16th Annual Viola Awards
The 16th Annual Viola Awards are set for Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Orpheum Theater
Join us on March 23rd to celebrate excellence in Flagstaff’s creative community.
Celebrating Creative Excellence
Creative Flagstaff is excited to announce that the 16th Annual Viola Awards will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff.
The Viola Awards are Flagstaff’s Oscars for the arts community. Celebrating excellence in the arts, the Viola Awards recognize artists, educators, organizations, and leaders who make positive contributions to the arts in Flagstaff. Over 400 people attend the event to celebrate and support these distinguished artists and professionals.
The 16th Annual Viola Awards are Saturday, March 23, 2024
Tickets are on sale!
Legacy Award
Honors a lifetime contribution to the advancement of Flagstaff as a culturally engaged, equitable, artistic, creative, and curious community. Past winners of the Legacy Award have significant achievements in the arts and sciences, both in Flagstaff and beyond.
Beginning in 2022, the award stretches beyond arts or sciences to more broadly represent Flagstaff’s cultural sector. Legacy honorees are selected by the Creative Flagstaff Board of Directors.
The Babbitt Brothers Foundation Viola Legacy Award: Honoring Klee Benally
We are honored to recognize Klee Benally as our 2024 Babbitt Brothers Foundation Viola Legacy Award.
Klee Benally
Creative Flagstaff is proud to honor Klee Benally as the 2024 Babbitt Brothers Foundation Legacy Award recipient. Klee passed away in December 2023. During his life, he fought tirelessly in the defense of the land, against injustices, and in support of indigenous communities which was the foundation for his creative practice and artistry. He was an Indigenous Anarchist, visual and performing artist, writer, and musician. He published “No Spiritual Surrender: Indigenous Anarchy in Defense of the Sacred” in November 2023. He played with Backfire, which he formed with his brother and sister when he was 14 until 2012 and he recorded a solo album in 2013. He also formed “Appropriation” around 2017, which released one album. Klee was heavily involved with organizations and projects such as; Indigenous Action, Taala Hooghan Info Shop, Kinlani Mutual Aid, and Out Your Backpack Media. He also created Burn the Fort, which is a game of Indigenous Resistance. Klee’s passion and creativity were endless and he is an inspiration to us all.
16th Annual Viola Awards Winners
Excellence in Visual Art
Paula Rice: Transformation and Transcendence
Excellence in Performing Arts
Ballet Folklorico de Colores: Paseo Navideno: A Christmas Journey through Mexico
Excellence in Music
IIWAA
Excellence in Storytelling
Melissa Sevigny: Brave the Wild River
Excellence in Collaboration
Diane Immethun and Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra: Deeper Soul of Picture Canyon
Philanthropy Award
Arizona Public Service
Excellence in Education
Joe Maniglia
Emerging Artist
Brian Price
Community Impact Organization
Northern Arizona Book Festival
Community Impact Individual
Kimberley Robinson
This year’s Viola Awards are made possible through…
the generosity of our Founding Sponsor, the Babbitt Brothers Foundation.
Founding Sponsor
Violet Sponsors
Purple Carpet Sponsors
Video and Tech Sponsor
Orchid Sponsors
Dorlee Henderson
Paula Jean Rice
In-kind Sponsors
Sponsoring the Viola Awards is a great way to show support for our creative community.
The 16th Annual Viola Awards will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2021. There will be several different sponsorship levels with varying benefits.
Celebrating creative success in style.
The Viola Awards have had a meteoric rise to fame in Flagstaff, due mostly to the creative community’s embrace of the event. It was clear from the first annual event on March 5, 2009, that something special was happening. Throughout the 10+ years, elegant dress… fancy flamboyant costumes… Martanne’s Breakfast Palace table on fire… the ground-shaking roar of the crowd when Craig Bowie was announced as Arts Education winner in 2010… Circus Bacchus’ naughty naked video interview as nominees in 2013… the aerial dancers from Flagstaff Aerial Arts hanging off the beam at High Country Conference Center in 2015… Dark Sky Aerial’s feature performance in 2017… the Viola Awards recognize and celebrate talent, contributions and excellence in arts, science, and culture, and do it with style.
What has always been prevalent is the love and support shown by those in attendance for the nominees and award winners. In addition to the artistic giants who have impacted Flagstaff over the years and taken home awards, elected officials at the local, County and State level have attended the event every year. Most importantly though, winners are exalted, nominees are celebrated, and everyone revels in the power of the arts.
Relive the memories and past Viola Awards events below.
