BDA Honorees_Rough from Creative Alliance of New Orleans on Vimeo.
2014 “Makers of the Year” Honorees
“Maker of the Year” (Overall): William Goldring, for his long time business interests based in New Orleans; his major arts philanthropy including for the Ogden Museum of American Art, other arts and educational institutions and programs, and for the wonderful Woldenberg Park.
Visual Arts: Gina Phillips, considering her original place based art works, her
outstanding one-person show at the Ogden this year; her unique sewn and painted works, and community service.
Bruce Davenport Jr., considering his unique art works that highlight the neighborhood and school culture of New Orleans.
Performing Arts: Art Spot, Director Kathy Randels, for her consistently original, innovative productions and screenplays that integrate elements of New Orleans cultural legacy as well as broader theatrical themes, including the recent production of “Cry You One”.
Music: Jazz and Heritage Foundation, Don Marshall Director, for broadening the annual schedule of musical presentations and bringing them to neighborhoods throughout the city.
Hurray for the Riff Raff, which is presenting original music that builds on a folk theme, and has chosen New Orleans as home.
Music Publication: Jan Ramsey for her many years of publishing Off-Beat the consumer and trade music publication with a worldwide audience, and general support for the music and arts community.
Film: Jolene Pinder for raising the bar dramatically for the New Orleans Film Festival to attract national screenings, a broader audience from both New Orleans and outside the city, and calling attention to locally based independent productions.
Dance: Ausetta amor Amenkum, Artistic Director, Kumbuka African Dance and Drum Collective, Over 35 years in New Orleans as Cultural bearer and preservationist of traditional dances and cultural practices of New Orleans and Congo Square. Professor of West African Dance at Tulane University, Department of Theater and Dance.
Literature: Brenda Marie Osbey, former poet laureate of Louisiana and author of “history and other poems” for her Brilliance in narrative literature.
Faulkner Society, for shining a spotlight on the long legacy and growing pool of literary talent in a city more known for music and architecture. With its annual festival, numerous talks with artists, and awards program, it has celebrated the literary talent that is drawn to and nurtured in a city as no other in the country.
Architecture: Eskew, Dumez, Ripple, recognizing decades, (exact no. of years to be noted) of architectural excellence that has greatly impacted the landscape of New Orleans with innovative and excellent design.
Preservation and Building Arts: Landis Construction Company for consistent appreciation and realization of both contemporary and restoration architecture.
Teddy Pierre, a master building craftsman who has kept alive the New Orleans tradition of building arts craftsmen and women who built the cottages, shotgun houses and stately buildings that gave New Orleans the architectural landscape other cities can only envy.
Landscape Architecture: Austin Allen for his work in developing designs and organizing to enhance the Bayou side of the Lower 9th Ward.
Florist: Mona’s Accents for consistently beautiful, original and accessibly priced floral art.
Interior Design: Lee Ledbetter Design for work that builds on a unique mix of cosmopolitan, southern elegant, and innovative, contemporary design.
Design: Mitchell Gaudet, Glass designer and mentor to generations of glass designers and artists
Kate McNee Designs, for her exuberant hat designs, especially the carnival themed headpieces that reflect the artist’s love of costuming and Carnival.
Public Art: Sculpture New Orleans, Director, Michael Manjarris, for single handedly placing public art work in neighborhoods throughout New Orleans, helping New Orleans to claim the mantle of having more sculpture per capita than any other American city.
Graphic Art: Phillip Collier for decades of creative graphic work, and his recently published “Making New Orleans” book celebrating the makers of New Orleans.
Ayo Scott for his enterprising and artful graphic work and the model he offers other young artists looking to build sustainable careers in art.
Art Gallery: Boyd Satellite Gallery, Blake Boyd and Ginette Bone for courageously stepping beyond Boy’s personal art production to presenting unusually themed exhibitions of work by New Orleans based as well as international artists.
Antenna/Press Street Gallery and Bob Snead for founding one of the key hubs for the burgeoning St. Claude Art scene, and arts coalition building.
Jewelry: Mignon Faget, for decades of original, evocative, elegant jewelry reflecting New Orleans and Gulf Coast influences and for fostering the work of other artists in jewelry.
Entertainment Venue: Café Istanbul, Chuck Perkins proprietor, offering a new community oriented venue that welcomes new performers in a neighborhood evolving into a major arts district.
Manufactured Products: Krewe D’Optic, offering contemporary, well designed and locally manufactured eyeglasses.
Amechi Ugwu bowties for elegant, new age menswear with classic notes of luxury linens designed and manufactured in New Orleans.
Retail: Shake Sugary,and Cake Café for providing a delectable selection of pastries, quiches, breakfast goodies, and custom made pies, tarts and cakes and redefining the baked goods world through their outposts in the St. Claude neighborhood.
Support for Arts: Susan Brennan for keeping our New Orleans based arts biennial, Prospect New Orleans, going forward and growing into a nationally recognized event attracting visitors and celebrating original art from New Orleans and elsewhere, and realizing the long held dream of creating a bona fide film/video studio in New Orleans, the Second Line movie studio and sound stage.
Art Education: Ron Bechet, Director of the Art Department at Xavier University, has been a mentor to young artists for more than two decades, and has somehow found time to be an important voice at the tables of many New Orleans arts associations and to make beautiful art.
Culinary Arts: Dinner Lab, a membership based social dining experiment that unites undiscovered chefs with adventurous diners for unique dining experiences on rooftops, warehouses, or abandoned commercial spaces.
Wayne Bacquet’s Lil’ Dizzy’s has been “recovery central” for the entire city and most of the visitors who have come here to do their share for a city on the mend. The welcoming staff, New Orleans style comfort food, and “general store” like conviviality between long time residents and fresh faces has eased the stress for so many who have been rebuilding one of the world’s most important cities.
Digtial Media: Flatland is a full-service production company in New Orleans, Louisiana led by a group of artists; directors, animators, designers, illustrators and filmmakers. The team comes from a variety of artistic backgrounds; each contributing a unique style, method and perspective.
Art Publication: Justin Shiels, a graphic artist, web designer, brand developer for his INVADE NOLA biweekly online magazine that informs New Orleanians of what is happening in the exploding New Orleans cultural neighborhoods.
