Two From UK to Receive 2016 Governor's Awards in the Arts

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 20, 2016) — The 2016 Governor's Awards in the Arts winners include University of Kentucky's own Chester Grundy, special projects coordinator at the UK Alumni Association, along with his wife Msiba Ann Grundy, and Professor of Music Miles Osland. The winners will accept the state's most prestigious arts awards Oct. 21, in the Capitol Rotunda, in Frankfort.

Chester and Msiba Ann Grundy are accepting the Milner Award, named after B. Hudson Milner. The award is presented to those who display outstanding philanthropic and other contributions to the arts. The award is considered the most prestigious of the Governor's Awards in the Arts.

Chester Grundy was born in Louisville, Kentucky, graduated from UK in 1969 and holds a master's degree in educational policy studies and evaluation from UK. He has worked as an administrator for the university for more than 40 years, serving as the director of the Office of African American Student Affairs. He was founder and the first director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Center (now the Martin Luther King Center). Grundy co-sponsored the Spotlight Jazz Series with the UK Student Activities Board. The series is renowned as the longest running on-campus jazz series in the United States. He also co-founded the Lexington Roots and Heritage Festival and is the co-chairperson for Lexington's Martin Luther King Jr. March and Program each January.

Msiba Ann Grundy graduated from Berea College with a bachelor's degree in musicology. She has devoted over 30 years to empowering and teaching generations of disadvantaged young people through an educational experience known as the NIA Study/Travel Project. This project provides students, ages 5-18, with opportunities to research African-American history and culture and then travel to significant historic sites to further their research. An estimated 2,000 students have studied and traveled to nine states and Canada through the auspices of the NIA Project.

“Over all these many years, Ann and I have largely been devoted to developing positive, creative ways to defend and uplift black humanity," Chester Grundy said. "Through our various program initiatives, our work has tried to advance a more enlightened, truthful rendering of the story of the black experience, especially in the representation of African-American history and culture.

"We contend that the truth of the African-American experience is a story from which we all can learn. It is a story of triumph over adversity and one which speaks to the essence of this nation's great democratic ideal."

Miles Osland, director of UK Jazz Studies and professor of saxophone, will be accepting the Education Award, recognizing significant contributions to the arts in education in the Commonwealth.

"I am highly honored to be selected for this award," Osland said. "I have taught at the collegiate level for over 30 years. Honestly, I feel that daily I just go about my business, it actually doesn’t feel like 'work.' Even after 30 years 'in the business,' I still like going to work."

Osland has distinguished himself as an educator, recording and performing artist, author, arranger and composer. He has appeared throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia as a guest conductor, performer and clinician for Selmer Saxophones, D’Addario Woodwind Products and Jody Jazz mouthpieces. His compositions and arrangements, available through Walrus Music, have been recognized and supported by fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council and numerous other arts foundations.

At the UK School of Music in UK's College of Fine Arts, Osland conducts the UK Jazz Ensemble and UK Mega-Sax in addition to leading the school's jazz program.

He has authored three books, available through Dorn Publications, and his scholarly work can be found in a variety of publications including Downbeat, Jazz Educators Journal, Jazz Player Magazine, Saxophone Journal, Selmer Woodwind Notes and Windplayer Magazine. Osland, who holds a master's degree from Eastman School of Music, also has three books/CDs published by Warner Brothers.  

Though a performer at heart, Osland loves his "daytime" gig as an educator. "All of my degrees are in music performance. I actually do not have a music education degree," said Osland, who was nominated by former UK faculty member and Governor's Award in the Arts winner Vince DiMartino. "I started teaching private students while I was in high school, but when I was at Eastman School of Music (in New York) working on my master's degree, I had a graduate teaching assistantship. That was when I 'caught the teaching bug,' and it has been with me ever since. The appointment at the University of Kentucky really is the best of both worlds. I get to instruct talented students, and I can perform as much as I want as part of my research component."

The Governor's Awards in the Arts were selected by Gov. Matt Bevin. The award recipients exemplify a diversity of accomplishments in all areas of the arts as well as the irreplaceable value of those contributions to the state’s communities, educational environment and economy.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu