Meridian native Steve Forbert was one of five honorees receiving the 2020 Governor’s Arts Awards during a ceremony at the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson on Feb. 6.

The awards recognize outstanding work in the artistic disciplines as well as arts-based community development and arts patronage in Mississippi, according to a news release.

Forbert, who was recognized for excellence in music, joined honorees Henry Danton, for lifetime achievement in dance; the Jackson Southernaires, for lifetime achievement in music; Richard Kelso, for excellence in visual art and the Tougaloo Art Collection, for preservation of the arts.

About the recipients

Steve Forbert is an American troubadour, singer-songwriter, whose career in folk rock spans nearly four decades. The Meridian native started his career in New York City, performing on street corners and working his way up to high-profile gigs at Greenwich Village clubs. Between 1978 and 1982, Forbert released four acclaimed albums, including Jackrabbit Slim with the hit “Romeo’s Tune.”

Henry Danton is a 100-year-old world-renowned ballet dancer and teacher. Based in Petal, Danton continues to teach in South Mississippi as well as at Belhaven University.

The Jackson Southernaires are a nearly 80 year-old gospel group and the first group in Mississippi to employ keyboards, guitar, drums and bass instruments in gospel, establishing a practice that continues today.

Richard Kelso is a Cleveland, Miss., native and well-known painter whose work focuses on capturing the beauty, time and place of Mississippi’s land.

The Tougaloo Art Collection is a fine art collection on the campus of Tougaloo College. The collection was started in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement when a group of activists, curators and critics formed the New York Art Committee for Tougaloo College. Today the collection has 1,500 works, including works on paper, sculpture, paintings, decorative arts and textiles.