Partner Spotlight: Kansas Arts Commission Governor’s Arts Awards

There’s a lot to love about Kansas, from the Tallgrass Prairie, sunflower fields, Monument Rocks, and vast skies filled with stars—all of which inspire artists and musicians in the heart—and geographic center—of America.

This year’s Kansas Arts Commission’s (KAC) Governor’s Arts Awards shared how that landscape inspires and informs the work of a few celebrated Kansas artists, advocates, and organizations.

The 2025 Kansas awardees included, among others:

• Grammy and Oscar Award-winning singer-songwriter and musician Melissa Etheridge from Leavenworth
• Renowned quilter NedRa Bonds of Kansas City
• Mixed-media artist Shin-hee Chin of Hillsboro
• The NOTO Arts & Entertainment District of Topeka
• And more . . .

See the full list of honorees with the Kansas Arts Commission’s announcement.

The Kansas Governor’s Arts Awards acknowledge artistic achievement and highlight the essential role of the arts in shaping Kansas’ cultural identity. As the state arts agency of Kansas, the Kansas Arts Commission enhances cultural development, provides funding opportunities, and strengthens creative industries. It supports the arts as an integral part of the Kansas economy and essential to enriching the quality of life of Kansans, from Waldron, Kansas, population nine to Wichita, population 395,699.

The Kansas Arts Commission, along with the National Endowment for the Arts, are also partners with Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) for programs such as M-AAA’s Regional Touring Program, Artistic Innovations, and Artist INC professional development programming to support artists and creative communities.

More Programs Serving Kansas Artists and Arts Organizations

Beyond the Governor’s Arts Awards, KAC supports numerous innovative grant programs, public art projects, and community arts initiatives in both rural and urban areas, including:

• The KAC Public Art & Murals Grant Program which also encourages rural proposals
• The KAC Visiting Artists Program, which is “bringing the arts to every corner of Kansas”
• the Tallgrass Artist Residency, which offers artists throughout the plains a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the Kansas Flint Hills
• the Symphony in the Flint Hills (former KAC grantee) which will host its last show on June 14, 2025.

Learn more about what state arts agencies do across the country.

Related: Learn about the new Kansas arts advocacy organization, Kansas Arts Network.

Header photography collage:

• Lower left is Shin-hee Chin (right, recipient of Excellence in Artistic Achievement in Visual Arts) and guest
• Middle is Kansas Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland (right) with NedRa Bonds (left, recipient of Arts Legacy Award)
• Upper right includes Lacey Connell (front row, off-white blouse with red dots, recipient of Emerging Arts Leader of the Year) and guests
• Lower right includes Dr. Cecil Riney (second from left, recipient of Arts Legacy Award) and guests