The Kansas Department of Commerce is seeking applications for its 2026 Governor’s Arts Awards.
Donor Name: Kansas Department of Commerce
State: Kansas
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Award
Deadline: 10/31/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Kansas Governor’s Arts Awards are presented annually by the Kansas Arts Commission to extraordinary members of Kansas’ arts and culture community. The awards recognize and honor individuals and organizations making significant contributions to the arts in Kansas, celebrating excellence, leadership, and community impact.
Award Categories
- Arts Advocate of the Year – An individual who actively works to educate the public and/or government at local, state, or national levels on the value and impact of the arts.
- Arts Community of the Year – A city, town, neighborhood, or community recognized for its strong support and integration of the arts in local culture.
- Arts Leader of the Year – An individual demonstrating extraordinary leadership and vision in advancing the arts.
- Arts Organization of the Year – An organization recognized for exemplary work in the arts, whether through significant artistic achievement or substantial contributions to the growth and vitality of the arts.
- Arts Patron of the Year – An individual who generously supports the arts through financial contributions, in-kind donations, or dedicated volunteer efforts, without being directly involved as an artist or administrator.
- Emerging Arts Leader of the Year – An early-career professional who exhibits leadership and significant potential for future impact in the arts.
- Emerging Arts Organization of the Year – A newly established or developing organization making significant strides in the arts and growing in influence.
- Excellence in Arts Education – An educator, arts education program, or organization recognized for long-term excellence and innovation in arts education.
- Excellence in the Arts in Business – A business or corporation demonstrating outstanding and sustained support of the arts.
- Excellence in Public Service in the Arts – A government official at the local, state, or federal level who has shown exceptional support and advocacy for the arts.
- Kansas Arts Legacy Award – an individual or organization with a lifetime of long-standing, significant impact on the arts in Kansas and/or beyond, enriching the cultural landscape through artistic achievements, leadership, philanthropy, or advocacy over many years. This award may be given posthumously.
Excellence in Artistic Achievement in:
- Dance
- Literature (includes all creative writing forms)
- Media Arts (includes film, video, audio, kinetic digital arts, interactive media, and other related forms)
- Music
- Theatre
- Visual Arts (includes painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, drawing, crafts, public art, and other related forms)
- Other Art Forms
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominations will be accepted from any citizen of Kansas.
- Nominees for all awards (except the Kansas Arts Legacy Award) must be residents of Kansas or actively making significant contributions to the arts in Kansas.
- Nominees for the Kansas Arts Legacy Award do not have to be current residents of Kansas but must have significant ties to the state through previous residency. The Kansas Arts Legacy Award is the only category that will accept posthumous nominations.
- Self-nominations are allowed.
- Current members of the Kansas Arts Commission, Kansas Arts Commission staff, and current Kansas Arts Commission Field Representatives are not eligible for consideration.
- Recipients of awards will not be eligible for the same award for five years following their award.
For more information, visit Kansas Department of Commerce.
