Crush, Clyfford Still, Shakespeare Fest lead Mayor's Arts Awards

Six groups and individuals are being with the Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in Arts & Culture for their significant and lasting contributions to the arts in the City and County of Denver.

“These award recipients exemplify Denver’s vibrant and diverse cultural and artistic scene,” Denver Mayor Michael Hancock says. “Through the work of these dedicated and inspiring individuals and groups, the arts have become more accessible, visible, interactive and integrated into the lives of our residents and visitors.”

The winners were chosen by a panel made up of members of the Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs, Denver Arts & Venues employees and community members involved in arts and culture in Denver.

The winners are:

• Arts & Culture Youth Award: Denver Public Schools for the 34-year-old Shakespeare Festival, the oldest and largest student Shakespeare Festival in the Country.
• Arts & Culture Impact Award: Mexican Cultural Center, which over the last 25 years has developed a variety of cultural and educational programs designed to increase awareness and highlight the importance of Mexican culture in the United States, particularly in Colorado.
• Arts & Culture Global Award: Clyfford Still Museum, which in September 2016 sent nine paintings from its collection to the Royal Academy of Arts in London for a seminal exhibition on Abstract Expressionism.
• Arts & Culture Innovation Award: Crush, Colorado’s largest independent graffiti and street art project and event.
• IMAGINE 2020 Award: Irene Vilar, who for more than a decade has demonstrated how the arts can be an effective and impactful vehicle for raising social awareness and inspiring action.
• Leadership in the Arts Award: Floyd Ciruli, who has worked with a variety of organizations and public officials to build a coalition of support for the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.

Hancock also presented the IMAGINE 2020 District Challenge Award to Denver Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore for the “Community Channels” mural, which community members and Montbello High School students and artist Pat Milbery created in the canal at 51st Avenue and Crown Boulevard.