AUGUSTA ARTS AWARDS CATEGORIES
Nominations for any of the below categories must be individuals or businesses that are based out of the Augusta’s River Region. Which includes Georgia Counties: Richmond, Columbia, Burke, Jenkins, Lincoln, Wilkes, McDuffie, Jefferson, Taliaferro, Warren, Glascock, Hancock and Washington. South Carolina Counties: Aiken, Edgefield, Allendale, Barnwell and McCormick.
Emerging Artist Award
This award recognizes exemplary artistic achievement in any arts discipline by an emerging artist in Augusta’s River Region. Emerging Artist is defined as a creative that is just beginning in their artistic career. Typically reserved for High School, College, newly self-taught or recently graduated individuals. This winner is one who is new to community, but just as dedicated to excellence and growth in their field. Examples: visual artists, musicians, dancers, actors, writers, choreographers, set designers, couturiers, culinary artists, theatrical performers, writers, film, etc.
Established Artist Award
This award recognizes exemplary artistic achievement one in each of the below listed subcategories by a professional artist in Augusta’s River Region.
Categories include:
- Visual Arts such as painting, drawing, mixed-media, sculpture and ceramics
- Digital Design & Photography including graphic design, digital and analog photography
- Entertainment including film, theatre, dance and music
- Literary including spoken word, poetry, fantasy, fiction, non-fiction and drama.
- Arts History & Cultural Preservation includes arts education initiatives, language courses, artifact preservation, site restoration etc.
- Fashion including the design and/or production of haute couture, read-to-wear, luxury, sportswear, eco-friendly and avant garde.
- Culinary For the chefs and culinary artists who aren’t just feeding us they’re creating art on a plate. This award celebrates someone whose flavors, presentation, and creativity are elevating Augusta’s food scene.
This winner is one who is dedicated to excellence and growth in their field and achieves recognition above and beyond Augusta’s River Region. An established artist is defined as a professional level creative who has exhibited their work to the public, is published, has gallery or agency representation, etc.
Arts Educator Award
This award is given to an individual who has achieved exemplary educational achievement in the arts community of Augusta’s River Region via his or her professional job as an organization’s teacher, leader or school administrator. Examples: Leaders in arts centered learning facilities, organizations or programs, arts teachers and professors, arts administrators and faculty, etc.
The Arts Non-Profit Award
This award is reserved for Arts 501-c3 Non-profits who have made great strides in the arts.
Arts In Media Award
The Arts In Media Award is given to a newspaper, television station, radio station, magazine or an individual reporter that has demonstrated extraordinary support for community arts activities by providing outstanding media coverage of the arts community.
Arts Sponsor Award
A business/individual honored in this category provides significant support for the arts through sponsorships.
Arts Volunteer Award
The Volunteer Award is given to an arts volunteer (must be associated with the arts organization in an unpaid capacity) who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to support an arts organization. Examples: leaders of performing/exhibiting groups; community arts advocates; community arts organizers; arts event organizers; organization assistants.
The Kath Girdler Engler Public Art Award
Recipients of this award could include: an individual artist or artist team who has created public art pieces that provide a new way for us to experience the city, donors and/or sponsors who have financially supported or commissioned the creation of public art, organizations that are championing the cause of public art, or any other individual/entity that exhibits commitment to and leadership in public art initiatives in Augusta.
The Augusta Arts Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is reserved for individuals who have achieved greatness in the arts through a lifetime of hard work and dedication. Nominations for this award can be for individual artists, arts administrators, community leaders, sponsors, volunteers, etc. whom have exhibited great drive in creating and contributing to a successful, thriving arts community in Augusta’s River Region.
The Greater Augusta Arts Council President’s Award
The Greater Augusta Arts Council President’s Award is selected by the president of the Arts Council Board of Directors in order to recognize outstanding work in the arts in Augusta’s River Region.