Friday, First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin and Governor Glenn Youngkin presented the third 2025 Spirit of Virginia Award to the Virginia Arts Festival at the Perry Pavilion in Norfolk, Va. The Virginia Arts Festival was recognized for its exceptional contributions to the Commonwealth. From bringing world-class performances to audiences across Virginia to inspiring students through top-tier arts education, the Festival continues to shape lives and strengthen communities.
For nearly 30 years, the Virginia Arts Festival has brought performances by the world’s great artists of music, dance, and theater to the Commonwealth. Beyond the stage, the Festival inspires new generations of Virginians through innovative arts education programs that engage and inform tens of thousands of schoolchildren each year. The Festival’s economic impact is considerable, bringing millions in revenue to Virginia businesses and establishing Virginia as a cultural destination for visitors from across the country and around the world.
The Festival’s commitment to commissioning nationally and internationally significant works, along with its leadership in driving regional collaboration and cultural tourism in Hampton Roads, continues to make a lasting and meaningful impact across the Commonwealth.
“Through the arts, the Virginia Arts Festival brings learning to life,” said First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin. “Song and dance weave people together, enrich lives, and showcase the very best of who we are as a Commonwealth.”
“When the Virginia Arts Festival lifts the curtain, opportunity follows: from students discovering their first symphony to small businesses welcoming their first patrons,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “That’s the Virginia way: creativity that fuels community and growth.”
“Virginia Arts Festival is grateful to be recognized as embodying the spirit of Virginia through our three decades of bringing transformative performances by the world’s great artists to the residents, students, and visitors to southeastern Virginia,” said Executive Director of the Virginia Arts Festival Robert Cross.
“In true support of the spirit of Virginia, the Virginia Arts Festival inspires tens of thousands of school children, providing world-class performances, master classes and workshops, and curriculum support that enables educators to engage students in extraordinarily effective ways,” said Board of Directors Member Maurice Jones.
The Spirit of Virginia Award highlights unique contributions and achievements across the Commonwealth and honors those who make extraordinary impacts in various sectors, from private industry and education to culture, the arts, and philanthropy.
