Established in 1970 by the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the biennial awards provide Idaho’s Governor and First Lady with an opportunity to recognize exceptional artists, organizations, and supporters–some with nationalities, genders, and disciplines that aren’t always acknowledged. But their creative accomplishments and distinguished service are no less noteworthy.
“I’ve been very pleased that people from varying ethnic backgrounds are represented–both in being nominated and receiving the awards,” says Michael Faison, Executive Director of the Idaho Commission on the Arts. “These people–whether they’re tradition bearers or innovators–are at the center of our civilization. It’s critically important that, at the center of government and civics in our society, we recognize them.” We invite you to get to know a few of these tradition bearers and innovators who are recipients of the 2020 awards.
Award Recipients, clockwise: Tabish Romario, Karen Day, Gary Eller
Governor’s Awards in the Arts: Bridging Cultures in Idaho BY AMBER DALEY
“Build bridges, not walls.”
—Suzy Kassem, Writer, Philosopher, and Artist
Historically, the work of building proverbial bridges between differing ideologies and cultures has often been spearheaded by the world’s outsidethe-box thinkers–storytellers, artists, musicians, and creatives of all kinds. Idaho, too, has taken a somewhat surprising lead in prioritizing diversity and inclusion in recent years, as demonstrated in its Governor’s Awards in the Arts. 32
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Boise’s Tabish Romario, a recipient of the Excellence in the Arts award, is a professional Latin ballroom dancer and instructor who overcame physical violence, ostracism, and public shaming in his native Pakistan before courageously pursuing a life of music and movement in the United States. Despite risking his life and disownment from his family, he believes these experiences were powerful lessons in how to process anxiety and fear–lessons he passes on to his students at Idaho DanceSport. “Dance is the one of the gifts I share with the world,” he explains. “It makes other people come alive–and fundamentally changes who they are and their quality of life.”
Karen Day, a recipient of the Excellence in the Arts Award, is the first female filmmaker recognized by the Governor’s Awards in the Arts. Day has received local and national attention for her poignant documentaries. One such film, Bamboo and Barbed Wire, examines the tragic history of a Japanese internment camp in Idaho. Another, Girl from God’s Country, shares the previously untold story of Nell Shipman, the first female independent filmmaker who left Hollywood to make films in Idaho. “I could never be making documentaries to empower women and girls around the globe if these women in film had not come first,” says Day. “Their work deserves to be rediscovered and appreciated.”
