ASU GAMMAGE DIRECTOR RECEIVES GOVENOR’S ARTS AWARD

On Tuesday, March 27 nearly 500 arts supporters, advocates, business leaders and elected officials attended the 31st Annual Governor's Arts Awards at the Herberger Theater Center hosted by the Arizona Citizen's for the Arts, Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Office of the Governor. More than 80 individuals, artists, businesses, arts education programs and community programs from more than 24 Arizona cities were nominated for this year’s awards. Colleen Jennings-Roggensack the executive director of ASU Gammage received the Governor's Arts Award in the Individual category and shared the honor with Museum of Northern Arizona Director Robert Breunig.

The Governor’s Arts Awards is a chance to honor the innumerable benefits the arts offer the residents of Arizona including both cultural and economic impact as well as honors those organizations and individuals that have helped advance the arts in Arizona.

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack will celebrate 20 years as Executive Director for ASU Gammage in July 2012. Jennings-Roggensack has the artistic, fiscal and administrative responsibility for ASU Gammage, ASU Kerr Cultural Center, with additional responsibility for non-athletic activities at Sun Devil Stadium and Wells Fargo Arena. During the past 20 years, Jennings-Roggensack distinguished herself as one of the most influential leaders in the arts locally, nationally and internationally.

Here are some of her major accomplishments:

Jennings-Roggensack has turned ASU Gammage into one of the top touring markets in the United States.The PROGRESSIVE® Broadway Across America – Arizona series is a leading economic engine for the Valley. Even during difficult economic times, the series brought in nearly a billion dollars in economic impact to the Valley in the past 20 years and $43 million in the last year. Jennings-Roggensack established ASU Gammage's organizational mission as "Connecting Communities" which allows Gammage to go beyond its doors to change lives for the better and make a difference in our community through the shared experience of the arts. In the last 20 years, Jennings-Roggensack has commissioned 22 works to premiere at ASU Gammage, which is more than any other presenter in the Southwest. Since 1995, Jennings-Roggensack has been Arizona’s only Tony Awards® voter which is one of the most distinguished achievements in the industry.

Honorees received specially created awards reflecting Arizona’s beauty and diversity — by Arizona artists Joe Ray of Scottsdale, Fausto Fernandez of Phoenix, George Gaines-Averbeck of Flagstaff, Gennaro Garcia of Ahwatukee, Judith Walsh of Oracle, Catherine Nash of Tucson, Emily Costello of Superior and Julius Forzano of Scottsdale. Other awards presented include:

· Artist of the Year : Ed Mell, recently designed the Arizona Centennial Postage Stamp

· Arts in Education-Individual Award: Beth Lessard, Tempe, former chair of the Arizona State University Department of Dance

· Arts in Education-Organization Award: Arizona School for the Arts

· Community Award: Arizona Cowboy Poet Gathering, Prescott

· Business Award: JP Morgan Chase

· 2012 Shelley Award: Arts advocate and leader Darryl Dobras of Tucson