The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation was established in 2003 to celebrate excellence in the arts and to underline the importance of the arts in Alberta. The Foundation administers two programs of awards to Alberta artists.

The Distinguished Artist Awards program gives up to three awards of $30,000 each in recognition of outstanding achievement in the arts by Albertans or significant contribution to the arts in Alberta.

The Emerging Artist Awards program gives up to ten awards of $10,000 each to support and encourage promising artists early in their careers, who have created a modest body of work, and are recognized by established artists in the same field of artistic endeavour as having potential to achieve excellence in their discipline.

The Awards Programs of the Foundation were established under the founding patronage of The Late Honourable Dr. Lois E. Hole, C.M., A.O.E., Lieutenant Governor of Alberta from 2000 – 2005, and continue under the patronage of His Honour Col. (Ret'd) the Honourable Donald S. Ethell, OC, OMM, AOE, MSC, CD, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

The Honourable Lois Elsa Hole was installed as Alberta’s 15th Lieutenant Governor on February 10th, 2000. A prominent businesswoman, lifelong education advocate, best selling author and community supporter, Lois Hole was born and raised in Buchanan, Saskatchewan.

She moved to Edmonton in her early teens and completed her secondary education at Strathcona Composite High School. Married to Ted Hole, she had two sons, Bill and Jim, and three grandchildren.