Cyndy Andrus to Receive NASAA 2022 Distinguished Public Service Award

• Eric Heidle
• September 21 2022

Cyndy Andrus of Bozeman, MT, is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Public Service Award from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA). The award honors volunteer leaders of the state arts agency field whose outstanding service, creative thinking, and leadership significantly impact public support for the arts in their state and across the country. The award will be presented on September 24 during NASAA Assembly 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. Andrus the first Montanan to receive this award; she joins colleagues from neighboring Idaho, Wyoming, and North Dakota in this honor.

"A dedicated public servant, Cyndy Andrus is thoughtful, forward-thinking, and innovative in her many roles," said NASAA President and CEO Pam Breaux. "She's guided by a strong sense of community and has a real passion for the arts and the many ways they enhance and deepen civic life. Wherever she serves, at every level, she brings a positive attitude, a sense of possibility, strategic focus, and a truly impressive ability to work with others to achieve the goals at hand. I can think of no one more deserving than Cyndy to receive this award based on her decades of service to the arts, to Montana, and NASAA."

Cyndy Andrus has lived and worked in Bozeman, Montana, for nearly 30 years. She is a member of the Bozeman City Commission and currently serving her second term as mayor. She is one of only four women to serve in this position and in 2018 received the Bozeman Business and Professional Women's Woman of Achievement Award. She has served on the city commission since 2010 and was the driving force behind the 1% for the Arts ordinance in Bozeman, requiring one percent of eligible construction costs of City Capital Improvement projects over $1,000,000 to be allocated for public art.

Sean Becker, Andrus' predecessor as Bozeman's mayor, commented, "Cyndy was often the lone voice in the room pointing out the value of small, incremental investments in the arts. She prioritized policy, investment, and awareness that benefited individual artists and the communities that experienced and cherished their touch of creativity. Cyndy gave meaning to the emphasis on the arts and was able to articulate benefits that were personal and tangible to the most unlikely communities."

Suzanne Wise, Executive Director of the Nebraska Arts Council, reinforced this sentiment by saying, "I was always impressed by the innovative thinking Cyndy applied to secure additional financial support for Bozeman arts projects, which included finding partners and collaborators that many of us had never thought of. Cyndy's status as a sitting mayor was extraordinarily helpful in NASAA discussions because she could talk about strategies that work best with elected officials."

Before settling in Bozeman, Andrus built leadership skills as an interpretive naturalist ranger in Yellowstone National Park and as a ranger on the Alagnak Wild River in Alaska. She worked in the tourism industry for more than 25 years and was a governor's appointee to the Montana Tourism Advisory Council, serving ten years, including two years as chair. Andrus is the former chair of the Montana Arts Council (MAC), serving three governors for 18 years. Andrus remains an active community member and an ardent supporter of the arts, serving as a board trustee of WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation) and is a former NASAA and National League of Cities board member.

Arni Fishbaugh, who served as MAC Executive Director until 2016, shared, "We were so enamored of her cultural tourism expertise. Her political astuteness was one of her finest attributes, as was her ability to keep her eye on the big picture." Current MAC director Tatiana Gant adds, "The unique perspective I can offer on Cyndy's leadership comes from witnessing her push members of MAC to think bigger and bolder. Cyndy's vision for MAC's CARES Act funding was typically courageous. Cyndy understood that Montana's artists were our most vulnerable during the pandemic and encouraged a response that ultimately directed 80% of available funding to individuals."

The breadth of Andrus' vision, accomplishments, and commitment to the vibrancy of Montana's arts, artists, and creative economy is ample evidence for her recognition by NASAA with this prestigious award, an honor shared by all who advocate for and advance the arts in Montana.

About the Montana Arts Council

In 1965 Montana Annotated Code 22-2-102 established the MAC as an agency of state government. The MAC mission is to develop the creative potential of all Montanans, advance education, spur economic vibrancy, and revitalize communities through involvement in the arts. Fifteen individuals appointed by the Governor oversee the Montana Arts Council. More information can be found at art.mt.gov

About NASAA

Founded in 1968, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies is the nonpartisan membership organization that serves the nation's 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. NASAA helps state arts agencies fulfill their many citizen service roles by providing knowledge services, representation, and leadership programs that strengthen the state arts agency community. NASAA also serves as a clearinghouse for data and research about public funding and the arts. To learn more about NASAA and state arts agencies, visit www.nasaa-arts.org.

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