Celebrating synergy between business and the arts
The 2021 Business for the Arts Awards honored outstanding business and arts partnerships with a virtual event Tuesday, March 9. The annual luncheon hosted by the Colorado Business Coalition for the Arts (CBCA) celebrates innovative partnerships, generous philanthropy, creative businesses and stellar leadership across the state.
Denver bronze sculptor Yoshitomo Saito created the 12 awards for honorees, shaping sculptures from pine cones. Saito, originally from Tokyo, reflected on his own artistic process in the video below, shared during the virtual luncheon.
The Business for the Arts Awards honorees are exemplary organizations that have gone above and beyond to support the arts and creative industries.
2021 Business for the Arts Awards Honorees
"I always think my work is better than me," Saito said. "My work is more than who I am, what I am – I'm surprised."
The same sense of wonder, and respect, for the creative process can be applied to the partnerships and honorees featured at the award luncheon.
In a year of pandemic closures and restrictions, businesses supporting the arts and creative industries demonstrated incredible ingenuity and collaboration, where the outcomes were greater than the sum of their parts.
View the honorees below and learn about their efforts through 2020.
EY Next Wave Leadership Award
The EY Next Wave Leadership Award honors rising professionals who are leading the future of our cultural community.
- Jose “Chepe” Rosales, Founder and Artistic Director of ArtistiCO, is a trailblazing leader and professional Mexican folklórico dancer with an entrepreneurial spirit who is innovating new ways to advance arts and culture across heritages, generations, borders and technology.
PNC Bank Cultural Leadership Award
The PNC Bank Cultural Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding graduate of CBCA’s Leadership Arts program who has made an impact on arts and culture in Colorado.
- Michael Sattler, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Arts Association, is a true arts champion even in the face of uncertainty leading his 2020 Leadership Arts class to raise a record-breaking amount of scholarship funds while steering the growth of his own organization comprising Denver Gay Men’s Chorus and Denver Women’s Chorus.
Volunteer Attorney Impact Award
The Volunteer Attorney Impact Award recognizes an outstanding lawyer who has provided pro bono legal services to Colorado creatives and advanced CBCA’s Colorado Attorneys for the Arts (CAFTA) program.
- Shirin Chahal, Partner at Law Offices of Daniel T. Goodwin, has transformed a lifelong passion for arts and music into a legal practice that supports the creative industries, including pro bono assistance through CAFTA and civic leadership positions.
John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award
Named for CBCA’s founding chairman, the John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award recognizes a lifetime of extraordinary leadership and a legacy of support for the arts.
- Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero, Founder and Artistic Director of Fiesta Colorado Dance Company, is a pillar in Colorado’s arts community and has been a tireless performer, educator, mentor and catalyst for the Latino arts for over 40 years.
- Carbondale Clay Center plays a vital role in the Roaring Fork Valley as a supportive and healing place to build community through artistic expression and education.
- Charles Schwab has integrated the arts into their metro Denver headquarters and supports a range of accessible and inclusive arts and performance programs at the Lone Tree Arts Center.
- Craig Hospital has embedded the arts into their rehabilitation programs and partners with groups like Phamaly Theatre Company to ensure the arts are accessible for all.
- Eclectic Activation launched Windows of Inspiration, which brings together corporate sponsors, small businesses, and artists to boost awareness and hope during this challenging time.
- Jack’s Solar Garden, a solar-powered farm in Longmont, is cultivating creativity through their Artist on the Farm program and unique community partnerships.
- Levitt Pavilion Denver’s impact extends beyond their 50 free music concerts a year to advance Colorado’s music industry through education, inclusion and advocacy.
- Pizzeria Locale amplifies the transformational power of the arts through partnerships with Access Gallery and Art from Ashes, such as featuring poetry and original artworks on their pizza boxes.
- RedLine Contemporary Art Center has stepped up in countless ways to support Colorado’s creative sector, from administering vital economic relief funds to community organizing for social justice.