Mountain View folklife advocate Kay Thomas to receive 2026 Governor's Arts Award

Thomas will be honored for her decades-long work preserving and promoting Ozarks traditions.

Published on Feb. 3, 2026

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Mountain View folklife advocate and musician Kay Thomas is among the 2026 recipients of the Governor's Arts Awards, which honor individuals and organizations for contributions to Arkansas' arts community. Thomas will receive the Folklife Award for her decades-long work preserving and promoting Ozarks traditions.

Why it matters

The Governor's Arts Awards program was established in 1991 to showcase leaders who have helped build and strengthen Arkansas' creative communities. Thomas' recognition highlights the importance of preserving traditional arts and folklife in the state.

The details

Born in Little Rock, Thomas was influenced early by her parents' love of music, quilting, dancing, and traditional crafts. After attending the Arkansas Folk Festival in Mountain View in 1966, she moved to the Ozarks and began working with the Ozark Foothills Handicraft Guild and later the Ozark Folk Center. Thomas collaborated with the Committee of One Hundred to develop craft apprenticeship programs aimed at preserving traditional skills. She retired from the Folk Center in 2004 but continued performing music and expanding her quilting into art and machine quilting.

  • Kay Thomas will receive the 2026 Governor's Arts Award on March 13, 2026.
  • Thomas attended the Arkansas Folk Festival in Mountain View in 1966.

The players

Kay Thomas

A Mountain View folklife advocate and musician who is being honored with the 2026 Governor's Arts Award for Folklife for her decades-long work preserving and promoting Ozarks traditions.

Arkansas Arts Council

An agency of Arkansas Heritage that announced the 2026 Governor's Arts Award recipients and will be honoring them at a ceremony in March 2026.

Shea Lewis

The secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, who stated that the Governor's Arts Awards showcase leaders' contributions to Arkansas' creative economy and quality of life.

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What they’re saying

“The Governor's Arts Awards are bestowed upon those artists, philanthropists and educators who have helped build and strengthen Arkansas' thriving creative communities. It's our annual opportunity to showcase these leaders' contributions to Arkansas' creative economy and quality of life.”

— Shea Lewis, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (whiterivernow.com)

What’s next

Tickets for the March 13, 2026 Governor's Arts Awards ceremony are on sale now.

The takeaway

Kay Thomas' recognition with the 2026 Governor's Arts Award for Folklife highlights the importance of preserving traditional arts and folklife in Arkansas, and the state's commitment to honoring those who have dedicated their careers to this effort.