JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) has announced the 2019 Governor’s Awards for the Arts recipients.
Governor Doug Burgum selected the recipients from 26 nominations. They include:
Arts in Education: Annette Hovey (New Rockford)
Arts Organization: Jamestown Fine Arts Association (Jamestown)
Cultural Treasure: John Gross (Napoleon)
Individual Achievement: David Borlaug (Bismarck) and Jessie Veeder (Watford City)
Private Business: Office Sign Co. (Fargo)
“The Governor’s Awards for the Arts were established in 1977 as a way of recognizing individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the arts throughout the state,” the NDCA states. “Recipients are chosen for their efforts to expand arts opportunities to new audiences, create an appreciation for North Dakota’s cultural heritage, and make the arts more central to education and an integral part of community life as well as on their length of service within the state.”
Arts in Education Award

Annette Hovey currently teaches 7-12 choir and 5-12 band at New Rockford-Sheyenne High School in New Rockford, ND. Along with those duties, she has incorporated classes in Music Theory, Music Appreciation, Guitar, Jazz Band, Madrigal Singers and Pop Singers into the music curriculum. She is also a music minister and religious ed teacher at St. John’s Catholic Church, and is active in Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts of New Rockford as a Youth Camp Director, actor and pianist.
Arts Organization of the Year
The Jamestown Fine Arts Association (JFAA), (aka The Arts Center), founded in 1964, has grown from a group of area painters to a significant regional arts center with gallery, stage, classrooms, studios and an artist residency apartment. It is the focal point for “all things artistic” in Jamestown. As the art and cultural hub for our community, the Arts Center provides the venue, logistical & financial support that brings fine art exhibitions, cultural festivals, readings and humanities presentations, Community Theater, art classes & workshops, resident artists, and various performing artists to the area. Its programs reach every age group, sector and social group in our community.
Jamestown Arts Center Education Coordinator Myra Olson says they’re honored to have received the award.

Cultural Treasure

John Gross was born in 1924 on a farm in South Central North Dakota. He learned to sing and play German-Russian music from his father who played organ at church. Over the years, John learned to play organ, harmonica, accordion, omni chard, guitar, and many other instruments. He also learned to sing and play more than 100 German songs.
A WWII veteran, John returned from war to marry his sweetheart, Margaret Schaffer, and they raised their family on a farm south of Napoleon, ND. Together they joined the Young German Singers in the 1980’s. In addition to performing for more than 35 years, John has worked to preserve German-Russian music as a master to several apprentices through the North Dakota Council on the Arts.
All recipients will be recognized on Tuesday, March 19th at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck.