Creative Bravos Awards
Celebrating 40 Years of Creative Excellence - 1985-2025
About the Awards
The City of Albuquerque's Creative Bravos Awards are dedicated to recognizing and honoring work that makes a significant impact on the lives of residents, neighborhoods, and/or communities. The awards are given annually to individuals, youths, teams, events, programs, organizations and businesses that celebrate the breadth of creative work that exists in the city.
Each year an award ceremony is hosted by the Department of Arts & Culture. Awards are given to established and emerging creatives of any age. Nominations should be submitted on behalf of anyone you feel benefits Albuquerque's creative economy. Self-nominations will not be accepted.
History of the Creative Bravos Awards
Beginning in 1985, the Albuquerque Arts Alliance, a devoted organization fostering Albuquerque's vibrant creative community through diverse avenues, initiated the annual Bravo Awards. These awards aimed to recognize and spotlight the substantial contributions made by numerous channels of artistic expression, education, and community enrichment. Categories such as "Outstanding Arts Organization," "Distinguished Volunteer of the Year," and "Significant Contribution to Arts in Education," among others, became the centerpieces of this celebration. The Albuquerque Arts Alliance, composed of like-minded peers, celebrated businesses, individuals, and organizations for their meaningful impact on the local arts scene, culminating in a communal strengthening.
This collective effort to publicly acknowledge artistic endeavors bolstered the community's cohesion until 2008. Over this period, the Arts Alliance's Bravo Awards remained faithful to their mission, with minor adjustments in award categories and overseeing members.
In 2009, the Albuquerque Arts Alliance underwent a transformation, adopting the moniker Creative Albuquerque, and consequently rebranded the awards as the Creative Bravos Awards. This shift broadened the focus of recognized artistic contributions. While the dedication to enhancing Albuquerque's artistic community remained paramount, Creative Albuquerque sought to emphasize the economic innovation and influence brought forth by the awardees in the realm of arts. This revamped approach extended recognition not only to individual artists and organizations but also included for-profit ventures and collectives that contributed to the city's creative economy. The selection process also evolved, with awardees now being chosen from formal nominations submitted by the arts community, departing from the previous practice of internal selection by the Arts Alliance board. This evolution continued until 2013, during which Creative Albuquerque sponsored the Creative Bravos Awards.
The Creative Bravos Awards rekindled in 2018 under the administration of the City of Albuquerque's Department of Arts & Culture. Recipients are now selected from nominations put forth by the public and are celebrated annually. These contemporary awards strive to recognize and celebrate artistic achievements across a spectrum of categories, encompassing individuals, young talents, teams, events, programs, organizations, and businesses, all of which contribute to the city's vibrant creative tapestry.
2025 Creative Bravos Awards Recipients:
New Mexico Art League (Legacy Bravos Award), founded in 1929, has been a cornerstone of the state’s artistic community for nearly a century. Established by artists like Raymond Jonson, Ernest L. Blumenschein, and Henriette Wyeth, the organization remains a hub for creativity, offering workshops, exhibitions, and scholarships that support artists at all stages of their careers. With eight annual exhibitions and an extensive Lending Art Library, the Art League fosters artistic excellence and accessibility. The Art Pantry program further supports the community by providing affordable art supplies. A vital force in New Mexico’s creative economy, the Art League continues to honor its legacy while evolving to meet the needs of contemporary artists.
Eamon Quigley (Emerging Bravos Award) is an emerging Albuquerque artist using street art and public works to inspire, inform, and engage communities. His work explores both the beauty and complexity of life, aiming to create honest and impactful visual narratives. Committed to fostering a creative future, he believes in art’s ability to drive social change and enrich the present.
Madison Van Der Lingen is a visionary fashion designer, community organizer, and sustainability advocate shaping New Mexico’s fashion landscape. Born in Taos, she began as a painter before expanding into documentary filmmaking, cosplay, and costume design. She studied costume design and new media at the University of New Mexico and film at Central New Mexico Community College, later freelancing in the New Mexico film industry. Today, Madison champions sustainable fashion by coordinating events like Meow Wolf’s Absolute Rubbish Trash Fashion Show and Unknown Garden at the Ballut Abyad Temple. She fosters Albuquerque’s creative community through Sew Whateva!, a makerspace hosting workshops and events, and recently launched a collaborative sustainable fashion boutique. Her designs embody New Mexico’s whimsical beauty while adhering to eco-friendly principles, challenging the wastefulness of fast fashion. In 2024, she was named Fashion Designer of the Year at Denver Fashion Week, spotlighting New Mexico’s vibrant artistic talent. Committed to building an inclusive, culturally rich fashion scene, Madison continues to create opportunities for local designers, blending technical expertise with a passion for community-driven creativity.
Julia Munroe Mandeville has been a driving force in Albuquerque’s cultural landscape as a curator, writer, civic artist, and grassroots organizer. Passionate about equity and access in the arts, she has developed public programs that foster lifelong learning, creative expression, and collective impact. As Chief Programs Officer at Harwood Art Center and a founding leader of SOMOS ABQ and Mirror Bridge, Julia has helped distribute over $15 million to artists and activists. Her work spans site-specific commissions to citywide festivals engaging tens of thousands. She has contributed to numerous arts initiatives, including Creative ABQ, Tricklock Company, Women & Creativity, and the ABQ Poet Laureate Program. Her writing and research have earned her recognition from the Center for Book Arts (NYC) and a 2025 Creative Residency Fellowship at Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences (GA). Julia has received accolades including the National Philanthropy Day Outstanding Young Nonprofit Professional of the Year Award. Through her leadership and advocacy, she continues to shape Albuquerque’s arts ecosystem, creating platforms for artists and communities to thrive.
Casey Mraz is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans music, theater, film, and circus arts. Born and raised in Albuquerque, he studied theater at the University of New Mexico, where he honed his skills as a playwright, set designer, and musician. Over the years, he has composed music for theater companies including Tricklock Theatre Co. and The Vortex, scored films, and performed with bands like Baracutanga and The Porter Draw. He serves as Music Director for Circo ABQ and has been the musical director for The Show, Albuquerque’s improv comedy troupe, since 2010. A passionate educator, Casey spent a decade as a teaching artist with the Santa Fe Opera’s ALTO program and now teaches music at Escuela del Sol Montessori. His artistic contributions have enriched Albuquerque’s creative scene for years, seamlessly blending traditional and contemporary influences across multiple disciplines.
Adolphe Pierre-Louis, a celebrated photojournalist, actor, and musician, has documented life in Albuquerque for over three decades. Originally from Les Cayes, Haiti, he started his career at the New York Daily News before joining the Albuquerque Journal in 1990. His award-winning photography has been recognized by Tops of the Rockies, Best of the West, and the New Mexico Press Association, with work published globally. Beyond journalism, he is a founding member of Racin Kreyol, an Afro-Haitian dance and drumming ensemble that has promoted Haitian culture across the Southwest for 28 years, performing at festivals like Globalquerque and Albuquerque Summerfest. An avid cyclist and triathlete, Pierre-Louis continues to capture the essence of New Mexico’s communities through his lens and cultural contributions.
Sherri Brueggemann has played a key role in shaping Albuquerque’s artistic landscape with a career spanning public art management, cultural policy, and arts advocacy. Starting in fine art printmaking and nonprofit gallery management, she coordinated Albuquerque’s first Route 66 Street Festival in 1994. Over the years, she has overseen major public art projects for both the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, securing NEA grants and managing millions in public art investments. As Public Art Urban Enhancement Manager since 2008, she has modernized policies, championed digital media and murals, and led initiatives like the Public Art Census and Albuquerque Sunport art acquisitions. She co-founded the InterGalactic Cultural Relations Institute, exploring the future of arts in interplanetary diplomacy. A leader in public art policy and funding, Sherri continues to advocate for Albuquerque’s creative economy.
Naomi Natale is an internationally recognized artist and activist known for large-scale social engagement projects. Based in Albuquerque, she founded One Million Bones, mobilizing over 150,000 participants across 50 states and 30 countries to create handmade bones as a statement against genocide, culminating in a 2013 installation on the National Mall. Her previous project, The Cradle Project, raised awareness of orphaned children through 550 artist-created cradles. Her current initiative, Of Grief & Dreams, is an interactive sanctuary in the desert designed for communal healing. Naomi’s work has earned her a Robert Rauschenberg Artist as Activist Fellowship, TED Senior Fellowship, and Arts and Healing Network Award. She continues to push the boundaries of social practice art, fostering community and activism through creative expression.
Keith Sánchez is a musician, educator, and community leader who has spent his career bridging the worlds of music and activism. A native of Belen, he honed his craft in El Salvador, where he developed a deep connection to storytelling and performance. As the lead singer and songwriter of Stoic Frame, he achieved national recognition with a #1 Rock en Español single and music featured on MTV Latino, The Shield, and BET. Today, he leads Keith Sánchez and The MoonThieves while also dedicating himself to arts education. He co-founded the New Mexico Youth Arts Ambassadors, a nonprofit fostering literacy, music, and cultural heritage among young creatives. An educator at RFK Charter High School and a UNM dual-enrollment instructor, Keith integrates Chicana/o Studies into his teaching. Currently completing a PhD in Chicana/Chicano Studies at UNM, his research explores the deep-rooted connection between New Mexico’s music, history, and identity. Above all, he is a devoted husband and father, ensuring the next generation carries on the legacy of artistic expression and community engagement.
Thank you to all of the Previous Creative Bravos recipients for contributions to Albuquerque's creative community.
