The Juneau Arts and Humanities Council announces the
2025 award recipients of the annual Kathy Kolkhorst Ruddy Awards for the Arts.
These prestigious awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the arts, stewardship, culture, and the environment in our community. We are pleased to announce the following recipients for the 2025 Kathy Kolkhorst Ruddy Awards for the Arts:
- Exceptional Artist – Rik Pruett
- Leadership in the Promotion of Oral Traditions – Dr. X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell
- Leadership in Environmental Health and Sustainability – 350 Juneau/Climate Fair for a Cool Planet
- Excellence in Arts and Cultural Education – Sandy Fortier
- Business Leadership in the Arts – Peter Metcalfe/Public Market
- Innovation in the Arts – Erin Heist
- Patron of the Arts – Joe Ver
- Lifetime Achievement in the Arts – Janice Hurley
The Juneau Arts and Humanities Council (JAHC) released a call for nominations to the public on May 1, 2025. Community members were encouraged to submit nominations for this annual awards program through June 30, 2025.
Dr. X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell will be presented with the award for Leadership in the Promotion of Oral Traditions, and was nominated by Sarah Campen and Ryan Conarro.
“X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell is an incredible advocate for Tlingít language oral traditions. He has made the preservation and promotion of Tlingít (and other indigenous languages) his lifeʼs work.,” states Campen and Conarro, describing working with Twitchell on a recent project. “While X̱ʼuneiʼs accolades are many, we wish to nominate him because of the great power and kindness he brings to his teaching. X̱ʼunei offers students permission to make mistakes, to not be perfect at Tlingít language – a language that is old and new and was almost lost. He brings patience and humor to the classroom, inviting students to try and try again, until they begin to feel excited and confident in their progress. We witnessed this magic many times, and felt it ourselves. X̱ʼuneiʼs power in oratory is significant.”
Erin Heist was granted the award for Innovation in the Arts, and was nominated by Betsy Sims.
“There are many reasons Erin should receive this award. From the ‘slow jams’ that she used to host for novice instrumentalists to get up to speed with their playing, to the recent mega production Trollfest,” says Sims who recently worked with Heist as a sound engineer for Trollfest. “This event was ground breaking in so many ways for our community and brought many people together to celebrate art and music in a way I’ve never experienced before – anywhere”
Janice Hurley will be presented with the award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts, and was nominated by Kris Benson.
Benson, a parent of a dancer who was taught by Janice over many years, states, “She has impacted the lives and directions of thousands of children of the Juneau community through her classes. She loves her work of teaching young children movement and dance and so much more in the process. She epitomizes joy in the hard work and precision of dance. She sees the children grow year by year and delights in their success. She works closely with the families, not just her young students, to ensure a positive experience. She consistently goes above and beyond being a dance teacher and so has influenced the lives of so many Juneau youth. This broad impact is why she is especially deserving of the Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award.”
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners for their exceptional work and significant impact to our community. Their dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence serve as an inspiration to others in their field and beyond.
Please join the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council by celebrating this year’s recipients at our upcoming Wearable Arts Extravaganza on Sunday, February 15th at 2pm at Centennial Hall. Wearable Arts tickets will be available in late 2025. Stay up to date by following us on social media or by calling (907) 586-ARTS.
Questions? Contact the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council by emailing info@jahc.org or by calling (907) 586-2787.