Jaune Quick-To-See Smith and five Montana artists will be presented with the 2018 Governor’s Arts Award in a public ceremony at the Capitol in Helena, 3 p.m., Friday, December 7. The Montana Arts Council will host the ceremony and a reception that follows, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
The Governor’s Arts Award honors outstanding citizens and organizations in Montana whose achievements in the arts, or on behalf of the arts, benefit all Montanans. The six honorees for this year’s award were nominated by members of the public and selected by the Governor’s Arts Awards Committee of the Montana Arts Council. They join the ranks of 102 honorees who have received the award since the first awards were given in 1981. Acclaimed Montanans such as Rudy Autio, James Lee Burke, Judith Blegen, Wally McRae, Frances Senska, Michael Smuin and Benjamin Steele, have received the honor, to name just a few.
The honorees are Rick Bass (Troy), Monte Dolack (Missoula), Jackie Parsons (Browning), Kevin Red Star (Roberts), Jaune Quick-To-See Smith (Corrales NM) and Annick Smith (Bonner).
Jaune Quick-To-See Smith is a Visual Artist who lives in Corrales, NM. She was born St. Ignatius.
Laura Millin, executive director of the Missoula Art Museum, and artist Anne Appleby teamed up to nominate Jaune for an abundance of reasons. Primarily, they say, because “Jaune has been on the forefront of bringing contemporary Native art into the contemporary art of the world. She is an accomplished artist, lecturer and advocate for artists of color.”
Jaune has had a stellar career as an exhibiting artist throughout the country and the world. She has also worked throughout her career to promote and elevate the work of American Indian artists. She has served as curator of dozens of group exhibitions that have traveled nationally. She has written essays and published catalogs and books promoting Indian artists.
Jaune donated 45 original prints and works on paper to Missoula Art Museum’s collection, making it the largest holding of her art in any museum nationally. An enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation, Jaune regularly visits to advocate for and support cultural life on her home reservation.