Governor to honor Pratt

COEUR d'ALENE - When Ruth Pratt accepts an award for her work in support of the arts from Gov. Butch Otter on Thursday in Boise, she'll thank him for the honor with an artistic expression of her own.

Pratt, the executive director of the Coeur d'Alene Public Library Foundation, is one of this year's recipients of the Governor's Award in the Arts, an honor bestowed every two years in recognition of artistic excellence and support of the arts to individuals or organizations throughout Idaho.

As she receives a silver medallion from the governor and first lady, Pratt's acceptance serenade will be, "We've Gotta Have Art," a parody of the Broadway show tune, "You've Gotta Have Heart."

Michael Faison, the director of the Idaho Commission on the Arts, made it clear Pratt was chosen for the honor because she's got both - heart and art.

"She's such a powerhouse in the arts and culture in the state," Faison said. "Her ominipresence, whether it's her singing, or her board and charitable work, it all makes for a person who really makes a difference."

Pratt has been the executive director of the library foundation since 2003, and helped lead the capital campaign that raised millions of dollars to build the new public library building that opened next to Coeur d'Alene City Hall in 2007.

Faison said Pratt's dedication to the arts is reflected in her work at the library, and in the presence of public art throughout the building.

Pratt said she was surprised when she learned she had been selected for the Governor's Award.

"The most meaningful thing for me is that my friends and colleagues took the time and trouble to nominate me," Pratt said. "Every one of them is qualified to win this award."

Roberta Larsen, who works with Pratt on the library foundation, is one of the people who recommended Pratt for the honor. She sits with Pratt on several other boards.

"One of the most enchanting things about her is whenever she has an opportunity, she'll sing," Larsen said. "We'll often have a live performance at a meeting."

Larsen said that with her background in education, Pratt has enhanced many of the library foundation's projects.

Born and raised in Ohio, Pratt has degrees in speech and speech pathology, and a Ph.D. in organizational communication. She and her husband moved to Coeur d'Alene in 2002.

Pratt is a member of the board of directors of the Idaho Nonprofit Center, the Arts and Culture Alliance of Coeur d'Alene, Spokane Public Radio, Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre and the Downtown Association.

She is a vocalist specializing in music of the 1930s-1940s: jazz standards and the "great American songbook." She currently performs with the Coeur d'Alene Big Band, Tuxedo Junction Big Band, and various smaller jazz groups in concerts around the Northwest.

The Governor's Awards in the Arts was initiated in 1970 by the Idaho Commission on the Arts to stimulate awareness of the arts in the state.