Art Chowder July | August 2018, Issue 16 | Page 57

Over the years, the award categories
have changed slightly but the intent
has remained the same: to celebrate the
wide range of individuals, organizations,
collectives, businesses, and more who
work tirelessly throughout the year
to promote arts and culture. Since
2014, the categories have included
Leadership, Collaboration, Imagination
and Inclusion. In addition, the Karen
Mobley Impact Award — named for
the longtime arts advocate and artist —
honors a lifetime of positive impact on
the arts community. The most recent
recipient was beloved Art Spirit gallery
owner Steve Gibbs, who passed away
a few months after being honored. Past
winners in other categories include
Harold Balazs, Sharma Shields, Mark
Anderson, Ginger Ewing, Todd and Cain
Benson, and many others.
REGIONAL REPORT
SPOKANE ARTS COMMISSION
Nominations submitted by the
community are reviewed by a
five-person panel of Spokane Art
Commissioners. The art commissioners
— who represent a wide range of
arts disciplines, neighborhoods, and
experience — are volunteer board
members who function in an advisory
capacity to Spokane Arts. After the
deadline passes for community members
to submit nominations, each member
of the panel reviews the nominations
from home, and then the group meets to
discuss and determine the winner in each
category. The nominees are announced
to the public one month prior to the Arts
Awards event.
“The Arts Awards are a fun way to
celebrate the vibrancy of our arts
community as a whole,” said Mika
Maloney, Spokane Arts program
manager. “The event brings together
artists across disciplines to showcase and
celebrate some of the incredible work
achieved over the course of the year.”
July | August 2018
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