The Creative Bravos Awards
honoring innovation, entrepreneurship and impact

This fabulous gala celebration of our creative community took place
on April 30, 2011 at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History:


Photos by Mike Sanchez Photography


Photos by Ron Behrmann Photography

About the Creative Bravos

With a 25-year history of honoring artistic excellence, the Bravos Awards have earned a place among Albuquerque’s most exciting and anticipated annual events. In January 2010, the Arts Alliance – which founded and carried out the Bravos tradition – emerged as Creative Albuquerque, with an expanded constituency and an evolved mission to grow the creative economy.

This spring marked the 26th anniversary and, in complement to the organization’s transition, the event emerged as the Creative Bravos Awards. While continuing to honor the arts, it also celebrated the accomplishments of members of our broader creative community.

The Creative Bravos Awards are presented for outstanding achievements within and exceptional contributions made to any sector of the creative economy, recognizing – in particular – the recipients’ innovation, entrepreneurship and impact upon Greater Albuquerque. 

The 2011 Creative Bravos Honorees...

FUSION Theatre Company
John Crawford - Publisher, West End Press
Marjorie Devon - Director, Tamarind Institute
Noberta Fresquez - Founder and Producer, Mariachi Spectacular
Patricia Dickinson - Founder and Artistic Director, Festival Ballet Albuquerque

The People's Choice Award Recipient
Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta

The President's Award Recipient
ReelzChannel & CEO Stan Hubbard

About Our Honorees

FUSION Theatre Company
FUSION Theatre Company incites, celebrates, and inspires community through the art of story telling. The company is dedicated to professional excellence, the awakening of a new audience, and the inspiration of our children, the genesis of our future. From regional premiers, to an internationally heralded playwriting contest, to its promotion of Downtown Albuquerque, FUSION’s impact on the community is profound. Celebrating its tenth year, FUSION is the only professional Actors Equity theatre in the state of New Mexico.  In keeping with the spirit of community support, FUSION provides employment, pension, and healthcare to artists and contributes to other performing arts programs, including those in local schools, by providing rehearsal facilities, performance venues, and technical support.

John Crawford - Publisher, West End Press
John Crawford’s vision for West End Press has offered a platform to writers of diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives for over three decades, gaining critical acclaim in Publisher’s Weekly, the New York Times, and other publications. West End was the first publisher of poets who are now among the most recognized authors of our time, and its New Series, which seeks to present the work of new poets in inexpensive, full‐length volumes, has achieved great success in introducing new writers and poets. Beyond his innovative book publishing program, Crawford is founder of the Albuquerque Cultural Conference, which brings together writers, artists, and activists from around the country who are dedicated to community and social issues for a weekend of readings, performances and panels – on topics as diverse as trauma and performance, prison writing, and digital media.

Marjorie Devon - Director, Tamarind Institute
Marjorie Devon’s accomplishments as Director of the Tamarind Institute over nearly three decades – beyond elevating the profile of Tamarind as an international center for printmaking – include traveling the world to create an expansive artists network; featuring illustrious artists who embrace the honor of printing at Tamarind; writing and publishing catalogs and books; and forging new futures for artists and printmakers in otherwise marginalized communities, including those in New Mexico’s underserved populations. She wrote, edited and published a book entitled Tamarind Forty Years, and worked tirelessly to secure a new, state of the art, highly visible home for Tamarind (opened in 2010). She also re-wrote the Tamarind “Bible” – Tamarind Techniques for Fine Art Lithography, that details the process of lithography and is used throughout the world – and curated Tamarind’s fifty-year retrospective exhibit.

Noberta Fresquez - Founder and Producer, Mariachi Spectacular
Creator and producer of the Mariachi Spectacular, Mariachi Christmas and Viva New Mexico shows, Noberta Fresquez also developed their outreach programs to students in the community. Each year young musicians are able to study mariachi with grand maestros of the trumpet, vihuela, violin, gitarron, harp, and voice, celebrating the culture and tradition of the music and enhancing their own performing skills. Her commitment to quality programming, family, culture, and historical significance are unmatched in producing shows where audiences are educated about what is happening on stage, and eyes and hearts opened to the demonstrated craft and talent there. She has been joined by an army of volunteers and sponsors, in support of her ongoing efforts to beautify our lives through the performing arts.

Patricia Dickinson - Founder and Artistic Director, Festival Ballet Albuquerque
Patricia Dickinson has been founder or artistic director of four dance companies in Albuquerque: Ballet Theatre of New Mexico, Southwest Civic Ballet, New Mexico Ballet Company and now the region’s newest dance company, Festival Ballet Albuquerque. A talented dancer and inspiring choreographer who has performed in films, commercials and produced 15 albums for the ballet classroom and three instructional videos, Patricia is a successful entrepreneur and a significant community presence. For nearly two decades, she has brought dance to public school children with her History of Dance and Discovery workshops – which will reach 6,000 students this year. These workshops are being adapted for mature adults, and she also teaches dance to seniors and coaches award-winning Senior Olympic talent show dance teams. Patricia has also devotedly raised funds and awareness for University of New Mexico Hospital Burn Center, through programs like Celebrate Life. 

People's Choice Award Recipient

Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta

The 2011 Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta (AFAF) is the 8th biennial show dedicated to fiber arts education and the display of fiber-related artwork. Hosted by Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council, Inc., the Fiesta includes both juried and judged works organized by 17 co-sponsoring New Mexico fiber arts guilds. The 2011 Fiesta received 632 exhibit entry applications and will host a mall of 70 vendors, fashion shows, guild and vendor demos, classes, workshops and exhibits. AFAF is the first recipient of the Creative Bravos People's Choice Award and received over 25% of the total votes!

President's Choice Award Recipient

ReelzChannel & CEO Stan Hubbard
ReelzChannel is an independent cable channel broadcasting to 60 million homes nationwide. In 2009, Stan Hubbard consolidated its production, programming, web development, creative services, and marketing and communications divisions in Albuquerque. Owned by satellite television pioneer Hubbard Media Group, the ReelzChannel network and website brands were first launched in September 2006. ReelzChannel is the only cable/satellite network and website dedicated to everything about movies. The network and its website feature entertaining original programs and content that offer a fresh perspective on the movies, from behind-the-scenes to what to see tonight at home or in the theater.

"ReelzChannel’s arrival in Albuquerque has meant 100 new jobs, and has solidified New Mexico’s place in the film and television production industry,” says Brian Morris, Creative Albuquerque’s Board President. “This is exactly the kind of entrepreneurial vision and creative economy impact we seek to promote, grow and recognize in the community.”

Thank You to Our 2011 Creative Bravos Sponsors

                    

                             

            

Guy & Nina Hobbs     

Geer, Wissel & Levy P.A.

Please contact us for sponsorship information.