State of the Arts, one of the longest-running arts programs in the nation, has won its 35th Emmy Award for the segment "Layqa", which follows Newark-based Indigenous Ecuadorian artist Layqa Nuna Yawar as he creates a colossal mural for Newark Liberty International Airport's newly redesigned Terminal A. The segment's producer, Sam Vladimirsky, won a New York Emmy Award in the "Arts/Entertainment - Short Form Content" category. The award ceremony took place on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at the New York Marriot Marquis in Manhattan.

To celebrate the opening of the new Terminal A, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Newark Liberty International Airport, teamed up with Public Art Fund in one of the largest public arts projects since the New Deal era. Layqa Nuna Yawar's mural was designed to be a welcoming and inclusive tribute to all people.

“I feel extraordinarily lucky to tell true stories for a living, and even luckier when those stories concern working artists and immigrant communities,” said producer Sam Vladimirsky. “With ‘Layqa’, I got to do both, and my heart is full. This Emmy is for them.”

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a division of the New Jersey Department of State, is a co-producer of State of the Arts with Stockton University, in cooperation with PCK Media. For over forty years, State of the Arts has chronicled the cultural life of New Jersey.

“That State of the Arts has been recognized in this way, with such a competitive award, speaks volumes about the manifold stories New Jersey has to tell the world,” said Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way. “Thanks to our State Arts Council's longstanding support, State of the Arts has faithfully uplifted these stories about our state's vast diversity of artistic excellence for all to see. I am honored to work with the State Arts Council, and so proud of the State of the Arts team for bringing this Emmy award home.”

“We are passionate about sharing the work of New Jersey artists and arts organizations with the world in every way we can,” said Allison Tratner, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. “We love working with the State of the Arts team to make this happen season after season. As State of the Arts viewers are well aware, the New Jersey arts community never fails to astound and inspire, and 'Layqa', which is such a unique, beautiful, and thought-provoking piece, is a perfect example of that.”

Long-time Series Producer Susan Wallner remarked: "State of the Arts has won many awards over the years, among them 35 New York and Mid Atlantic Emmys. This latest one for 'Layqa,' produced by the talented Sam Vladimirsky, is an intimate glimpse of a New Jersey artist at work, juxtaposing his own experience as an immigrant with the placement of his new mural in an international, 'gateway' airport. State of the Arts is proud that this story will reach viewers today and far into the future with a compelling view of one artist’s vision of what it means to live and work in New Jersey today."

Ian Marshall, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Stockton University, a co-producer of State of the Arts, had this to say: “The State of the Arts team understands the dynamic art scene in New Jersey so well. The insightful and nuanced way in which they see and hear the state and its people has been the hallmark of the show since its inception, and that is so clearly demonstrated in 'Layqa' - a beautiful piece that is itself uniquely American. How fitting that 'Layqa' should win an Emmy. The vision that this artist lays out to capture the everyday in art, coupled with the film’s ability to animate it with the lived experiences of his subjects, is wonderful. State of the Arts is a gift to the Garden State.”

“I've often wondered what it was like for my immigrant parents to arrive in the United States,” said “Layqa” producer Sam Vladimirsky. “Not just in the larger sense, but literally. What was that first day like? How did they feel walking through the airport? What was their introduction to this country? Newark Liberty International Airport has been the site of that introduction for so many people, and it’s inspiring to me that the airport commissioned permanent artworks that reflect the landscape and history of New Jersey from the immigrant perspective. Eternal gratitude to Layqa Nuna Yawar for his singular vision, co-director/cinematographer/editor Cody Ball, composer John Zarcone, the entire State of the Arts team, Public Art Fund, Newark Liberty International Airport, and co-producers New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Stockton University.”

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, created in 1966, is a division of the NJ Department of State and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. The Council was established to encourage and foster public interest in the arts; enlarge public and private resources devoted to the arts; promote freedom of expression in the arts; and facilitate the inclusion of art in every public building in New Jersey. The Council believes the arts are central to every element we value most in a modern society including: human understanding; cultural and civic pride; strong communities; excellent schools; lifelong learning; creative expression; and economic opportunity.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF STATE OF THE ARTS