucky Jazz Connection. Governors Awards in the Arts recipients from the past 25 years will be introduced during the performance.
In
Performance is open
to the public. For ticket information, contact the Kentucky Center Box Office at
(502) 584-7777 or 1-800-775-7777.
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Note to editors and station managers: (for a list of previous performers, go to www.ket.org/cgi/db/ket)