Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett Announces Recipients of the Governor's Awards for the Arts

Sept. 20 Awards Ceremony to be held at Erie's Warner Theatre

ERIE, Pa., July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett today announced the recipients of the prestigious Governor's Awards for the Arts. The annual awards are a 32-year tradition honoring outstanding Pennsylvania artists, arts organizations, and patrons who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the arts.

"I am delighted to announce the distinguished roster of honorees of this year's Governor's Awards for the Arts," said Mrs. Corbett. "The 2012 recipients have made lasting works of art, enhanced cultural organizations, communities, urban and rural landscapes, fostered creativity for children and youth and provided examples of excellence and service for generations to come."

Mrs. Corbett is the chairperson of the Council on the Arts. Council member Susan Breon of Erie and Executive Director Philip Horn joined her for today's announcement.

Governor Tom Corbett will present the awards on Sept. 20, at the Warner Theatre in Erie, to the following people:

• Peter Q. Bohlin, Waverly - Distinguished Arts Award: Architect and recipient of the American Institute of Architects' Gold Medal recognizing his place among the world's great architects;
• Susan and Tom Hagen, Erie - Patron Award: philanthropists;
• Bruce Katsiff, Doylestown - Arts Leadership and Service Award: Longtime director and CEO of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Bucks County;
• Jane Golden and the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, Philadelphia -  Arts Innovation Award: Golden heads the largest public art program in the nation;
• Susan Hale Kemenyffy, Erie - 2012 Artist of the Year: Internationally renowned artist in multiple media and state and regional arts leader.

The award ceremony is free and open to the public. It will be followed by a ticketed reception. Private contributions support the event and related expenses.

Governor Corbett is continuing the tradition of holding the awards ceremony in a different community each year, which enables the host region to showcase its unique cultural assets to an audience of cultural leaders from across Pennsylvania. This is the first time the event will be held in the state's Northwest region.

For more information on the recipients or for the biographies, contact Heather Doughty at 717-787-1517.

The Governor's Awards for the Arts are administered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. The state agency works 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.

For more information, visit www.pacouncilonthearts.org or call 717-787-6883.

Media contact: Heather Doughty, 717-787-1517

SOURCE Pennsylvania Council on the Arts