2024 Governor’s Arts and Humanities Awards Press Release

PRESS RELEASE – Sept. 6, 2024

2024 Governor’s Arts and Humanities Awards recognize Alaskans for their statewide service, leadership, and impact

Seven Alaskan artists, educators, and leaders and two organizations have been awarded 2024 Governor’s Arts and Humanities Awards in recognition of their contributions as community builders, leaders, inspirational teachers, and uplifters of important Alaskan stories. The awards ceremony will take place Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:15 PM at the Anchorage Museum, where the winners will share remarks and receive handmade awards crafted by Tlingit weaver, artist and teacher Lily Hope.

The Governor’s Arts and Humanities Awards is an annual partnership between the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA), and the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation.

“Once again, we at ASCA are delighted to be working with our friends at the Alaska Humanities Forum to recognize and thank these outstanding Alaskan individuals and organizations for their invaluable contributions to the cultural life of this unique and amazing place we are so fortunate to call home,” said Benjamin Brown, Chairman of the Alaska State Council on the Arts. “The 2024 Governor’s Arts & Humanities Awards will again bring attention to those who deserve Alaskans’ respect and admiration for their important and distinctive accomplishments!”

“These awardees each bring such vision, tenacity, and hope to their communities, and it’s an honor to be a part of their statewide recognition,” says Ben Mallott, Chair of the AKHF Board of Directors. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring them all together on Oct. 29.”

To learn more about the awards, buy tickets to the event, or make a donation to support the arts and humanities in Alaska, visit akgovawards.org.

2024 AWARDEES:

Arts:

• Mary Katzke | Individual Artist Award
• X̱’unei Lance Twitchell | Alaska Native Arts Award
• Robyn Murphy | Arts Education Award
• Jessica Peña | Arts Advocacy Award
• Alaska Theatre of Youth | Outstanding Arts Organization
• Ronald Spatz | Lifetime Achievement in the Arts

Humanities:

• Alma Manabat Parker | Distinguished Service to the Humanities in Community
• See Stories | Distinguished Service to the Humanities in Education
• ‘Láaganaay Tsiits Git’anee | Distinguished Service to the Humanities in Leadership

 

• Mary Katzke: Individual Artist Award 

Mary Roseanne Katzke is an accomplished filmmaker who has dedicated her career to producing documentaries that address social issues such as literacy, mental health, intellectual disabilities, sexual assault, domestic violence, and fetal alcohol syndrome. Her films often focus on under-served populations, and highlight the resilience and strength of Alaska Native communities, particularly young people grappling with historical trauma. She is the founder of the nonprofit media production organization Affinityfilms, Inc. 

• X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell: Alaska Native Arts Award

X̱‘unei Lance Twitchell is a dedicated and passionate advocate for the preservation and revitalization of Alaska Native languages, particularly the Lingít language. Serving as vice-chair of the Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory Council, Twitchell emphasizes the importance of including traditional ways, values and worldviews in language learning, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures. Twitchell’s work recording, transcribing and presenting the words of tribal Elders ensures their wisdom is preserved for future generations. 

• Robyn Murphy: Arts Education Award 

With more than 30 years of teaching experience in the Anchorage School District, art teacher Robyn Murphy has enriched the lives of thousands of students with her creative talents and dedication to arts education. Murphy currently serves as an art teacher at Eagle Academy Charter School, where she is known for her engaging and innovative approach to teaching, including dressing as famous artists to teach their techniques. She is also involved in numerous community activities, including serving on 1% for Art committees and overseeing youth art exhibits to showcase student works. 

• Jessica Peña: Arts Advocacy Award

Jessica Peña has served as the Executive Director of the Fairbanks Art Association (FAA) since 2016, leading FAA to become one of the strongest local arts agencies in the state and significantly enhancing the role of arts in Interior Alaska. Peña also advocates for the arts in education and community development, championing the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) and the Artists in Schools residency program as a part of her efforts to ensure all students have access to arts education. 

• Alaska Theatre of Youth: Outstanding Arts Organization

Since 1984 the Alaska Theatre of Youth has guided Southcentral Alaska youth through the performing arts and fostered a lifelong appreciation for the arts through programming to build artistic and personal skills, including after-school classes, day camps, workshops, and its Summer Conservatory Series where students rehearse and perform fully staged productions. ATY also produces 3-5 professional-quality shows per year, providing youth with intensive opportunities to enhance their skills in a real-world theatrical environment. In addition to skill-building, ATY’s participants build confidence, resilience, problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence through collaboration with peers.

• Ronald Spatz: Lifetime Achievement in the Arts 

Ronald Spatz is a champion for Alaska writers. The founder and editor of Alaska Quarterly Review (AQR), LitSite Alaska and the UAA/Anchorage Daily News Creative Writing Contest, Spatz is also a long-serving faculty member at UAA and a mentor to many writers and artists. Under Spatz, AQR’s mission has been to promote empathy, trust and learning through diverse and innovative literary works. Spatz’s dedication to the literary arts has not only enriched Alaska’s cultural landscape and created opportunities for emerging Alaska writers, but he has also connected Alaska to the broader literary world. 

• Alma Manabat Parker | Distinguished Service to the Humanities in Community

In her 42 years living in Ketchikan, Alma Manabat Parker has preserved and promoted Filipino culture and heritage, and advanced the health and well-being of Filipino community members across Southeast Alaska, weaving together arts, culture and heritage in a way that benefits total wellness. In addition to her work as the Sama Sama Tayo sa Kalusugan Program Coordinator and Magasayawan Ketchikan! Program Director, Alma is known for her passion for teaching Filipino dance. For Alma, dance is a path to reinvigorated cultural pride and strengthening of the Filipino community, as well as connecting others to the culture of her birthplace. 

• See Stories | Distinguished Service to the Humanities in Education 

See Stories is committed to building inclusive communities through the power of film and storytelling. By providing youth documentary film workshops and teacher professional development opportunities, See Stories amplifies the voices of diverse Alaskan youth, particularly those from Indigenous and immigrant/refugee backgrounds, and ensures their stories are heard and celebrated. Over the past decade, See Stories has engaged more than 600 students across 21 Alaskan communities and trained 129 educators, indirectly reaching over 6,450 additional students.

• ‘Láaganaay Tsiits Git’anee | Distinguished Service to the Humanities in Leadership
• For nearly 16 years, ‘Láaganaay Tsiits Git’anee (Haida/Tlingit) has demonstrated her deep love of Alaska and Alaska’s Indigenous peoples’ knowledge and lifeways through her profound commitment to advancing opportunities that improve Alaska’s social, economic and civic life. ‘Láaganaay’s leadership and mentorship of others span many of the issues that impact the Alaska Native community, including uplifting the stories of Missing & Murdered Indigenous people. Her work to address these issues and advance the wellbeing of Alaska Natives was demonstrated during her tenure at First Alaskans Institute, her advisor role on two UAF research projects, her mentoring and training of others in facilitating difficult dialogues, and her board membership in Sealaska Corporation, Perseverance Theater, and Get Out the Native Vote, among others.