Florida Department of State to Present Cultural Arts and Folk Heritage Awards

Secretary of State Ken Detzner today announced that the Florida Department of State Cultural Arts and Folk Heritage Awards will take place in the Capitol’s 22nd Floor Observation Deck on January 24, 2018 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The ceremony will include a presentation of the Florida Folklife Program’s Folk Heritage Awards, the Division of Cultural Affairs’ Diversity and Inclusion Awards, and the induction of recording artists The Bellamy Brothers and visual artist Purvis Young into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
“From music to art to dance and everything in between, these individuals and organizations represent such a broad spectrum of our state’s rich and diverse arts and culture community,” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “Their work has and continues to inspire and bring people together and it is an honor to recognize the award winners for their role in elevating arts and culture in Florida.”
Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. for a reception beginning at 6:00 p.m., with the Awards Ceremony to begin at 7:00 p.m.
The award winners are listed below.
Florida Folk Heritage Awards:
Pedro Bullaudy, Tampa
Marshall Davis, Miami
Jeff Klinkenberg, Tampa
Diversity and Inclusion Awards:
Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida, North Miami Beach
ArtSouth, a Not-for-Profit Corporation, South Miami
Asian Cultural Association of Central Florida, Longwood
Atlantic Center for the Arts, Inc., New Smyrna Beach
Coexistence, Inc., Embracing Our Differences, Sarasota
Creative Clay, St. Petersburg
Florida Tax Collectors’ Kids Tag Art program, Fort Myers
Dr. Gary Keating, the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus, Fort Lauderdale
Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa
Jacksonville Children’s Chorus, Jacksonville
Karen Peterson and Dancers, Inc., Miami
Michael Killoren, Morean Arts Center, St. Petersburg
Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, Miami
NAEMI (National Art Exhibitions of the Mentally Ill Inc.), Miami
Orlando Repertory Theatre, Orlando
Partnership for Strong Families, Gainesville
Suzanne Pomerantzeff, Academy of Ballet Arts, St. Petersburg
The Arc of Palm Beach County, Riviera Beach
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe of Florida, Inc., Sarasota
Florida Artists Hall of Fame:
The Bellamy Brothers, Darby
Purvis Young, Miami
About The Florida Folklife Program
The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, this program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation. The Florida Folklife Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program. For more information about Florida folklife, visit flheritage.com/preservation/folklife.
About the Florida Artists Hall of Fame
Established by the Florida Legislature in 1986, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame recognizes persons, living or deceased, who have made significant contributions to the arts in Florida either as performing or practicing artists in their disciplines. These individuals contribute to Florida’s national and international reputation as a state with a sustained commitment to the development of cultural excellence. The Florida Artists Hall of Fame currently consists of more than 50 inductees, including musician and performer Ray Charles, actor and director Burt Reynolds, writers Zora Neale Hurston, Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway, filmmaker Victor Nunez, and visual artists Duane Hanson, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist. For more information about the Florida Artists Hall of Fame, click here. 
About the Division of Cultural Affairs
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs is Florida’s legislatively designated state arts agency. The Division promotes the arts and culture as essential to quality of life for all Floridians. To achieve its mission, the Division funds and supports cultural programs that provide artistic excellence, diversity, education, access and economic vitality for Florida’s communities. For more information, visit dos.myflorida.com/cultural.
About The Division of Historical Resources
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources (DHR) is responsible for preserving and promoting Florida’s historical, archaeological, and folk culture resources. The Division Director’s office oversees a grants-in-aid program to help preserve and maintain Florida’s historic buildings and archaeological sites; coordinates outreach programs such as the State Historic Markers program and the Florida Folklife program which identifies and promotes the state’s traditional culture. DHR directs historic preservation efforts throughout the state in cooperation with state and federal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals. The Division director serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, acting as the liaison with the national historic preservation program conducted by the National Park Service. The Division is comprised of two Bureaus, archaeological research and historic preservation. For more information, visit flheritage.com.