News Release

Fred Neuman to receive Governor's Arts Award

Nov. 6, 2007

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Ann Dee Lee
Public Information Director
Oklahoma Arts Council
(405) 521-2931
anndee@arts.ok.gov

Oklahoma City, OK – Fred Neuman, Alva, will be honored by Governor Brad Henry at the 32nd Annual Governor’s Arts Awards.  Neuman will receive an Arts & Education Award which recognizes professional educators who go above and beyond the call of academia to promote arts education for Oklahoma’s students.

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council, 16 individuals and four organizations will be honored for their contributions to the arts in their communities or throughout the state. The ceremony is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 28th in the 4th Floor Rotunda of the State Capitol and is open to the public. Presiding at the ceremony will be Council Chair Jim Tolbert and Interim Executive Director Suzanne Tate.

For nearly 50 years, Fred Neuman introduced music to literally hundreds of young boys who might never have had that opportunity without him. He created the Alva Boys Choir and gave every boy between 8 and 12 years of age a chance to participate without an audition. Neuman taught them that anyone can sing and all were welcome. Over the years, the Choir performed throughout Oklahoma, traveling to more than eight states and Mexico to schools, churches, conventions and public auditoriums. As Director, Neuman volunteered all his time leading the Alva Boys Choir and touched the lives of more than 1,000 youngsters.

He managed his own retail music store, Neuman’s Music and Books, serving northwest Oklahoma for 40 years. He served as the Music Director at the First United Methodist Church in Alva for many years, challenging both the vocal and bell choirs with difficult music achieving outstanding results. From his work directing the community choir at Thanksgiving, or leading Christmas carols on the downtown square, Fred Neuman will forever be linked with music, the arts and the Alva Boys Choir.

A reception on the first floor of the Capitol will follow the 4 p.m. ceremony.  A complete list of Governor’s Arts Awards recipients and their photos are available at www.arts.ok.gov. For more information about the Governor’s Arts Awards, please contact Ann Dee Lee at (405) 521-2931 or at anndee@arts.ok.gov.

ABOUT THE OKLAHOMA ARTS COUNCIL

The Oklahoma Arts Council is a state agency whose mission is to improve lives through the arts by promoting and sustaining the development of a thriving arts environment, which is essential to quality of life, education and economic vitality for all Oklahomans.

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