Ann Benzel

LANCASTER — Pennsyl­vania Council on the Arts Executive Director Philip Horn recently announced the recipients of the Governor’s Awards for the Arts at a community arts event at the Lancaster City Alliance headquarters.

Ann Benzel of Hollidaysburg will be among this year’s honorees.

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts honor outstanding Pennsylvania artists, arts organizations, cultural leaders and patrons who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the arts.

Gov. Tom Wolf will present the awards at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Lancaster County Convention Center in downtown Lancaster. In keeping with tradition, Lancaster will be named the cultural capital of the commonwealth for that day. Private contributions support the ceremony, reception, awards and related expenses.

The 2017 honorees are:

* Ann Benzel of Hollidaysburg, Patron Award: Benzel won the award for being a dedicated arts advocate and patron of the arts who has served as chair of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Pennsylvania Humanities Council and Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania.

n Pepon Osorio of Philadelphia, Distinguished Arts Award: Internationally recognized visual artist whose work includes large-scale installations inspired by personal and community experiences. He is the Laura Carnell Professor of Community Art at Tyler School of Art/ Temple University and is the recipient of numerous awards, including a prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.

* Barry Kornhauser, Lancaster, Artist of the Year Award: Nationally recognized playwright, director and educator, whose works have been performed nationally and internationally and commissioned and produced by renowned theatre festivals and Tony Award-winning theaters.

* George Junior Republic (GJR) Pointing the Way Program of Grove City, Arts Leadership & Service Award: An award-winning public/private art partnership program linking art making with community. GJR is a private, nonprofit residential treatment community for at-risk, delinquent and dependent youth. Communities across western Pennsylvania have worked with GJR to complete and install more than a dozen sculpture projects to-date, through which participating GJR students gain a broad range of life and cognitive skills.

* The Honorable J. Richard Gray & Mrs. Gail Gray of Lancaster, Special Recognition for Public Leadership in the Arts: Visionary public leader who, together with his artist wife, has implemented a path and process for Lancaster that has transformed the city into a thriving arts destination, coupled with modern amenities–welcoming visitors, enriching the lives of residents, and providing an environment that nurtures many artists and performers.

The Governor’s Awards for the Arts are administered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency under the Office of the Governor.

The Council’s mission is to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania, and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state.

For more information about the PCA, visit arts.pa.gov or call (717) 787-6883.