Arts Council awards to honor Barbara Hubbard, Kathleen Albers, Spaceport America, more

The Doña Ana Arts Council (DAAC) will honor some of the community’s most important art advocates of the year during its 34^th annual Community Arts Awards ceremony, which will be held 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at The Hood, 3206 Harrelson St., at the corner of Harrelson and Bell Avenue in Mesilla Park.

Refreshments will be provided by local businesses and volunteers, DAAC Executive Director Greg Smith said. Seating will be limited, so reservations will be required. Visit daarts.org for tickets and more information.  Tickets are $10 each or $15 for a couple.

“We are fortunate to have so many outstanding artists and supporters of the arts in our region, and we are honored to announce the 2021 awardees from among that large and talented group,” Smith said. They include Norman Todd, David Chavez, Barbara Hubbard, Svea Peterson, Patricia Gill Brown, Kathleen Albers, Kathy Morrow and Spaceport America/Las Cruces Space Festival.  Smith added, “All of them have given so much to make our region a more vibrant and interesting place to live and to visit.”

Here are this year’s award winners:

• Cultural Heritage and Development Award (new this year): Presented to David Chavez for his many years of advocacy for historic preservation and the arts.
• Debi True Rounds Newcomer Award: fiber artist and teacher Svea Peterson.
• Arts in Education Award: storyteller Patricia Brown Gill.
• Community Arts Award: Former DAAC executive director and longtime arts advocate Kathleen Albers.
• Art in Public Places Award: painter Kathy Morrow.
• Public Service to the Arts: Spaceport America and the Las Cruces Space Festival for their collaboration on the Dawn of Discovery Arts Integration Project.
• Glowacki Lifetime Achievement Award: Barbara Hubbard, who served 1968-98 as special events director for New Mexico State University.
• Papen Family Award (presented by former state Sen. Mary Kay Papen): community activist and arts supporter Norman Todd. The award will be presented posthumously.

The theme of this year’s awards ceremony is “Not Your Ordinary Black Tie Event.”

“Attire is ‘dressy casual,’ meaning ties are not required,” Smith said.

“However, fun ties in any color will be encouraged, and artistically decorated ones will be available. It promises to be a fun and celebratory evening,” said Smith, noting that DAAC has proclaimed 2021 is the year of the artist.

Because 2021 is also the 50^th year of both DAAC and the DAAC-sponsored Renaissance ArtsFaire, local artist Linda Gendall created a unique work of art to commemorate these golden anniversaries and the arts awards, Smith said. Reproductions of the work will be used for the event programs and the awards, and the original work of art will be auctioned at the event.