WATSONVILLE >> By now, it should be no surprise that Santa Cruz County is teeming with creative, artistic denizens. From painters to poets to musicians to actors to authors, there are tons of skilled artisans who call Santa Cruz home, and it has been that way for decades.

Over the course of 22 years, the Gail Rich Awards honored 159 people who have exemplified the spirit of creativity Santa Cruz County has to offer. The awards were an annual institution that grew in stature and honorees since their inception in 1997 to the last ceremony in 2018. Images of all its recipients can be seen in the new Pajaro Valley Arts exhibit, “The Creatives Among Us: Celebrating 20+ Years of the Gail Rich Awards,” which kicks off with an opening reception Saturday.The Gail Rich Awards began as the project of two Santa Cruz Sentinel staffers: longtime photographer Shmuel Thaler and then-entertainment editor Wallace Baine. Thaler said in the summer of 1996 Baine decided that the paper should set aside the first Sunday of the new year to honor and showcase the creative residents who helped weave “the cultural tapestry of our community.”

“Wallace Baine decided it would be great for us to have an annual award to honor artists in the community, many of whom were not recognized on a national stage,” he said. “He came to me and said, ‘Let’s do a gallery each year of portraits of these folks because we both are so honored to work in this community with such creative forces.’”

To help come up with names for the first honorees, Baine then contacted Gail Rich, a Sentinel arts correspondent who was very plugged into the local art scene. She hosted a weekly classical music show on KUSP-FM, narrated multiple UC Santa Cruz orchestra productions, worked with nationally acclaimed musician Neal Hellman to turn Gourd Music into a well-recognized independent record label and promoted the arts through many Sentinel articles. Rich died unexpectedly at the age of 45 shortly after being contacted by Baine, and the awards were quickly renamed in her honor.

What started as a photo page in 1997 with pictures of the honorees taken by Thaler soon blossomed into a full-on awards ceremony with speeches and performances once the Santa Cruz Cultural Council Associates became involved. As the awards grew over time, Thaler said the venue changed, first being held at the London Nelson Community Center, then Kuumbwa Jazz, then the Rio Theatre.

Among the more than 150 artists honored over the years were blues guitarist Robert Lowery, dancer and choreographer Sara Wilbourne, “Farewell to Manzanar” author Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, “Mary Russell” series author Laurie R. King, actress Lori Rivera, KPIG host “Sleepy” John Sandidge, Santa Cruz Skateboards logo designer Jim Phillips (and his son Jimbo 13 years later), singer-songwriter Mary McCaslin, Ukulele Club founders Andy Andrews and Peter Thomas and many more.

Thaler said recipients were always given opportunities to speak and perform at the ceremonies, which he said served as a tribute to Santa Cruz County as an artistic haven.

“Every year, it was our love letter to Santa Cruz County and the arts community,” he said.

Thaler said the Gail Rich Awards ended shortly after Baine’s departure from the Sentinel and a feeling that the awards ceremony had “lived its life.”

“Twenty-two years is a long time to do any kind of project,” he said. “I kind of wish we would have continued, but then on the other hand, it’s really special that we knew that we did it for the amount of time that we did it, with the incredible support that we had to do it.”

The gallery will feature Thaler’s photos of all the recipients, and he hopes many of the living honorees will be there in person at the reception.

“There will be an opportunity to talk to these luminaries in our arts community and be surrounded by them,” he said. “There will be so much creativity in the room that it will be hard to contain ourselves.”

Thaler hopes the gallery will provide an opportunity for visitors to see the breadth and diversity of Santa Cruz County’s artistic community.

“I’m hoping people will feel the gratitude for living here in this special place that we call home,” he said.

“The Creatives Among Us” gets underway with an opening reception 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Pajaro Valley Arts Porter Building, 280 Main St., Watsonville. The exhibit runs through May 31. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For information, go to PVarts.org.