A public arts initiative that has endeavored to beautify Globe, Arizona, lift community spirits amid the COVID-19 pandemic and increase tourism has now drawn statewide attention.

I Art Globe, whose many public art projects include the murals and painted stairways of the Stairizona Trail, has been nominated for a 2023 Arizona Creative Excellence Awards: The NEW Governor’s Arts Awards award in the Oonagh Award category. The Oonagh Award recognizes innovative collaboration and the power of teamwork.

I Art Globe joins 30 other Governor’s Arts Awards nominees in three categories, the other two being the Arts Champion Award and Shelley Award. The awards, which recognize excellence in arts and culture along with outstanding contributions to the community, have been presented annually since 1981 by Arizona Citizens for the Arts. They are considered the most prestigious in Arizona.

Finalists for the Oonagh Award were announced on Sept. 5, 2023, but were unknown at press time. The Governor’s Arts Awards will be presented on Oct. 19, 2023, at the Madison Center for the Arts, at 5601 N. 16th St. in Phoenix; the event will begin with a 6:30 p.m. cocktail hour, followed by the awards program.

About Arizona Citizens

for the Arts

Arizona Citizens for the Arts acts as the eyes, ears and voice of the nonprofit arts and culture sector in Arizona – at the State Legislature, in local city halls and in partnerships with business and community leaders involved in building and supporting quality of life in Arizona. As a statewide arts advocacy organization, it has worked to promote arts-friendly public policy at the state level and in local communities.