Governors group to recognize Multicultural Arts Initiative director

By Valeria Davis

The Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison continues to draw national praise for expanding the dimensions of educational creativity.

The National Governors Association (NGA) is recognizing Willie Ney, executive director of OMAI and founder of OMAI’s First Wave Spoken Word and Urban Arts Community. The ground-breaking First Wave program gives talented student leaders opportunities to pursue their creative endeavors with faculty, staff and nationally renowned spoken word and hip hop artists while working toward their college degrees.

The NGA will honor Ney for Distinguished Service to the Arts on Friday, July 9 at the NGA’s annual meeting in Boston. Ney is among six 2010 recipients of the NGA’s Awards for Distinguished Service to State Government.

“Willie is truly an advocate for education and the arts,” says Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle. “He works tirelessly to share the value of his program and its importance.”

First Wave students have performed in local, statewide and international venues, promoting themes of social activism, personal experiences and growth through uncensored spoken word.

Ney, whose previous honors include the Wisconsin Governor’s Award in Support of the Arts and the Martin Luther King Heritage Award, has used his influence to provide many students access to higher education.

“This is an honor that I humbly accept on behalf of my colleagues and, most importantly, our talented students, who work tirelessly to make OMAI and First Wave a success while pursing their own higher education goals,” Ney says.

“I could never have brought this cutting-edge art to the University without the creative artistry of Chris Walker of the Dance faculty, youth organizer Josh Healy and professional artists like Rafael Casal and Dasha Kelly, to name a few,” he says. “This program runs on the power of an unbelievably dedicated staff and with the strong support of university leaders who have embraced innovation in arts education.”

This fall, First Wave — one of the newest student-learning communities on campus — welcomes its fourth 15-member cohort of student artists. In addition to studying performance and the academic basis of the spoken word and hip-hop art forms, the students pursue bachelor’s degrees in subjects ranging from teaching to law. First Wave, known for its artistic performance ensemble, helps to attract top national talent to UW–Madison.

Established in 1976, the NGA Awards for Distinguished Service to State Government enable governors to honor the commitment of state administrators and the contributions of private citizens to their states. The award’s Distinguished Service to the Arts category, added in 1980, focuses on contributions that improve the quality of life and bring distinction to a state.

“These award recipients are true leaders who have made significant contributions to their states and the nation,” says Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the NGA’s chair. “On behalf of all of the governors, I would like to thank these individuals for their service and for their willingness to use their time and talents for the enrichment of the state.”