THE BAX10 ARTS AND ARTISTS IN PROGRESS AWARDS ARE UNIQUE. Since 2001, BAX has honored individuals in the arts who have revealed and transformed our creative world. By instigating and enduring change they have deepened the definition of their field and paved the way for others.

---

< Previous    Play | Stop    Next >

Marya's Welcome Remarks
on November 13, 2008

Good evening. My name is Marya Warshaw and I am the founder and Executive Director of BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Welcome to the 2008 BAX10 arts and artists in progress awards. So let's state the obvious, this year is not like any other I've experienced in my life time. As a woman, as an artist, as a mother, as a gay person, as a citizen, it is a unique year - one full of hope but full of difficult passages and many, many challenges. When we created these awards in 2001 we were determined to acknowledge the kind of artists and work we value and wanted others to know about and to celebrate. This year it is even more important. It falls into the category of what we can count on - when uncertainty is prevalent. Artists and culturals are cyclically asked to repackage themselves, to reframe, to establish new relevancy - but in my experience our ability to carry on always cycles back to who we are and what we do - our core values. And that we can count on.

So in a year where staffs and budgets will be cut, projects postponed, and new ways of working will be created - we take this evening to acknowledge & celebrate some of the people and some of the organizations - the real work - that make this effort a worthy one. The BAX10 awards honor individuals in the arts who have revealed and transformed our creative world. By instigating and enduring change they have deepened the definition of their field and paved the way for others.

The 2008 recipients, Tere O'Connor, Edie Demas, Jack Walsh and Deborah Schwartz join an incredible list of artists, arts educators and arts managers who have received this award over the past seven years. Each of them is deeply engaged in work that transforms our views, our horizons, our understanding of the possible. In turn they are asked to pass it on to an individual, organization or project they think reflect this criteria. This year's passing it on recipients - luciana achugar, David Montgomery, and Kim Maier are no exception. And in fact several of them have passed it on yet further and donated their cash awards back to BAX for the building we've built and the work we do!

So I am so pleased to welcome you to BAX, to our BAX Building and to the 2008 BAX10 arts and artists in progress awards.

---

Past BAXten Award recipients have included

ARTISTS 2007 Deborah Hay Yasuko Yokoshi 2006 Dean Moss Pamela Sneed 2005 Carl Hancock Rux Judith Sloan 2004 Clarinda Mac Low Elizabeth Streb 2003 Jennifer Miller Meredith Monk 2002 Reno Marlies Yearby 2001 Peggy Shaw Hank Smith ARTS ADMINISTRATORS 2007 Jen Abrams Ruby Lerner 2006 Karen Bernard Bob Yesselman 2005 Kristin Marting Norma Munn 2004 Maurine Knighton Craig Peterson 2003 Nathan Elbogen Martha Wilson 2002 Ellie Covan Virginia Louloudes 2001 Steve Gross Mikki Shepard ARTS EDUCATORS 2007 Reg Flowers Jessica Nicoll 2006 Denise Jefferson George Emilio Sanchez 2005 Dr. Sharon Dunn Andrew Jannetti 2004 Sister Kwayera Archer-Cunningham Joan Finkelstein 2003 Jackie Chang David Pleasant 2002 Ana Maria Alvarez Martha Bowers 2001 Sandra Stratton-Gonzalez Greg McCaslin HONORARY AWARDS 2007 Susan Perlstein 2006 Bev Grant 2005 Elise Bernhardt Toshi Reagon 2004 Liz Koch, Arts Manager   for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz 2003 Marie Artesi, Former Director DCA's Community Arts Development Fund 2002 Susan Glass, former Executive Director of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs' Materials for the Arts 2001 Regina Hawkey, BAX's Founding Board President

[top]