Seven groundbreaking and impactful individuals will receive the 2024 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts on Thursday, Oct. 10, 5:00 p.m. at the St. Francis Auditorium at New Mexico Museum of Art. The recipients are John Garrett of Las Cruces, Diana Ingalls Leyba of Silver City, Ross Kagan Marks of Las Cruces, Arlo Namingha (Tewa/Hopi) of Santa Fe, Pamela Shirinne Smith of Abiquiu, Jock Soto (Diné) of Eagle Nest, and Robert and Ellen Vladem of Santa Fe. The award ceremony celebrates the fiftieth year of the Awards, which have brought attention to the expansive arts and culture community in New Mexico, highlighting the people who have contributed to it becoming both an economic driver and a matter of state pride. Admission to the ceremony is free.

The annual Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts is a prestigious annual award that recognizes both individuals and organizations and acknowledges the considerable role, both economic and cultural, that artists, craftspeople and arts supporters play in New Mexico. Nominations are reviewed by the New Mexico Arts Commission and the Governor. This year’s Awards are made possible in part by major contributions from the Gale Family Foundation, Catherine Oppenheimer, the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation, Thornburg Investment Management, the New Mexico Music Commission, Lensic 360, and the members of the NM Arts Commission.