Congratulations to the following awardees for this year’s State Arts Awards! We had many nominations, and we are grateful to those nominators for all of their hard work!
The biennial awards program is Nebraska’s premier event in recognizing individuals and organizations that shape our state’s artistic landscape. The impact of the arts, and these honorees, is felt in the classroom, the economy, and the community.
We have 8 categories for this year’s awards with the following winners:
Access to Arts
An individual, business, or community organization leading the cause of outreach and inclusion in the arts.
- WhyArts, Inc., Omaha
- Ruth Davidson Hahn, Lincoln
Excellence in Arts Education
An educator, arts education program, or community organization that has made a long-term, outstanding contribution to arts education in Nebraska.
- Cody Talarico, Bellevue
- Lorinda Rice, Lincoln
Leadership in the Arts
An individual artist, arts administrator or patron who has made a significant impact on the arts in Nebraska.
- Gretchen Peters, Gering
- Audrey Kauders, Kearney
Heritage Award
An individual, group or organization that exemplifies excellence within a cultural tradition.
- Whiteclay Makerspace, Whiteclay
- Bluebird Cultural Initiative, Omaha
Organizational Achievement
An arts organization that demonstrates achievements at a consistently high level of excellence in programming and outreach.
- International Quilt Museum, Lincoln
- Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art, David City
Outstanding Artist
An individual artist practicing in any discipline whose work or career has made a significant contribution to their art form and to the state of Nebraska.
- Daniel Martinez, Lincoln
- Sarah Rowe, Omaha
Thomas C. Woods III Partner in the Arts
Awarded to an individual, business, or community organization that has shown outstanding commitment by its continued support of the arts through time, energy, expertise and/or financial support.
- Mid-America Arts Alliance, Kansas City, MO
The Leonard Thiessen Award
Awarded by the board of the Nebraska Arts Council for extraordinary contributions to the arts for the state of Nebraska.
- Rich Vierk, Lincoln
The awards ceremony will be held at the Rotunda at the Capitol Building in downtown Lincoln on October 10th, 2025.