Governor's Awards Recipients

Governor's Awards for the Arts Recipients

Arts Education

Annette Hovey

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.

She is in her 21st year of teaching and throughout her career has had the privilege to teach at all levels of the public school music curriculum. Before moving to New Rockford, she taught K-12 music at Climax-Shelley School in Climax, MN, then moved to East Grand Forks, MN and taught 6-8 choir, 3rd, 4th and 6th grade general music. In the past 5 years, Mrs. Hovey’s high school musicians have earned countless star ratings at large group, small group and solo contests, including 11 Outstanding Performance Awards at state solo and ensemble contest. This past fall, Annette was named one of four finalists for 2019 North Dakota Teacher of the Year sponsored by North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. Throughout her career, she has worked hard to highlight the importance of music education, the health benefits of creating art, and the wonderful learning that is taking place in our small schools around North Dakota.

Professionally Annette is a member of NaFME, ACDA, NBA, NDMEA, NDACDA, and NDNBA and has had students involved in all of the state festivals and honor groups sponsored by these organizations. This includes a trip with two of her students to the National Honor Festival sponsored by NaFME in 2017.

2018 marks her 31st year of marriage to Southeast District Judge Jim Hovey, who has been a staunch supporter of all the music craziness that ensues in their household! Annette is also the proud mom to 4 children: Ashley, Jon, Alex and Nick; and grandma to 3 grandchildren: Emma, Elli and Isaac. She is delighted to profess to all who will listen that 3 of her 4 children have chosen to pursue music professions. Ashley is a music therapist in the Fargo/Moorhead area, Alex is a music teacher teaching middle school choir and general music at East Grand Forks Public Schools, and Nick is a freshman at NDSU pursuing his music education degree.

Arts Organization

Jamestown Fine Arts

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.

The Arts Center gives voice to creative expression and is a strong catalyst for collaboration across diverse organizations and sectors of our community. A hallmark is our ability to develop unique community partnerships to achieve our mission, to enrich the Jamestown area community through the arts, and work across sectors in cooperative relationships to advance our vision, to create a community that embraces the arts as vital to life.

In 2008, the JFAA purchased a vacant lot in downtown Jamestown with the vision of creating a place in the center of downtown that could act as a hub of creativity. A national search was conducted to find artists to create a signature sculpture and a performing arts pavilion. The outcome of this search provided a pair of Jamestown-inspired public artworks, the “Prairie Grass Ballet” and the "Boulder Pavilion" by artist Owen William Fritts.

The Arts Center has been a leader in providing arts educational and cultural programs to the Jamestown region. Noteworthy milestones have included cultural programs like Midwest Worldfest, Caravanseri and several Culture Festivals that have brought artists from around the globe to Jamestown. During these events, the public experience was immersive with food tastings and interactive activities to create common ground and break down cultural barriers.

As the primary provider of elementary art education programs, The Arts Center has worked to provide substantive arts experiences, seeking artists and projects that not only teach artistic skills but other disciplines like math and science. Additionally, the programs aim to inspire imagination, collaboration and confidence in students – skills that will serve the students throughout their lives.

In 2019, The Arts Center hosted the Downtown Arts Market in its Hansen Arts Park. Every Thursday evening brought the community together for music, art vendors, fresh produce, homemade bread and kids arts activities. While the Arts Center may own and operate the Hansen Arts Park we see it a place for the entire community to enjoy, gather and utilize. The Market and the programs that occur within the space have provided for new partnerships and business opportunities that overtime will lead to economic development and continued social engagement.

Cultural Treasure

john and margaret gross 2014-10-30 053 (

John Gross

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, sharing his knowledge and love of music. John has also expanded the art of German-Russian music to new audiences through public performances, radio, and televised events. Today, John and Margaret (his wife of over 71 years) live in Napoleon ND. He still sings and plays when he can. John is a devoted husband, father, grandfather, farmer, educator and an artist.

Individual Achievement

David Borlaug

David Borlaug is a native of Washburn, ND who after a long career in publishing, became president of the nonprofit Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation. The foundation maintained the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Fort Mandan at Washburn for nearly 20 years before the facilities became part of the North Dakota State Park System in 2015. He was instrumental in building a large collection of historical and contemporary art at the Interpretive Center, including Karl Bodmer, George Catlin, Michael Haynes, Vern Erickson and Walter Piehl.

In November of 2016, his foundation opened The Capital Gallery in downtown Bismarck, with a new mission of “Celebrating History, Art, and Culture!” Since then the gallery has attracted over 25 artists for exhibition and has begun public arts programs within the gallery and through schools and art collection loans to other institutions throughout the region.

He and his wife Ruth have two adult daughters, Nicolette, Honolulu, HI and Cassandra, Fridley, MN.

Jessie Veeder

Jessie Veeder grew up singing and writing about the wide spaces and magnificent sunsets of rural North Dakota. It was this passion for her community that led to Jessie’s ability to captivate audiences with stories of her love for the landscape, the culture and the people of small town America and the influence our personal stories have on art and music within our own communities. With a national tour, multiple recorded albums and recently publishing a collection of ranch stories, photographs and recipes called “Coming Home”, Jessie lives her life in the belief that art, music and stories help people find connection with one another as well as help establish their sense of place and belonging.

As well as a writing as a columnist for state-wide newspapers, a commentator on Prairie Public Radio and on her popular blog titled “Meanwhile, back at the ranch…” Jessie’s passion for the arts and for helping to improve the quality of life in her community ignited her leadership in the recent development of the non-profit arts organization, the Long X Arts Foundation. After two years of programming, planning and development, Jessie and her board were proud to officially incorporate the Foundation as a 501c3 in 2016. First president and now director Jessie works under the mission to create diverse art experiences for all ages.

Jessie was featured as North Dakota’s representative for the Lifetime Television Network’s multi-media program known as Her America. Her story and music are set to appear on two PBS travel programs in coming months as well.

Private Business

Office Sign Company

Office Sign Company is a premier manufacturer and retailer of interior office signage and print materials. Led by a CEO (Ryan Fritz) who is also an abstract painter, and employing a large base of individuals with art backgrounds, advocating for and supporting the arts community in Fargo-Moorhead and beyond has been a staple of Office Sign Company for years. Through the sponsorship of organizations like The Arts Partnership, FM Choral Artists, American Advertising Federation of North Dakota, The Plains Art Museum, The Rourke Art Museum, and more, Office Sign Company is able to help foster the growth of the arts community through the F-M area. The company has also served as a reliable vendor for many local artists to print their merchandise through, and has supported photographers and designers through allowing them to retail prints, apparel items, and more through Office Sign Company’s affiliated websites.