Five Dysart Nominees in Governor’s Arts Awards

Dysart Unified School District has five teachers that have been nominated for the 2021 Governor’s Arts Awards in the Arts in Education category. A total of 27 Arts in Education nominees were submitted across the State of Arizona, and will be honored at the 40th Annual Governor's Arts Awards event on March 26, 2021, where the winners will be announced.  

Nominees from the Dysart Unified School District include:

• Randall Badgard - music teacher, Sunset Hills Elementary School 
• Ashley Golden - art teacher, Surprise Elementary School 
• Preston MacDonald - choir teacher, Valley Vista High School 
• Laurel Ruff - music teacher, Marley Park Elementary (pictured)
  
• Steve Wallgren - theatre teacher, Willow Canyon High School

A volunteer selection panel of community, business and arts leaders from across the state review the nominations. Criteria for selection includes the significance of the contributions and achievements of the nominee; the range of individuals or groups served by the contributions of the nominee; and the length and degree to which the nominee is dedicated to the arts. This year, over 100 nominations across all categories were submitted.

The Governor’s Arts Awards are hosted by Arizona Citizens for the Arts (AzCA). AzCA is a nonprofit organization that 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. It is composed of 100 members arts organizations across Arizona and more than 5,000 individual citizen arts supporters. Learn more at azcitizensforthearts.org/governors-arts-awards/2021awards/