Associated Press Published

Gala Set for W.Va. Arts Awards on Thursday

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West Virginia is celebrating some of its best artists and art supporters.
 
The 2014 Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony is scheduled for Thursday night at the Culture Center in Charleston.

The Division of Culture and History and the West Virginia Commission on the Arts say the awards honor those who have made significant contributions to the state’s culture.
 
The honors include: the Arts in Education Award, the Distinguished Service Award to the Arts, the Leadership in the Arts Award, the Artist of the Year Award, and the Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement.
 
This year’s event made news after a student’s plan to recite a poem about the Upper Big Branch mine explosion at the event was denied.
 
Officials blamed miscommunication and the student will be allowed to recite the poem.