For the first time in 22 years, Pittsburgh will be host to the Governor’s Awards for the Arts, which this year includes Artist of the Year Vanessa German and Lifetime Achievement honors for musicians Joe Negri and Roger Humphries Sr.
Friday, Sept. 27, will be a celebratory day for the public to attend free activities, including a street festival featuring live musical performances, the Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District and the awards ceremony at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center
Mitch Swain, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, said in a statement that “a lot has changed” since Pittsburgh last hosted the awards ceremony. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our city’s vibrant arts and culture community to the rest of the state, all while celebrating the incredible work of this year’s honorees.”
Along with German, Negri and Humphries, other honorees include fellow Pittsburgher Mary Brenholts, in the category of Arts Leadership & Service. Brenholts has been director of Artists in Schools and Communities at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts for more than 20 years. Receiving Creative Industries honors is Rock Lititz, a Lititz, Lancaster County, production community that supports creativity within the live event industry.
Schedule of events for Sept. 27:
4:30-7 p.m.: Street festival in front of the August Wilson Center, featuring DJ Nate Da Barber, the Funky Fly Project and Hill Dance Academy Theatre.
5:30-10 p.m.: Gallery Crawl in the Cultural District.
7-8:30 p.m.: Governor’s Awards for the Arts awards ceremony (RSVP is required; bit.ly/governors-awards-pa).
8:30-10 p.m.: After-party for awards ceremony attendees in the lobby, featuring music, a cash bar and dessert.
10 p.m. and beyond: Crawl After Dark in the Cultural District.
The host committee for the Governor’s Awards includes the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, the August Wilson Center and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, as well as Pennsylvania Council on the Arts members. More at bit.ly/governors-awards-pa.
Sharon Eberson: seberson@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1960. Twitter: @SEberson_pg. Sign up for the PG performing arts newsletter Behind the Curtain at Newsletter Preferences.
First Published: August 22, 2019, 4:55 p.m.
