St. Louis —  The Missouri Arts Council has chosen the recipients of the 2026 Missouri Arts Awards, the state’s highest honor in the arts.

The 2026 Missouri Arts Awards recipients are the Community Music School of Webster University, St. Louis, for arts education; City in Motion Dance Theater, Kansas City, for arts organization; City of West Plains for creative community; Ray Harvey, New Haven, for individual artist; Erin Warner Prange, St. Louis, for leadership in the arts; and David and Thelma Steward, St. Louis, for philanthropy.

“The arts tell the story of who we are as Missourians,” said Lieutenant Governor David Wasinger. “These honorees remind us that creativity isn’t confined to one city or stage — it’s alive in classrooms, small towns, and communities across our state. We’re proud to celebrate their work and the lasting impact they’ve made on Missouri’s cultural life.”

Since 1983, the Missouri Arts Awards have acclaimed 262 people, organizations, and communities throughout the state for their significant contributions to Missouri’s artistic and cultural legacy. The 2026 honorees will be recognized in a ceremony at the Missouri State Capitol on Feb. 4.

An independent panel of Missourians from the statewide arts community selected the honorees from public nominations.

Painter Ray Harvey is often called “Missouri’s Small Town Muralist.” Since 1990 he has transformed more than 600 indoor and outdoor blank walls, mostly in Missouri, into works of art. He has created so many murals in Hannibal—25 so far—that in 2023 the mayor gave him the key to the city. This past summer his eight huge outdoor murals in Concordia lead to the city’s being designated by the Missouri legislature as the state’s official  Patriotic Mural City. Ray Harvey works with community organizations, local governments, businesses, individual donors and more to bring art to people who otherwise have little chance to enjoy it.