NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Sept. 25, 2008

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Ann Dee Lee
Public Information Director
Oklahoma Arts Council
(405) 521-2931
anndee@arts.ok.gov

GREENWOOD CULTURAL CENTER TO RECEIVE
GOVERNOR’S ARTS AWARD

Oklahoma City, OK -- The Greenwood Cultural Center, Tulsa, will be honored by Governor Brad Henry at the 33rd Annual Governor’s Arts Awards. The Greenwood Cultural Center will receive an Arts & Education Award will receive an Arts & Education Award which recognizes an individual organization, school, educator or group for their outstanding leadership and service in the arts benefitting youth and/or arts in education. Accepting the award will be Greenwood Cultural Center Executive Director Frances Jordan.

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council, 15 individuals and three organizations will be honored for their contributions to the arts in their communities or throughout the state. The ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., Thursday, October 23rd in the 4th Floor Rotunda of the State Capitol and is open to the public. Presiding at the ceremony will be Council Chair Jim Tolbert and Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Suzanne Tate. A reception on the first floor of the Capitol will follow the 4 p.m. ceremony.

The Greenwood Cultural Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families through the arts, education and cultural opportunities. Located in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District, the mission of the Greenwood Cultural Center is to preserve African-American heritage and promote positive images of the African-American community by providing educational and cultural experiences promoting intercultural exchange, and encouraging cultural tourism.

Their focus is to excite youngsters through music, dance, theater and other cultural activities in order to keep children engaged in positive, productive activities which help them to discover new talents and abilities and build a sense of self-confidence and pride while deterring juvenile delinquency in our community. 

The Performing Arts Program at the Center includes a Spring Arts Program, an all-day program that offers arts-based instruction in various studies including African dance, Hip Hop, Salsa, Theatre, Vocal Music, Visual Arts and Arts & Crafts. The all-day award-winning Summer Arts Program serves nearly 100 children each year. After school programs are offered at Alcott Elementary and Sam Houston Elementary.  On an average day, the Greenwood Cultural Center touches the lives of 500 children.

The Center also sponsors “Women of Tomorrow,” a personal development program for teenage girls that encourages volunteerism and community service. Each year, more than 1,000 students from Tulsa and the surrounding areas, tour the Greenwood Cultural Center to learn more about the Tulsa Race Riot and Black Wall Street. The Center also plays a major role in the community as the site of numerous functions, from high school proms to family reunions to graduation ceremonies.

A complete list of Governor’s Arts Awards recipients and their photos are available at www.arts.ok.gov.

For more information, contact Ann Dee Lee, Public Relations Director, Oklahoma Arts Council, (405) 521-2931 or anndee@arts.ok.gov.

ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA ARTS COUNCIL

The Oklahoma Arts Council is a state agency whose mission is to improve lives through the arts by promoting and sustaining the development of a thriving arts environment, which is essential to quality of life, education and economic vitality for all Oklahomans.

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