Sugden Chief Curator of Education Jane Lavino to Receive the Governor’s Arts Award
January 15, 2025The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) is pleased to announce that Governor Mark Gordon has awarded Jane Lavino, the Museum’s Sugden Chief Curator of Education, the Governor’s Arts Award. Lavino will be recognized for her contributions to the arts in Wyoming during the 42nd Annual Governor’s Arts Awards banquet in Cheyenne on February 28, where the honorees will be celebrated by the Governor, First Lady, and other state leaders.
Lavino is recognized for her dedication to arts education and curatorial excellence. Other honorees for this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards include Mike Kopriva, Tim Allen Lawson, Sue and Albert Sommers, and Wille LeClair (Posthumous). “These honorees exemplify the rich cultural heritage and artistic spirit of Wyoming, and their work continues to inspire communities across the state,” stated a press release from Governor Gordon. Many nominations were submitted for this year’s awards, and the selection process was competitive. Nominations were submitted to the Wyoming Arts Council and then reviewed by the Wyoming Arts Council Board. The board’s recommendations were submitted to the Governor for the final selection. The National Museum of Wildlife Art received the Governor’s Arts Award in 2001; its founders, Joffa and Bill Kerr, were honored in 1997, and Adam Duncan Harris, Ph.D., Carl Rungius Catalogue Raisonné Director, and former Chief Curator at NMWA, received the award in 2016.
NMWA’s Executive Director, Steve Seamons, nominated Lavino for the award. “Jane’s impact as an art educator in Wyoming has been tremendous,” says Seamons. Boasting the longest tenure of any employee at the Museum, Lavino has worked at NMWA for 34 years—since 1991. “She has worked in education for decades, teaching everything from photography and papermaking to wilderness skills. Jane even spent seven summers working for the National Outdoor Leadership School, leading trips into the Absaroka and Wind River mountains. Immediately before working at the Museum, Jane was an art educator for the Teton County School District,” says Seamons. She has dedicated her life to the arts and, specifically, arts education.
Lavino oversees all aspects of learning at the Museum. She and her staff conceptualize, teach, and evaluate programs such as educational tours, symposiums, studio classes, teacher workshops, film and lecture series, artist-in-residence programs, and website curriculum. “Among Jane’s many gifts is her ability to make art accessible. She is remarkable at capturing and sharing the universality of art in our lives and in the world. Her exhibits and education programs at the National Museum of Wildlife Art have brought thoughtfulness, fun, and energy to the Museum, its staff, and visitors,” says Sue Simpson Gallagher, NMWA Trustee, and the Museum’s first curator. Over the past 34 years, Lavino has built an award-winning program reaching over 10,000 adults and children annually.
As the Sugden Chief Curator of Education, Lavino has championed the arts in Wyoming at every level. “She works with local and regional artists, giving them both a platform and venue for their work and the opportunity to educate the next generation of Wyoming artists,” says Seamons. Lavino and her team also frequently host school groups from around Wyoming, with students regularly visiting from Star Valley, Kemmerer, Eden, Buffalo, Laramie, Sheridan, and Casper. During her tenure at the Museum, Lavino has made an impact on thousands of students and visitors.
About the Governor’s Arts Awards
Established in 1982, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize excellence in the arts and outstanding service to the arts in Wyoming. These awards were first made possible by an endowment from the Union Pacific Foundation in honor of Mrs. John U. Loomis, a lifelong patron of the arts. Over the years, individuals and organizations from more than 40 Wyoming communities and statewide organizations have been honored for their dedication to the arts in Wyoming.
