近距离内射合集

The winners of the 2026 Creative Bravos Awards were announced last week, and the public will have the chance to honor the recipients at an award ceremony on Saturday, March 14, at the Albuquerque Museum.

The Creative Bravos, now in their fourth decade, are co-presented by the city of Albuquerque鈥檚 Department of Arts and Culture and Albuquerque first lady Elizabeth Kistin Keller. The prestigious awards honor local arts organizations and arts leaders who enrich the cultural life of the city. Meet this year鈥檚 honorees.

Bookworks

Founded in 1984 by Nancy Rutland, Bookworks calls itself 鈥渙ne of Albuquerque鈥檚 last legacy independent bookstores.鈥�

鈥淏ookworks was my childhood bookstore. I grew up in the North Valley, and I remember coming here to see authors and to buy books when I was young,鈥� Shannon Guinn-Collins said. Guinn-Collins, along with her mother, Nancy Guinn, are two of the shop鈥檚 current co-owners.

Guinn-Collins has helped organize events with Albuquerque and New Mexico poet laureates, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and well-known local authors.

鈥淭he store has been here for almost 42 years now, so to 鈥� help it stay healthy and make sure it can continue to be a vital part of our community is both a wonderful role and also a huge responsibility,鈥� Guinn-Collins said. 鈥淚t has been part of so many lives and so many childhoods, and we want to make sure it can continue to serve in that way.鈥�

Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company

Yjastros is one of the largest flamenco repertory companies in the 近距离内射合集 States. Founded in 1999 by Joaqu铆n Encinias, the company maintains a living archive of over 55 unique repertory dance pieces.

鈥淚t was a project I started with my mother鈥檚 nonprofit,鈥� Encinias said. His mother, Eva Encinias, founded the National Institute of Flamenco and is a prior Creative Bravos winner. 鈥淪he had already been doing a lot of wonderful programming, and I wanted to start a repertory company, (because) there鈥檚 not a lot of repertory flamenco companies in the world. So, it was something I was passionate about. And 27 years later, we鈥檙e still going strong.鈥�

In addition to performing locally, Yjastros tours nationally and internationally, with an upcoming performance planned for New York City鈥檚 La MaMa Moves! Dance Festival this spring.

Encinias is especially proud that all of Yjastros鈥� dancers are employees in the company. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a wonderful thing, because we help our dancers earn a living,鈥� he said.

鈥淚鈥檝e worked closely with my mother and my sister (Marisol Encinias) on this project 鈥� so I want to recognize the two of them as well,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor for our family.鈥�

Rosalinda Rojas

Multifaceted Afro-Caribbean dancer, choreographer, dance instructor and founder of Albuquerque School for Circus Arts, Rosalinda Rojas has contributed to the cultural life of New Mexico for over two decades.

鈥淚 have former students from Albuquerque Academy who have made it to Cirque du Soleil, who鈥檝e come back, and I鈥檝e said, 鈥楥an you guest teach? Can you talk about your experience 鈥� and how you made it?鈥� Because many times people think dance is not a real career. Yes, it鈥檚 a career,鈥� Rojas said. 鈥淵ou just have to understand how to shape your career or invent your career.鈥�

Rojas鈥� own remarkable career has included dancing with Arthur Mitchell鈥檚 Dance Theater of Harlem, learning circus arts from Philippe Petit 鈥� the French high-wire artist who walked between the Twin Towers in New York City on a tightrope 鈥� and choreographing for The Metropolitan Opera. Despite facing racism throughout her life, Rojas said she has always pushed forward and found ways to create opportunities for herself.

鈥淢y mom always said, 鈥榃hen a door closes, another one opens. And if that door closes, you crawl through the window,鈥欌�� Rojas said.

At age 72, Rojas is embarking on a new chapter as an incoming Ph.D. student at Texas Woman鈥檚 University. Her research and writing will focus on the intersection of African diasporic philosophy, dance and new technologies, including virtual reality. 

鈥淚鈥檓 working 鈥� to reimagine what Afro-diasporic futurism in movement and dance could be,鈥� she said.

Albuquerque Concert Band

The Albuquerque Concert Band, an all-volunteer music organization, has been around for nearly 60 years, and its president, Steve Sobolik, has been with the band for close to 40 years.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a great organization to be part of,鈥� Sobolik said. 鈥淚 always quote Willie Nelson, 鈥楾he life I love is making music with my friends.鈥欌��

The band currently has two conductors 鈥� Jim Keene, who recently retired as the director of the U.S. Army Field Band, and Andrew Vaughn, who also conducts Manzano High School鈥檚 marching band, and whom Sobolik calls a terrific young conductor. The 70-plus member band plays everything from classical pieces to film music, jazz and Broadway show tunes.

When U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici died in 2017, the Albuquerque Concert Band performed at the community memorial service at Isotopes Park. In 2022, the band teamed up with the Santa Fe Community Band and the Los Alamos Band to host a national convention for concert bands. They also perform a popular annual holiday concert at the KiMo Theatre.

鈥淲e get to perform a wide variety of music,鈥� Sobolik said. 鈥淲e love doing that, and our audience loves listening to it.鈥�

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is an organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating Pueblo arts and culture.

鈥淭he work we鈥檝e been recognized for centers on creating meaningful platforms for Native artists through exhibitions, performances, educational programs and market opportunities,鈥� Arianna Chavez, executive director, said. 鈥淏y providing these spaces, we not only uplift individual artists, but also strengthen the broader arts community in Albuquerque, inspiring collaboration, innovation and pride in our shared cultural heritage.鈥�

Last year, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center received the award for Best Cultural Heritage Experience from the American Indigenous Tourism Association, and in August, the center will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

鈥淲e want to celebrate the center and what it鈥檚 symbolized for the 50 years it鈥檚 been in Albuquerque. It鈥檚 really the central hub for sharing Pueblo culture, history and arts,鈥� Chavez said.

In the years ahead, the center hopes to expand its mentorship programs to nurture the next generation of Indigenous artists.

鈥淚鈥檓 really thankful for our staff, our artists, and all of the shareholders who are part of this recognition,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淚t takes a community. It takes a family. And I鈥檓 very proud of 鈥� everybody who鈥檚 been a part of this story.鈥�

AMP Concerts

AMP Concerts hosts over 100 concerts a year, including international performers from as far afield as Pakistan and Ukraine. But it started rather humbly.

鈥淭he whole origin is kind of funny, because we started with house concerts,鈥� Neal Copperman, founding director, said. 鈥淚鈥檇 always wanted to do house concerts in other places, but I didn鈥檛 live in a house, so it didn鈥檛 really work. But this was a good environment to rent a small house, and 鈥� we did a house concert in the summer of 2000, and it was so much fun that we immediately started doing a house concert series.鈥�

Copperman and current board president Jeff Hanson were roommates who launched the house concert series together.

鈥淗e鈥檚 been with me since day one,鈥� Copperman said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 kind of a behind-the-scenes person who doesn鈥檛 get as much recognition, but he鈥檚 been an integral part of helping to do all of this.鈥�

Copperman said the acronym AMP has multiple meanings.

鈥淲hen I came up with AMP, I suggested it as Another Man鈥檚 Poison, from the phrase, 鈥極ne man鈥檚 fish is another man鈥檚 poison,鈥� meaning we were doing something a little bit different,鈥� he said. 鈥淛eff didn鈥檛 like that 鈥� so I said, 鈥榃ell, how about Albuquerque Music Presenters?鈥� 鈥� When I incorporated it, it鈥檚 just AMP Concerts 鈥� so you can make up whatever you want it to mean.鈥�

He credits the music-loving community of Albuquerque for making AMP a success.

鈥淚鈥檝e done something that impacts a lot of people, which is super cool. 鈥� But I never had a drive to build or create something like that. That鈥檚 why I credit Albuquerque with that,鈥� Copperman said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 room to build things here 鈥� and people are friendly and welcoming, so you actually get a lot of nice encouragement.鈥�

Cardboard Playhouse Theatre Company and The Box Performance Space, led by Doug Montoya and Kristin Berg

Cardboard Playhouse is a nonprofit educational theater organization for youth, and The Box Performance Space is an adult improv comedy space. Both are led by founding director Doug Montoya and co-director Kristin Berg.

Montoya, who has a strong improv background, moved to Albuquerque from Los Angeles over 20 years ago and began working as a stage manager. When he got the opportunity, he opened Cardboard Playhouse, which just celebrated its 20-year anniversary last year.

Montoya said Cardboard Playhouse and The Box complement each other well.

鈥淎 lot of our (Cardboard Playhouse) productions 鈥� a lot of our rehearsal, our direction 鈥� comes out of an improv-based environment, where we ask people to 鈥� say yes, be positive,鈥� Montoya said. 鈥淎ll the rules that we have in improv, we definitely apply to our productions with our younger artists.鈥�

When Bob Odenkirk was in town shooting 鈥淏etter Call Saul,鈥� he became a regular at The Box.

鈥淗e told us that the improv we have here in Albuquerque is some of the best improv in the country,鈥� Montoya said. 鈥淎nd he knows, because he wrote for 鈥楽aturday Night Live鈥� and (performed with) Second City.鈥�

Montoya hopes the Creative Bravos win will attract new donors who can help them find a permanent home for Cardboard Playhouse.

鈥淰enues around town have become more scarce, and sadly more expensive, coming out of the pandemic,鈥� Montoya said. 鈥淪o, we are on a mission to 鈥� put a down payment on a building, and give Albuquerque its very first theater focused on youth.鈥�

Fusion Theatre Company and Dennis Gromelski (Legacy Bravo Award)

Finally, Fusion Theatre and its executive director and co-founder Dennis Gromelski have been honored with a Legacy Bravo Award. Opened in 2001, Fusion is New Mexico鈥檚 only professional Actors鈥� Equity theater and the longest-lived professional theater in New Mexico鈥檚 history.

When the city鈥檚 Department of Arts and Culture told Gromelski they planned to honor him with a Legacy Bravo award, he insisted on sharing it with the entire organization, including fellow co-founders Jacqueline Reid and Laurie Thomas.

鈥淚 said I don鈥檛 need to be individually honored. It鈥檚 the organization, Fusion, that really should be the focus,鈥� Gromelski said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really exciting thing to have had sustained excellence for 25 years now.鈥�

In addition to its theatrical productions, Fusion has expanded over the years to host a wide range of cultural activities and community events.

鈥淭here鈥檚 something going on in all of our spaces every day, be it an Albuquerque Philosophical Society meeting, which is drawing 50 people a month, or a drum circle, which we had 60 people there on Sunday for,鈥� Gromelski said. 鈥淲e do 60 to 70 nights of music a year. We host the Downtown Growers Market and Winter Market. We do monthly group fine art shows and have openings in our gallery spaces. We have a full-time restaurant now, Say Cheese. 鈥� And as we go forward, I鈥檝e got some sneaky plans under the brim of my hat 鈥� to expand our facilities and increase our impact.鈥�

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the Albuquerque Journal. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at .