Jane McBride Orzechowski Awarded 2019 Governor's Arts Award for Folk Heritage

Governor Chris Sununu, Jane McBride Orzechowshi, and

Sanborn Mills Farm Executive Director Andrew Ingram at the 2019

Governor's Arts Awards. Photo by Abbigail Saffian.

On Monday, October 21, the arts community gathered in Concord to celebrate the state's breath of artistic energy and people who, through personal decisions and commitment, make a difference to the quality of life in their communities and the state. The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, in cooperation with the Governor's Office, biennially takes the opportunity to acknowledge these contributions through the presentation of the Governor's Arts Awards.

The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts is pleased to announce Jane McBride Orzechowski as the recipient of the 2019 Governor's Arts Awards in Folk Heritage. The Folk Heritage Award "recognizes a New Hampshire traditional folk artist who has made a significant contribution to his or her art form and the cultural community, reflecting a lifetime of achievement." The 2019 Folk Heritage Award was sponsored by Sanborn Mills Farm.

Jane is a fiddler of exemplary talent, skilled in Swedish, French Canadian, Irish, Scottish, and New England musical genres and history. She is an integral part of New Hampshire’s folk heritage and well-respected by her peers. Throughout her career, Jane has sought to bring new talent to these traditional music disciplines, supporting and mentoring younger performers in their quest to preserve and expand these musical works and their heritage. She has been playing the fiddle since she was a child and was inspired by attendance at the New England Folk Festival. Jane has been a member of two long-standing groups: Old New England and The Sugar River Band, where she plays with her children. Jane’s nominator describes her style of playing by simply stating, “It’s full of integrity and grace.” Jane has recorded two CDs with the Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra and one with the Sugar River Band. 

A total of 7 awards were presented by Governor Chris Sununu at the ceremony and reception at the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Bank of New Hampshire Stage in Concord.

The 2019 Governor's Arts awards winners are:

• Arts Education: Theo Martey, Manchester
• Creative Communities: Town of Mason

• Distinguished Arts Leadership: Bente Torjusen, Lebanon

• Folk Heritage: Jane McBride Orzechowski, Newport

• Individual Arts Champion (two awards): Stephen Duprey, Concord and Robert O. Wilson, Concord
• Lotte Jacobi Living Treasure: Sylvia Nicolas, Mont Vernon

To see photos from the ceremony and reception (photos by Abbigail Saffian), please click HERE!