It’s been four years since Jack Markell’s last Governor’s Awards for the Arts. They’re back. Honorees, government officials and anyone else who wants to drop in will gather at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington on Oct. 6 to celebrate people who make great music, films and literature, as well those who support them. “It was a tough selection,” says Paul Weagraff, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts. “The eight recipients are all very deserving.” The six individuals are: David Amado, music director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, for his leadership; violinist Xiang Gao for organizing his concert series at the University of Delaware; musician Evelyn Swensson for a lifetime of leadership, performance and educating others; filmmaker Sharon Baker for her Emmy-winning oeuvre and local awareness-building initiatives; writer Billie Travalini for her educational efforts, especially with at-risk youth; and painter Eunice LaFate for her advocacy of the arts. Also honored will be the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation for spreading the arts across Sussex County, especially among children, and VSA Delaware (formerly Very Special Arts) for providing a link between the arts, disability and education communities. The award winners join a group of 40 artists and supporters who stretch back to the first Governor’s Awards under Russell W. Peterson in 1970. The awards ceremony will include welcomes from First Lady Carla Markell and Delaware State Arts Council chair Lise Monty, short video presentations about the winners, and performances by some of the most talented musicians in the state. And it’s free. “We just really encourage the public to attend and support the arts,” Weagraff says.
