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TN Lt. Governor Randy McNally Receives 2019 Public Leadership in The Arts Award for State Arts Leadership

From Americans for The Arts –

Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-TN) and Americans for the Arts’ Jay Dick at the 2019 Public Leadership in the Arts award ceremony.

Americans for the Arts and the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) today announced that Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-TN) was awarded the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for State Arts Leadership last night at NLGA’s annual meeting in Wilmington, Delaware. The annual award honors a public official who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the advancement of the arts at the state/territory level.

Lt. Governor McNally has been a longtime supporter of the arts and culture in Tennessee during his more than four decades of public service. He has championed achievement of public goals through the arts, including support for arts education as part of a well-rounded education, health and wellness for veterans and seniors through the arts and economic and community development through leveraging arts and culture assets in Tennessee communities.

Lt. Governor McNally was a founding member of the Tennessee Legislative Arts Caucus, one of the oldest in the United States. As Chair of the Senate Finance Ways & Means Committee and as Lieutenant Governor of the State of Tennessee, Lt. Governor McNally has steadfastly supported Tennessee’s public funding formula for the arts through specialty license plates that citizens can choose to purchase, and through good times and difficult times, he has assured fair treatment for the budget of the Tennessee Arts Commission. Lt. Governor McNally regularly participates in arts and culture events as a guest speaker and hosts meeting with constituents both in Nashville and back home in his district. He has also regularly participated in the Governor’s Arts Awards.

Lt. Governor McNally commented, “I am tremendously grateful to receive this award. An important part of how we know our ourselves as a civilization and a people is through the arts. The arts are essential to human existence and serve to uplift the human experience. I am especially moved by the way we are able to use the arts to help those to whom we owe the most, our veterans. I am truly honored today.”

“Lt. Governor Randy McNally is a true champion for the arts in Tennessee,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “His continued efforts to expand access to and promote the value of arts and culture are a testament to his understanding of the vital role that the arts play in a therapy setting, in education, in building community, and much more.”

“Nonprofit arts and culture positively impact state government revenue, collectively, $6.7 billion a year. As such, NLGA members are engaged in the arts and we are proud to see Lt. Governor McNally recognized for his work in the arena,” commented NLGA Director & CEO Julia Hurst Brossart.

“On behalf of the Tennessee Arts Commission, we offer our heartfelt congratulations to Lt. Governor McNally, who is very deserving of this award,” said Anne B. Pope, TN Arts Commission Executive Director. “He has been a champion for the arts in Tennessee over his long and distinguished career. Lt. Governor McNally’s steadfast leadership and support has helped to make Tennessee known around the world for its music, arts and culture.”

Americans for the Arts and NLGA have jointly presented the Public Leadership in the Arts Award for State Arts Leadership since 2006.


Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 55 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.