Awards Celebrate Distinguished Achievement

"Together, the honorees remind us of central role of culture and the arts to our quality of life," Governor Lingle said. "Art enriches us, pushes us to look at things in new ways, provides renewed sense of community and promotes innovation, economic growth and job creation."

The Governor's Award for Distinguished Achievement in Culture, Arts and Humanities is the state's highest honor bestowed to an individual who has made significant outstanding lifetime contributions to Hawai`i in areas of culture, arts and humanities.

This year's honorees were Agnes C. Conrad and Barbara B. Smith. Conrad is credited with creating the archives profession in Hawai`i and Smith is considered the mother of ethnomusicology in Hawai`i for her role in starting the esteemed ethnomusicology program at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa more than 50 years ago.

The 2008 recipients of the Individual Artist Fellowship in Visual Arts were Deborah G. Nehmad and Laura Ruby. Nehmad's works involve various techniques include etching, burning and stitching to mark paper and have been seen in museum, non-profit and gallery venues since 1998. Ruby has been teaching at the University of Hawai`i since 1977. Her works have been exhibited in Georgia, Nebraska, Texas, Iowa, Ohio, New York, and in Hawai`i.

The Lingle-Aiona Administration is committed to strengthening the role of culture, arts and humanities in the daily lives of residents. According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Hawai`i is the top state in the nation for investment in the arts per capita in FY2008, investing $5.21 per capita and totaling over $5 million.

"It is important to invest in art in same way we invest in business and technology and invest in our children by keeping art an integral part of their education," the Governor said.

• For more information, visit the Hawai`i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts website.