LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Arts Council is now accepting nominations for the 2010 Governor’s Arts Awards. The annual awards recognize Arkansans for their outstanding contributions to the arts community.

Nominations are being accepted in seven categories: Arts Community Development, Arts in Education, Corporate Sponsorship of the Arts, Individual Artist, Folk Life, Patron and Lifetime Achievement. Each nomination will be judged on the significance of the contributions made, the range of the individuals and groups served and the length of time and degree of the activity or contributions.

Governor’s Arts Awards nomination forms are available at www.arkansasarts.org or by calling the Arkansas Arts Council at (501) 324-9766 or e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The deadline for nominations is Friday, May 7, 2010. The recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony in the fall.

The Arkansas Arts Council was established in 1966 to enable the state of Arkansas to receive funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. In 1971, Act 359 (A.C.A. § 13-8-101 et seq.) gave independent agency status to the Arts Council, with an executive director and a 17-member council appointed by the governor. In 1975, the Arts Council became an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

As an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the Arkansas Arts Council shares the goals of all its agencies, of preserving and enhancing the heritage of the state of Arkansas.

The other agencies are: Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, Historic Arkansas Museum, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Old State House Museum. Funding for the Arkansas Arts Council and its programs is provided by the state of Arkansas and the National Endowment for the Arts.