The Greater Augusta Arts Council is pleased to announce the 2024 Augusta Arts Awards winners.

Artist Award: Karen Heid

Arts Professional Award: Drake White

Kath Girdler Engler for Public Art Award: Pax Bobrow

Media Award: Augusta Good News

Sponsor Award: Herc Rentals

Volunteer Award: Alexis Foust

Spirit of Collaboration Award: Artists of the 5th Street Mural Project

President's Award: Brenda Durant

Nominations were submitted by the public and the finalists chosen by a panel of local arts community leaders.

The Annual Augusta Arts Awards dinner will be held on June 20th at 6:00pm at The Savannah Rapids Pavilion, 3300 Evans to Locks Road in Martinez, GA. Tickets are $60 for members or $70 for not-yet members and includes dinner and one cocktail from the cash bar. Entertainment will be provided by Nefertiti, and dinner will be catered by A Family Affair. Some of the featured visual artists with work on display will include 5^th Street Muralists: Rhian Swain, A.C. Daniel, and Jon Pascal.

The evening includes a special tribute to Greater Augusta Arts Council Executive Director Brenda Durant, who will be retiring in October. Brenda served as the director for almost three decades as has been instrumental in elevating the arts in Augusta, developing Arts in the Heart into a Nationally recognized festival, and creating programs that help grow and retain our local artists. 

Reservations can be made online at https://bit.ly/ArtsAwards2024 or by calling the Arts Council at 706-826-4702. The Augusta Arts Award winners will be published in Augusta Magazine.

The Annual Arts Awards were established to recognize outstanding talent, exceptional initiative and leadership within Augusta’s vibrant arts community. 

More information and past winners can be found at augustaarts.com.

Artist Award: Karen Heid
Karen Heid has changed the environment of Lake Forest Hills Elementary School by painting murals on practically every public area surface of the school—auditorium/cafeteria, library, hallways. It’s extraordinary and should be a model for every elementary school in the system.
Arts Professional Award: Drake White

Drake’s highly successful “Moi et Toi” project in 2022 gave rise to a permanent gallery in downtown Augusta. Combining his own artistry as a fine art photographer with his generous artistic vision for a gallery that would properly showcase the artists of our region, Drake  successfully opened CANDL Fine Art Gallery in record time. The philosophy behind his gallery, that of promoting and valuing artists and their work, has created a true paradigm shift in the Augusta Art scene and has enlivened area artists in a remarkable way.

Kath Girdler Engler Public Art Award: Pax Bobrow
When she was still with the Arts Council, Pax oversaw many public art projects from the iconic James Brown mural to the painted utility boxes and laid the groundwork for the recent 5th Street Bridge murals. Her efforts have had a great impact on public art in the CSRA, making a lasting impact on the city’s aesthetic and cultural identity.

Media Award: Augusta Good News
Augusta Good News is a wonderful resource for positivity in Augusta. Charmain Brackett and her staff curate incredible life-affirming stories that uplift and inspire. The online news magazine has become a trusted news source and vital community platform. 

Sponsor Award: Herc Rentals
Herc Rentals has been an unwavering supporter and played an instrumental role in the success of public art projects throughout Augusta. By offering lifts and other necessary machinery, Herc Rentals ensures that Augusta artists can work safely and efficiently, allowing them to bring their creative visions to life. Herc Rentals is not only a sponsor but a true partner in our mission to promote and celebrate the arts in our community.”

Volunteer Award: Alexis Foust
Alexis has dedicated countless hours to volunteering to help support the arts in Augusta by helping the Greater Augusta Arts Council put on events for over a decade, including The Wet Paint Party and Arts in the Heart of Augusta. When she realized that Columbia County did not have a history museum she began curating one. This huge project will help to keep history and art alive and relevant in the CSRA. 

President's Award: Brenda Durant
Brenda has impacted the Arts in Augusta, Georgia for three decades with vision, dedication and passion.  Under her leadership the popular Arts in the Heart Festival was transformed from a small local festival into the nationally award-winning festival that draws over 100,000 attendees. She was also a part of the team that initially conceived of what became the Westobou Festival, and helped coordinate it for the first few years, before it became an independent event.  In 2014 the Greater Augusta Arts Council was named the Public Art Agency for the City with an initial city-wide project of painted traffic boxes. From there the vision took off with numerous Public Art installations filling our downtown and beyond. Our murals, sculpture trails and growing public art profile reflects Augusta’s love of the arts and our talented arts community, thanks to the vision and perseverance of leaders like Brenda Durant.