Creative Flagstaff is pleased to announce the Finalists and Legacy Award Recipient for the 17^th Annual Viola Awards. The Viola Awards celebrate excellence in the arts and sciences in Flagstaff, Arizona. 48 finalists are recognized across 11 categories, with some finalists being recognized in multiple categories. All finalists will be honored at the event on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the Orpheum Theater in historic downtown Flagstaff. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.

(Full list of finalists below).

Creative Flagstaff is honored to recognize Randy Beaumont as the 2025 Babbitt Brothers Foundation Viola Legacy Award recipient. Randy, who passed away in November 2024, dedicated 40 years to the arts in Flagstaff, playing a vital role in keeping Flagstaff Light Opera Company (FLOC)—later known as Flagstaff Music Theatre (FMT)—thriving. His passion for theater and craftsmanship ensured that every production featured stunning sets, sometimes even with standout elements like a flying helicopter!

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Bellevue, Washington, Randy developed a love for music through his mother, a concert-level cellist and violinist in chamber music groups. While studying at Whitman College, friends jokingly called him a monotone—an assumption quickly disproven when he began singing in a church choir in Ama, Michigan. He later earned a PhD in Chemistry and taught at Alma College before moving to Flagstaff with his wife, Janetta, in 1983. He immediately joined the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany choir, where he sang for 40 years.

Randy’s involvement with FLOC began when he joined the cast of one of its first Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. He went on to perform in nearly every production for years, served on the Board of Directors for both FLOC and FMT for over 25 years, and played a key role in the company’s growth. Recognizing the need for a dedicated space to store costumes and build sets, Randy purchased a building on 6th Avenue and generously provided free use of the space until his passing. Some of his most memorable set pieces included the “Dolly Trolley,” originally built for Hello, Dolly! and later featured in multiple parades, as well as a beautifully crafted wooden boat for Pirates of Penzance.

Randy will be remembered for his kindness, his unwavering support of the arts, his love of singing and acting, and the incredible, imaginative sets he created. His legacy continues to inspire and enrich Flagstaff’s creative community.

This year nearly 150 nominations were sent to Creative Flagstaff from members of the Flagstaff Community. At the same time, nearly 30 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 late January to select the official Finalists which were announced Sunday, February 16, 2025.

Learn more about this year’s Viola Awards here.

2025 Official Viola Award Finalists

Emerging Artist Finalists

• Parker McGraw
• Ian Hall
• Liv Scott

Excellence in Collaboration

• The Foundry – Art in the Open
• Interference Series
• SWARM at the Hive
• The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci

Community Impact Individual

• Dr. Alice Christie
• Caitlin Burd
• Candace Zona Ryan Schmid
• Kayley Quick

Community Impact Organization

• The Hive
• CocoNuts
• Open Doors: Art in Action
• The Give Back
• Threshold Choir

Excellence in Education Individual

• Heather Cureton
• Sonja London-Hall
• Betsy Hamill
• Owen Davis
• Rob Wallace

Excellence in Education Organization

• Willow Bend Environmental Education Center
• Flagstaff Festival of Science
• Momentum Aerial
• Lowell Marley Foundation – Astronomy Discovery Center

Local Artisan

• Jonah Hill
• Joshua Meyer
• Jara Nez
• Haley Jacoby

Excellence in Music

• Rising of the Flower Moon Piano Concert
• F-Town Sound
• August Remedy
• Adam Bruce
• Tow’rs

Excellence in Performing Arts

• GwenDolin Cometh
• Simply Silly Shakespeare
• Cabaret
• Kathleen McGeever – Director of RENT
• Kathleen Leatherwood – Rose in Gypsy

Excellence in Storytelling

• Becki Zaritsky – Big Tumor, Young Woman
• Pop Goes the Ferret!
• Susan Johnson – Wicked Flagstaff

Excellence in Visual Arts

• Fredrica Hall – One Blood at the Precipice
• Jaques Cazo – Forever Changes
• Shawn Skabelund – There Largness Passes Through Me; Convergence; Coyote Makes
  the World
• Jill Sans – Lost in Hue
• Chip Thomas – Southside Mural

A huge thank you to everyone who submitted nominations and to the panelists who helped
choose this year’s finalists. Your participation is what makes the Viola Awards such a special
celebration of the arts.

We look forward to seeing you at the Orpheum Theater on April 26th to celebrate the
incredible talent and creativity of our community. It’s going to be a night to remember!