Sub Pop, state arts leaders honored at 60th Governor's Arts and Heritage Awards in Wenatchee

WENATCHEE — State arts officials and artists gathered in Wenatchee for the 60th Governor's Arts and Heritage Awards, a statewide celebration organized by the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), where Sub Pop Records received this year’s Arts Champion Award and ArtsWA leaders highlighted grants, public art holdings and programs aimed at youth, veterans and tribal communities.

Antonio Gomez, the evening’s host, opened the program with a land acknowledgement and logistical notices before turning the stage over to ArtsWA leaders and honorees. In a recorded welcome, Governor Bob Ferguson said, "Artists play a critical role in our state," praising their cultural and economic contributions and wishing attendees a happy 60th anniversary of the awards.

ArtsWA officials used the event to describe ongoing programs and the breadth of the state collection. Mike Sweeney, program manager for Art in Public Places, said the statewide public art collection includes thousands of works and named long‑time honorees. Artist Nori Sato, a past award winner, reflected on public art’s collaborative nature, saying, "Public art is art, and I think we should never forget that."

Speakers highlighted ArtsWA grant programs. Lisa Seward described Grants to Organizations as focused on cultural equity, rural access and professional development, while Ryan Bayles outlined the Wellness Arts and the Military (WAM) program and the Self‑Directed Art Practice (SAP) grant that reimburses military‑connected individuals for art projects.

Education programs were also showcased. Tamar Graves and Lindsay Newton described Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), a classroom and museum practice used in Spokane that trains teachers and reaches thousands of students through weekly close‑looking and discussion exercises.

Angelina Campo Basso, ArtsWA’s tribal cultural affairs manager and liaison, said the agency had expanded tribal participation in its programs to include all 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington this year; the transcript references "up to almost 500,000" in the same comment but does not specify the unit or clarify whether that number refers to dollars, participants or another measure.

Organizers presented Sub Pop Records the 2026 Arts Champion Award for its four decades of work in the Pacific Northwest music scene. A Sub Pop representative said the label was "so grateful and so honored to receive this award," noting long‑standing partnerships with local venues and nonprofits.

The event included performances tied to honorees’ work: Music Works for Veterans performed and described songwriting as part of veterans’ healing and reconnection, and Jessica Dobson (Deep Sea Diver) closed the evening with a set honoring the label and its artists.

The ceremony, hosted at the Kenneth Burnett Center for the Arts at South Puget Sound Community College, concluded with thanks to TVW, institutional partners and sponsors. No formal policy actions or votes took place; the program functioned as recognition, outreach and public presentation of ArtsWA’s programs.

What’s next: ArtsWA continues grant cycles and program work referenced at the ceremony; speakers encouraged attendees to consult ArtsWA’s website for grant details, program timelines and the statewide public art collection portal.