Excellence in Public Service to the Arts: KRWG FM/TV
The Excellence in Public Service to the Arts Award, sponsored by Steve Newby Architects & Associates, PC, recognizes outstanding contributions by an individual or government organization for their contribution in the arts. This year it is awarded to KRWG FM/TV, which has an extended, multicultural reach into our borderland community. Located on the New Mexico State University campus and with the strong leadership of Glen Cerny, the station builds on its National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service affiliations to bolster the arts and cultural life of Las Cruces, southern New Mexico, and far west Texas.
The station’s arts and cultural involvement is as varied as the listening and viewing audiences. Included in the lineup of education and entertainment is music programming, support for the performing arts, and support for the Las Cruces museums. KRWG’s new oral history programming figures prominently in the cultural lives of listeners and viewers in Alamogordo, Deming, El Paso, and Silver City.
On KRWG-FM, the bilingual Fiesta!, hosted by Emiky Guerra and Intermezzo, hosted by Cherokee Sullinger and Leora Zeitlin, are long-time radio programs that link Hispanic and Latino and classical audiences in the listening area. KRWG hosts Story Corps, which has collected stories that are unique to Las Cruces, the Mesilla Valley, and the borderland. The oral histories are shared on www.krwg.org.
For TV audiences, Plácticas, locally produced by PRC Productions with the Mesquite Historic Society, presented the stories and traditions of Mesilla Valley pioneers.
Fred Martino was recently awarded the New Mexico Broadcasters Association’s Excellence in Broadcasting Award in the large market radio website category for "The Region's Home Page" -www.krwg.org. Simon Thompson, a reporter and producer at KRWG, won the association’s Local Television Programming award for "Issues and Answers: Our Water Future."
Each year, the Doña Ana Arts Council awards community members and organizations for their exemplary support of the arts. This year, the Community Arts Awards presentation will be held Wednesday, September 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Hotel Encanto, 705 S. Telshor Boulevard in Las Cruces. The event is generously sponsored by Heritage Hotels and Resorts and is free for all who would like to honor and celebrate with the award recipients.
The Papen Family Award was first presented in 1986 to Dr. John Glowacki. Other awards have been added over the years, honoring more than 125 art-supporting individuals and organizations. In 2016, three individuals, a couple, and an organization will receive well-deserved praise and recognition for their contributions to the community.
Community Arts Award: Megan McQueen
The Community Arts Award, sponsored by New Mexico Cardiac Care, recognizes an individual or business whose motivation, service, and example have made a marked impact on the cultural life of our community. This year’s recipient is community arts dynamo, Megan McQueen, who is a theatrical performer, director, musical director, choreographer, designer, educator, volunteer, and philanthropist.
As a director and actor, McQueen has presented productions at the Las Cruces Community Theatre, No Strings Theatre, Doña Ana Lyric Opera, NMSU Theatre Arts, and the Rio Grande Theater, to name just a few of her repertoire of activities.
In addition, McQueen has provided arts education through her work at many area schools — elementary, high school, and NMSU. The student feedback is unanimously positive, citing McQueen’s investment in their development as artists and her abiding interest in their personal well-being and growth.
McQueen’s volunteer involvement includes serving on the board of directors of the American Southwest Theatre Company both as treasurer and fundraiser extraordinaire, including producing five major annual fundraising concerts. She has also organized and provided musical entertainment to support charitable causes such as local animal organizations and the March of Dimes. McQueen recently won the Woman of Distinction honor from the Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest.
As a philanthropist, McQueen supports various emerging artists. She strongly believes in encouraging art in the community and attends productions, fundraisers, and exhibits as a show of support. This includes buying something at every silent auction and generously donating items to other auctions.
As a McQueen supporter states, “Megan is our community’s best arts cheerleader!”
Arts in Education Award: Tim Staley
The Arts in Education Award, sponsored by Anna Pérez-Wright, honors an individual whose leadership and pioneering spirit promote and shape visual and performing arts education initiatives. It will be presented this year to poet, lyricist, rapper, teacher, mentor, and motivator Tim Staley.
The multi-faceted Staley, originally from Montgomery, Alabama, lives in Las Cruces with his wife and daughter. He completed a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from New Mexico State University in 2004.
Among Staley’s many accomplishments was initiating and leading poetry camps and working as an adjunct instructor at NMSU teaching up to 12 classes a year, one of which was called “Slam, Song and Poem.”
When Staley began teaching at Oñate High School 10 years ago, he introduced poetry into lessons directed to his special education students. In his creative writing classes, Staley asks students to analyze the lyrics of the songs they download, helping them understand the music through a creative lens.
This self-starter has sponsored “Poetry Out Loud” for eight years, a state contest where students recite famous poems for an audience. His students have placed, won, and gone on to nationals in Washington, D.C. Staley has also initiated an open mic event at KTAL radio where area students read their poems and short fiction to an audience.
Staley’s full-length collection of poetry, Lost On My Own Street published by Pski’s Porch Press, was released this year. His newest poetry chapbook, The Most Honest Syllable Is Shhh, is scheduled for release by Night Ballet Press in 2017. He founded Grandma Moses Press in 1992 and currently serves as publisher.
Newcomer Award: J. Pat and Cindy Breedlove
The Newcomer Award, sponsored by Ron Saltzman, is presented to those who have shown leadership and support of the arts while having lived in Doña Ana County for fewer than five years. J. Pat and Cindy Breedlove burst onto the Las Cruces arts scene when they decided to “retire” here three years ago.
They bring with them an impressive background in publishing magazines. In addition, the Breedloves produced art catalogues in California and thirty other states and regions across the United States. They’ve hosted juried art shows and international art workshops for artists and instructors.
Once in Las Cruces, the dynamic couple hit the ground running. Their involvement with SCORE led to a relationship with the Doña Ana Arts Council through its Promoting Art in Las Cruces program. They have been tireless with their guidance to help artists think and act like smart business people. Their seminar on “The Business of Art & Marketing” gave local artists the benefit of their years of experience.
The Breedloves are passionate about promoting artists in the Las Cruces area. They explain, “Las Cruces can and should be the arts center of southern New Mexico, generating income and prestige for our city and county government and benefitting the entire community.”
Papen Family Award: Teresita Gonzalez-Corral
The Papen Family Award, sponsored by the Cutter Gallery, honors an individual who has demonstrated exemplary commitment to the arts through leadership, service, and/or financial support. The award goes to Teresita Gonzalez-Corral, who has supported the arts in both El Paso and Las Cruces. Since 2014, she has served as president of El Paso Pro Musica, which brings celebrated concert music to the borderland. Their extensive outreach program shares this music with schools, the elderly, and others who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend performances.
From 2008 – 2011, Gonzalez-Corral was co-owner and president of Wise Latina International, that organized concerts to raise funds for local charities and for students attending medical school.
Gonzalez-Corral also serves on the host committee for the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, served as chief briefing judge for the Miss New Mexico from 2002 – 2015, serves as the chairman for the board of governors for the Diocese of Las Cruces, is on the development board for Girls Scouts of America, and the board of Little Amigo Child Development Center. In addition, she chaired Polo for a Purpose, which supports the American Cancer Society.
A supporter says of her, “Never have I met anyone who embodies the standards, spirit, and involvement expected for a recipient of the Papen Family Award as Teresita Gonzalez-Corral. She has been among the most visible and influential proponents of the arts while nurturing the philanthropic side of numerous donors of the region.”
Information from The Doña Ana Arts Council