Mayor's Awards for Excellence in Arts & History

• Excellence in the Arts:
  • Ballet Idaho – Professional Ballet Company
  • Frank Goitia – Visual Artist, Painter
  • Serenata Orchestra – Community Orchestra
• Excellence in History: Gwyn Hervochon – Associate Professor and Archivist, Albertsons Library, Boise State University
• Excellence in Education: Alex Sjobeck, Derek Ganong, and the Gene Harris All-Stars Jazz Program at Boise State University – After-school program designed for high school students
• Support of the Cultural Sector: Esther and Skip Oppenheimer – Community Members
• Emerging Artist: Hallie Maxwell – Interdisciplinary Artist
• Lifetime Achievement: Mark Hofflund – Managing Director, Idaho Shakespeare Festival

• Excellence in the Arts: Brett Perry – Dancer, Educator, Curator/Producer
• Excellence in History: Bob H. Reinhardt – Associate Professor, Department of History, Boise State University
• Excellence in Education: Idaho Youth Barbershop Festival – Annual School Choral Festival
• Support of the Cultural Sector: Rich and Georgiann Raimondi – Community Members & Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation – Philanthropic Organization
• Emerging Artist: Miguel Angel Almeida – Visual Artist, Muralist
• Lifetime Achievement: Carole Skinner of The Flicks – Independent, Foreign, and Art Films Theater

As a government agency and with a responsibility to support Boise’s creative and cultural sector, the Boise City Department of Arts & History brought about several initiatives to support the creative community in a time of crisis. In lieu of the biennial Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in Arts & History, the first ever Mayor’s Appreciation Day for Arts, History, & Culture was held on September 16, 2021 in celebration of our broader cultural sector with performances by and compensation for these irreplaceable workers. 

• Excellence in the Arts: Randy Van Dyck
• Excellence in History: Idaho Black History Museum
• Lifetime Achievement: Tom Tompkins

• Excellence in the Arts: Sue Latta
• Excellence in History: Jennifer Stevens
• Excellence in Education: James Jirak
• Emerging Organizations: LED & Sector Seventeen
• Support of the Arts: Rocci Johnson & Radio Boise
• Spotlight Award: Boise Art Museum - 80th Anniversary

• Excellence in Arts: Carl Rowe, Individual & MING Studio, Emerging Organization
• Excellence in Art Education: Marguerite Lawrence
• Excellence in the Field of History: Errol Jones
• Support of the Arts: Driek and Michael Zirinsky
• Business Support of Culture: Modern Hotel & Bar
• Lifetime Achievement: John Colias 

• Excellence in Arts: Individual: Kerry Moosman
• Excellence in Arts--Organization: Boise Contemporary Theater
• Excellence in History--Organization: Friends of Jesus Urquides
• Business Support for the Arts: U.S. Bank
• Excellence in Art Education: Individual, Rick Jenkins
• Excellence in Art Education: Organization, Boise Rock School
• Excellence in History Education: Kurt Zwolfer
• Excellence in Arts-- Support for the Arts / Individual: Susan Smith
• Excellence in Arts-- Support for the Arts/ Organization: L.M. Cummingham Foundation
• Excellence in Arts-- Emerging Organization: Treefort Music Fest
• Lifetime Achievement: Pug Ostling
• Lifetime Achievement: Esther Simplot
• Sesquicentennial Award-- Community: Phil Kushlan
• Sesquicentennial Award-- Enterprise: Idaho Statesman
• Sesquicentennial Award-- Environment: Donald Belts Jr.

• Excellence in Arts--Individual:  Surel Mitchell
• Excellence in Arts--Organization:  The Cabin
• Excellence in History--Organization:  Basque Museum and Cultural Center
• Excellence in History--Individual: Mark Baltes
• Business Support for the Arts:  Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
• Business Support for History:  Planmakers (John Bertram)
• Excellence in Art Education--Organization: Idaho Shakespeare Festival
• Excellence in Art Education--Individual: Leah Stephens Clark
• Excellence in History Education:  Doug StanWiens, Boise School District
• Lifetime Achievement:  Jane Oppenheimer (posthumously)
• Lifetime Achievement:  Tim Woodward, retired, Idaho Statesman 

2009

• Excellence in Arts--Organization:  Boise State University Student Union
• Individual Support for the Arts: Jacqueline Crist
• Business Support for the Arts: Flying M Coffee House
• Excellence in Art Education: Fool Squad
• Lifetime Achievement: Arthur Hart
• Lifetime Achievement: Charles Hummel
• Excellence in History--Organization: Idaho
• Historical Museum
  Excellence in Arts--Individual: Steve Fulton
• Excellence in History--Individual: Todd Shallat
• Excellence in History Education: Robert Sims
• Business Support for History: TAG Historical Research and Consulting

2007

• Excellence in Art Education: Phil and Wendy Hartman
• Excellence in Art Education: Jon Swarthout
• Individual Support for the Arts: Kay Hardy and Gregory Kaslo
• Business Integration of the Arts: Classic Design Studio / Noel and Lucy Weber
• Business Support of the Arts: The Record Exchange/ Jill Sevy and Michael Bunnell
• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: Anthony Doerr
• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: Matthew Cameron Clark
• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: Curtis Stigers

2005

• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: Ward Hooper
• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: Jennifer Martin
• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: James Ogle
• Individual Support for the Arts: Rick Clark and Liz Roberts
• Business Support of the Arts: Key Bank
• Business Support of the Arts: First Thursday, presented by Downtown Boise Association
• Excellence in Art Education: Paul Shaffer, Log Cabin Literary Center
• Spotlight Award: Boise Music Week

2003

• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: Star Moxley
• Artistic Excellence in the Arts: Gene Harris
• Individual Support for the Arts: Royanne Minskoff
• Business Support of the Arts: Boise Cascade
• Excellence in Art Education: John O'Hagan
• Excellence in Art Education: Boise Art Museum Docents
• Spotlight Award: Capital City Development Corporation

2001

• Charles Fee
• Del Parkinson
• Marilyn Beck
• First Security/Wells Fargo
• Joe Baldassarre
• Ballet Idaho Education Department
• Ruth Wright
• Idaho Foundation for Parks & Lands

1999

• Oinkari Basque Dancers
• Stephanie Wilde
• Noreen Shanafelt
• Pug Ostling
• Ore-Ida/Grant Jones
• Boise Little Theater

1997

• Alan Minskoff
• Michael Baltzell
• Toni Pimble
• Sandy Harthorn
• Rick Jenkins
• The Flicks

1995

• West One Bank
• Pat Nelson
• Boise Arts Museum
• Idaho Shakespeare Festival

1993

• Beaux Arts Society
• Doug Copsey
• Mary McKenzie

1991

• Howard Huff
• Melvin Shelton
• Eugene Sullivan, M.D.

1990

• Idaho Theater for Youth
• John Killmaster
• Arthur M. Albanese

1989

• John Elliot
• Boise Philharmonic
• John Chapman

1988

• Elizabeth Schlaeffle Ratcliff
• Mimi Copsey
• Jim Jausoro

1987

• C. Griffith Bratt
• Boise Master Chorale
• David Horland

1986

• John Takahara
• Esther Simplot
• American Festival Ballet