Posted Tuesday, March 3, 2020 9:01 am

Scottsdale Arts is a finalist in the 39th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards in the administrators and organization category.

Arizona Citizens for the Arts, in partnership with the Arizona Governor’s Office, has recognized over 200 Arizona artists, arts organizations, businesses, educators and individuals for their passion, creativity and devotion to the excellence and diversity of Arizona’s arts and cultural community since 1981, according to a press release.

“We are thrilled to be a finalist for the prestigious Governor’s Arts Award,” Dr. Gerd Wuestemann, president and CEO of Scottsdale Arts, said in a prepared statement.

“It is a testament to the fine work our staff has done for four decades and the deep roots art and culture have in our community. But it is just as much a reflection of the changes we have made, evolving into a community-centric organization with a mission to engage and involve every citizen in arts experiences. Scottsdale Arts is quickly becoming a prototype of a 21st century arts organization, and this recognition celebrates our dedication to this mission.”

Scottsdale Arts features four branch organizations: Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts (SMoCA), Scottdale Public Art and Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation.

It also hosts two signature events --- Canal Convergence and the Scottsdale Arts Festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary March 13–15.

Also named as finalists this year are two individuals with close ties to Scottsdale Arts: Dr. Dorothy Lincoln-Smith and Tania Katan, who were nominated the philanthropy and artists categories, respectively.

Dr. Lincoln-Smith has been a member of the advisory council for SMoCA since 2005 and has long been an ardent and dedicated supporter of and advocate for Scottsdale Arts and SMoCA, a release claims.

She is a performer and arts educator with master’s and doctorate degrees in music from Arizona State University and many years of teaching music at the elementary, high school and college levels.

She has performed with Arizona Opera, Bach & Madrigal Society of Phoenix (now Phoenix Chorale), Roger Wagner Chorale and Los Angeles Master Chorale and as a voice soloist in concerts around the world.

For 30 years, she partnered with her late husband, Dr. Harvey K. Smith, to lead the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Boys Choir, serving as the group’s tour organizer.

From 2014–16, Dr. Lincoln-Smith served as national president for the National Society of Arts and Letters, which directs and finances the Dorothy Lincoln-Smith Voice Competition, supporting opportunities for young singers.

Ms. Katan is the former curator of performing arts at SMoCA. In February 2019, SMoCA at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts hosted the launch of her book “Creative Trespassing: How to Put the Spark and Joy Back Into Your Work and Life,” which Penguin Random House published.

A “creative disruptor,” inspirational speaker and cocreator of the #ItWasNeverADress campaign, Ms. Katan has been a featured speaker at CiscoLive!, Expedia, Humana, Etsy, S.H.E. Summit, Social Innovation Summit, TEDx, Comedy Central Stage and more.

She has been featured in The New York Times, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, Huffington Post, Glamour, TIME, BuzzFeed, Mashable, USA Today, CNN and other media outlets.

The 39th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards will be on Thursday, March 26, at Mesa Arts Center.