Yuma, Arizona - A longtime local musician and the founder of a local art collective won the area’s top arts and arts newcomer awards last night.
With its Studio 54 theme, the 18th annual Tribute of the Muses Awards were held Friday at the Historic Yuma Theatre and Yuma Art Center.
Colby Girard won the Tribute of the Muses Award. Girard is widely known throughout Yuma as a musician, marketer, and advertising producer. His first job in the arts started at radio station KBLU where he not only created and sold ads, but also wrote music compositions and jingles. He first began performing music in Yuma in 1980 at Lujano’s Pizza with Lisa Otondo and Pete Pancrazi. He has performed on a variety of stages and events throughout the community ever since and continues to be a member of the Chuckwalla Rhythm Kings. Along the way, he has also worked with various organizations that have featured music or served the arts including the Yuma Jazz Festival, United Way of Yuma County's Music Festival, local portions of the Labor Day Telethon, Yuma County Democratic Party, North End Art Walk, Yuma Art Symposium, and Yuma Fine Arts Association.
Abraham Andrade took home the Helios Award for the arts community’s top newcomer. Andrade is the founder of the Chicano Art Collective and is the owner of Rolls and Bowls, a Mexican infused sushi restaurant located in San Luis, Arizona. The restaurant is covered wall to wall with custom murals and artwork that Andrade has commissioned which have set a perfect backdrop for regular concerts, special events and is home to the Chicano Art Walk. Andrade provides platforms for local artists, filmmakers and musicians through the Chicano Art Collective. He is building a collection of local and regional Chicano fine art that will be exhibited at the Yuma Art Center and other venues in the future. Andrade regularly collaborates with the Littlewood Fine Arts and Community Co-Op and the Centro de Arte Cultural in San Luis Rio Colorado, Son., to bolster relations across the region.
The name Tribute of the Muses originates from Greek Mythology, where the nine daughters of Zeus called Muses were considered the inspiration for the arts and sciences. Each Muse possessed a distinct gift among the disciplines of poetry, art, dance and music.