Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts and Humanities honor individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to Georgia’s civic and cultural vitality. In 2020 Governor Brian Kemp recognized recipients through a recorded presentation. For the occasion, the poet laureate of Georgia, Chelsea Rathburn, composed the poem “My Home in Georgia.” Awardees received a letterpress print of the poem, designed by Tennille D. Shuster of Mercer University.

“When our arts and humanities sectors thrive, we see prosperity and revitalization in communities across our state.”
— Governor Brian Kemp

2020 Recipients

Eddie Bennett, Decatur
Humanities education

Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association, Blue Ridge
Visual arts

Brian Brown, Fitzgerald
Visual arts and historic preservation

Kevin Cole, Atlanta
Visual arts

Yvonne Jackson Grovner, Sapelo Island
Visual arts and folklife

Jim Hammond, Gainesville
Theater and education

William S. Morris III, Augusta
Arts and humanities philanthropy

Susan Majette Murphy, Darien
Dance

Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon
Arts and humanities education

Robert Spano, Atlanta
Music and arts leadership

The Governor’s Awards are a program of the Office of the Governor in partnership with Georgia Humanities, the Georgia Council for the Arts, and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.