Yuma, Arizona - An elementary school art teacher/muralist and a violinist won the area’s top arts and arts newcomer awards, respectively, Friday night.
With its Arabian Nights theme, the 19th annual Tribute of the Muses Awards ceremony was held Friday at the Historic Yuma Theatre.
The Tribute of the Muses Award went to Jose Dorame, an art educator at Pecan Grove and Roosevelt Elementary schools, where he has taught K-5 art for the last 20 years. Having created murals in each location, he recently completed a mural project alongside a team of volunteers at the Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center.
Dorame is inspired by the Renaissance with an emphasis in classical figure drawing. He is also the president of the North End Artist Co-operative, and his artwork is currently on display in the United Building at the Yuma Art Center.
The Helios Award for the top newcomer went to David Adler, a musician. A Yuma native, Adler also serves the Yuma community through various groups including Saddles of Joy, Jr. Optimist, Boy Scouts, Salvation Army, and the Boys and Girls Club. Through his passion for music education, he has been involved in helping with the Mesquite Elementary School and Crane Middle School string programs. He plays violin in the Yuma Civic Orchestra, Yuma Civic Light Orchestra and the Yuma String Ambassadors. David mentors the younger musicians in String Ambassadors and actively encourages them to strive for excellence. Adler’s goal is to help area youth grow a love for string instruments and music.
Adler is currently composing a musical with the hope of bringing it to life with the help of the Yuma community. He sees it as an excellent way of showcasing the many talents we have right here in the arts, and dreams of sharing it with the public on the grand stage.
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.