Locals honored with Governor's Arts Awards

The Nevada Arts Council has announced the recipients of the Governor's Arts Awards, three of whom are from Southern Nevada.

They were selected by the board of the Nevada Arts Council for their outstanding and enduring contributions to Nevada through artistic achievement, commitment and service to the arts.

In the Arts & Education category, the award went to Drs. Joan and Richard L. McGee of Las Vegas.

"I am nominating them as a couple," Stephen Caplan, principal oboist with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, noted in his nomination statement. "Individually, each has accumulated enough honors to be deserving of this award. However, many of their efforts, particularly at the Community College of Southern Nevada, have been collaborative."

The couple's long-term service in performance, teaching, and administration has had a significant impact as they present the arts in "user-friendly" ways to students and the public, stated the press release from the state's Department of Cultural Affairs. Their love of music and commitment to their community is evident in their roles as educators, writers, developers of long-distance teaching in music appreciation, grant recipients for innovative programs, and members of the Las Vegas Philharmonic -- Joan McGee as an oboist and her husband as associate conductor and educational coordinator.

The Service to the Arts Individuals & Organizations Award was given to Nancy Deaner of Las Vegas. Since 1991, Deaner has worked for the city of Las Vegas, as a visual arts specialist, assistant manager of the Cultural and Community Affairs Division, and for the past four years, manager of the Cultural Affairs Division.

During her tenure, Deaner was a major force for numerous pivotal projects, including the Percent for the Arts Ordinance, the Arts District, the Neon Museum, and most recently, the transformation of the Post Office /Federal building, 301 E. Stewart Ave., into a cultural centerpiece for the downtown renaissance.

An artist in her own right, she began finding her niche in the art community, first, as a student at UNLV and later working with the Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery, the Nevada Institute of Contemporary Art and other local cultural and community service organizations.

The other recipients were: Dolora Zajick of Reno, who received the Excellence in the Arts Award; Bill Maloy of Reno, who was given the Excellence in Folk Arts Award; Christine Fey of Reno, who received the Service to the Arts Individuals & Organizations Award; and Carol Franc Buck of Crystal Bay, who received the Service to the Arts Businesses & Patrons Award.

"This group of awardees illustrates our vision of a Nevada that is indeed rich in art. Each has contributed in so many ways and has substantially advanced the role of the arts in our state," said Nevada Arts Council administrator Susan Boskoff. "We are honored to share their accomplishments with the public."

The recipients will be honored officially at the 26th annual Governor's Arts Awards during a reception and ceremony on March 15 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 Brush St., in Las Vegas. Tickets are $30 per person and reservations are due by March 5.

To register for the event, visit the Nevada Arts Council's Web site at www.NevadaCulture.org or call 486-3700.