Creative Flagstaff is pleased to announce the Finalists and Legacy Award Recipient for the 14^th Annual Viola Awards. The Viola Awards celebrate excellence in the arts and sciences in Flagstaff, Arizona. 41 finalists are recognized across 10 categories, with some finalists being recognized in multiple categories. All finalists will be honored at the event, along with the recipient of the Viola Legacy Award, on Saturday, April 30, 2022, at the Orpheum Theater in historic downtown Flagstaff. (Full list of finalists below).

Creative Flagstaff is honored to recognize Jim Babbitt as the 2022 Legacy Award recipient. Jim passed away in the fall of 2021. During his life, he played an instrumental role in the vibrancy of Flagstaff’s culture. Jim worked humbly to support arts, culture, and science in our community – contributing time and resources to many of our beloved institutions. And literally wrote the history of Flagstaff by authoring three books that examined Flagstaff’s history.

The Viola Awards is an apt place to celebrate his contributions and honor his legacy in Flagstaff. The Babbitt Brothers Foundation has served as the Founding Sponsor of the Viola Awards since its inception, 14 years ago. Jim was modest in his personal recognition and an enthusiastic participant of the event.

The Viola Awards are named after Viola Babbitt, who was an artist and fierce advocate of the arts in Flagstaff, and a relative of Jim Babbitt. In 2008, Jim Babbitt founded a $20,000 endowment to ensure the sustainability of the Viola Awards for the Flagstaff community. We are honored to recognize his legacy. And, we are grateful.

In a record year, nearly 300 nominations were sent to Creative Flagstaff from members of the community. At the same time, nearly 40 members of the Flagstaff community applied to serve as a panelist for this year’s awards. Panelists have the important job of determining the finalists and winners of the event. Panels were assembled based on interest and expertise. Panels met in early February to select the official Finalists which were announced Sunday, March 6, 2022.

Two new categories have been added this year to expand the awards: the Excellence in Collaboration Award and the Philanthropy Award. The Excellence in Collaboration award honors a collaborative effort completed in 2021 or that had significant achievement in 2021 which brought together different disciplines, mediums, organizations, or businesses to produce or support a project of outstanding achievement in arts, science, and/or culture in greater Flagstaff. The Philanthropy Award honors a philanthropist, foundation, government entity, sponsor, underwriter, or fundraising activity or event for meaningful contribution to Flagstaff’s cultural and creative sectors in 2021. Investment can be for profit or nonprofit, support one creative practitioner/organization or more broadly support the efforts of many.

A Community Meeting held in October 2021 informed this year’s awards, which included the addition of a panelist application, more wide-spread marketing for nominations, and refined finalist criteria. These changes have been made to continue Creative Flagstaff’s efforts to make the Viola Awards as inclusive as possible.

2022 Official Viola Award Finalists

Excellence in the Visual Arts

• Bryan David Griffith: Watershed
• Charles Decker: Murals at Kutz Barber Shop & Beauty College
• Museum of Northern Arizona: Journey to Balance: Migration and Healing in Three Hopi Murals
• Rebekah Nordstrom: One Hundred: The (un)Essential Series
• Will Ambrose: The Forest

Excellence in the Performing Arts

• Ballet Folklórico de Colores & NAU Wind Symphony: Escenas
• Dark Sky Aerial: OMEN
• Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival: Midsummer Night’s Dream
• MOCAF & Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival: Co-Vids
• NAU Theater: Moving Through Grief

Excellence in Music

• iiwaa
• Tré Orona & Tsoh Tso
• Tha Yoties
• WinterHaven

Excellence in Storytelling

• Ash Davidson: Damnation Spring
• Dark Sky Aerial, Sandcast Media, & Firewatch Media: OMEN
• Deidra Peaches: Lifeways of the Little Colorado River
• Sandcast Media: They/Them
• Will Cordeiro: Trap Street

Emerging Artist

• Dana Kamberg
• Ember Crowley
• iiwaa
• Tyrrell Tapaha

Excellence in Education

• Diane Immenthun
• Louise Scott
• Rena Hamilton
• Steven Hemphill

Excellence in Collaboration

• Art Loft Collective
• Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra & Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival: Family Pops Concert
• MOCAF & Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival: Co-Vids
• Kyle & Gretta Miller: Serenade

Community Impact (Individual)

• Carrie Dallas
• Jake Bacon
• Lyncia Begay

Community Impact (Organization)

• Ballet Folklórico de Colores
• Threaded Together
• Tynkertopia

Philanthropy Award

• Arizona Public Service
• Dark Sky Brewing
• Flinn Foundation
• Randy Beaumont

The full list of 2022 Viola Awards finalists can be found here.