Reznet

Artist's Honor

By The Associated Press

HELENA, Mont.(AP)-Four Montanans will receive the 2008 Governor's Arts Awards in a Feb. 8 ceremony in the Old Supreme Court Chambers at the state Capitol, Gov. Brian Schweitzer's office announced Thursday.

The honorees are: Corwin "Corky" Clairmont from Pablo for Visual Arts/Service to the Arts; Terry Conrad from Missoula for Media Arts/Service to the Arts; Ed Lahey from Butte for Literature; and Allen Vizzutti from Seattle for Music.

The 4 p.m. ceremony will be followed by a reception for the honorees, their family and friends and state legislators.

Clairmont was born in St Ignatius and is a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. He is a visual artist who draws from his experience as an American Indian along with his interest in contemporary art. He is head of the Art Department and off-campus coordinator for Salish Kootenai College.

Conrad is credited with the formation of Montana Public Radio. Beginning in 1973 he worked at KUFM while it was a student facility with primarily a local audience. He steered the growth of the station until the present time, where 50 percent of Montana's population can listen to public radio.

Lahey is a poet who earned the moniker, "The Bard of Butte," in part because of his body of work, but also because of his memorable "Irish Tenor" reading voice. He is a third-generation Montanan whose grandfather worked with the railroads.

Vizzutti was raised in Missoula, where his family still resides, and today lives in Seattle, where the trumpet player manages an active schedule of recitals, concerts and composing. He has performed with Chick Corea, Doc Severinson, the NBC Tonight Show Band, the Airmen of Note, the Army Blues, Chuck Mangione, Woody Herman, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and others.

Montana PBS (KUFM-TV) will air a special 30-minute feature about the four honorees on three occasions: Thursday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 12 at 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, April 13 at 10:30 a.m.