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An acclaimed Utah painter, a chamber-music advocate and a pioneering bookseller are the individuals tapped to receive the annual Mayor's Artists Awards, in a ceremony Saturday to be presided over by Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski at the Utah Arts Festival.
Three organizations, including the festival itself, will also receive awards.
"It's a thrill to honor these artists and organizations who enrich all of our lives with their talents and gifts to the community," Biskupski said in a statement Tuesday. "We see arts and culture as essential elements in keeping the capital city vibrant, and as a tool to help drive our economy."
An awards ceremony is set for City Hall, in Washington Square, on Saturday, 7 p.m., during the Utah Arts Festival.
Here are the recipients, each of whom receives a $500 prize:
• Kathryn Stats (Visual Arts), a painter from Sandy known throughout the Western United States for her landscape and still life paintings, which she has been creating for more than 50 years.
• Betsy Burton (Service to the Arts — Individual), founder and co-owner of The King's English Bookshop, in Salt Lake City's 15th and 15th neighborhood.
• Jason Hardink (Performing Arts), principal keyboardist for the Utah Symphony and artistic director of the NOVA Chamber Music Series.
• Utah Symphony | Utah Opera (Service to the Arts — Organization), to mark the symphony's 75th anniversary.
• Utah Tibetan Association (Service to the Arts — Organization), which preserves Tibetan culture and creates a sense of unity among its community, through public programs and events.
• Utah Arts Festival (Special Recognition Award — Organization), marking its 40th year, is the largest outdoor multi-disciplinary arts event in Utah, drawing 80,000 a year.