The Oklahoma Arts Council has announced the names of 14 individuals and three organizations that will be honored for their contributions to the arts during the 44th Oklahoma Governor’s Arts Awards on Tuesday.
One of the honorees is Dian Jordan, a senior lecturer in the College of Arts and Sciences at University of Texas Permian Basin, who lives in Broken Bow, Okla.
The awards will be presented by Gov. J. Kevin Stitt during a special ceremony beginning at 4 p.m. in the fourth floor rotunda at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Jordan researched and compiled materials to produce an art exhibition and publication on the life and legacy of internationally renowned artist Harold Stevenson. A native of southeast Oklahoma, Stevenson’s mentorship of Andy Warhol contributed to the famed artist’s success, a news release said.
“It was a complete surprise, and I am pleased for the awareness it brings to Harold Stevenson, an under-appreciated American artist,” Jordan said in an email.
Jordan said she never dreamed the project would receive much recognition outside of Stevenson’s hometown.
“Now, I have bigger dreams! I’m gathering additional archives to complete the comprehensive Stevenson biography. The true stories, all fully documented, are worthy of a movie or made for TV series. An archive from a 93-year-old friend of Stevenson’s includes photographs from the early 1960s at the Italian palazzo of their friend Peggy Guggenheim. My hope is that our research will create national and international recognition for Stevenson, Andy Warhol’s lost pop star,” she wrote.
Recipients are selected from submitted nominations by the Governor’s Arts Awards Selection Committee, composed of members of the Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board.
“The efforts of our Governor’s Arts Awards honorees are why the arts continue to inspire hope and resilience for Oklahomans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples said in the release. “Their commitments reflect the investment necessary to ensure the arts endure to meet important needs in our state. We look forward to celebrating their steadfast devotion to their communities through their efforts in the arts.”
Honorees cover everyone from artists to architects to arts in education and community service.
