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Dave Ratner – COMBO speaker – and founder of Creative Law Network

By Jonathan Rose, Associate editor, Denver Business Journal | A city, a bank, a “micro-district” and – for the first time – a cannabis company are being recognized at CBCA’s 31st Business for the Arts Awards event at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in March.

The nonprofit arts and culture scene pumped $1.9 billion into the Denver metro economy in 2017, according to the Colorado Business Community for the Arts, and the member-based advocacy group is recognizing organizations that fuel that impact.

“The 2019 Business for the Arts Awards Honorees demonstrate the power of arts and creativity to advance Colorado’s economy and strengthen community vitality,” says Christin Crampton Day, CBCA’s executive director in a release. “Every year, we are impressed by the level of philanthropy, volunteer leadership and innovative arts/business partnerships occurring all over the state.”

Honorees are said to “have gone above and beyond to support the arts and creative industries,” according to the CBCA. Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation CEO J.J. Ament, Xcel Energy Social Investment Representative Liz Gardner and TRG Arts President and CEO Jill Robinson are among the judges who determined this year’s winners.

Denver Business Journal is also moderating a series of panels organized by CBCA that examine the intersection of art and business. Real estate, tech and cannabis have been past topics, and health care is among the future subjects to be tackled by experts through the partnership.

Winners will be formally recognized on Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at a luncheon in the Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. CBCA expects more than 700 attendees.

Here are the honorees, as described by CBCA:

Volunteer Attorney of the Year
The Volunteer Attorney of the Year recognizes an outstanding attorney who has provided pro bono legal services to Colorado creatives and advanced CBCA’s Colorado Attorneys for the Arts (CAFTA) program.

Dave Ratner, Principal, Creative Law Network has dedicated his legal practice and volunteer service to the creative industries, including stewarding the development and growth of CBCA’s Colorado Attorneys for the Arts program across Colorado. [Editor’s note: Mr. Ratner has been a speaker for several of COMBO’s meetings. If you have not attended, you have missed some very valuable information. We want to thank Mr. Ratner for taking his time to help so many musicians out with the “business of music.”]

Bank of America has a deep commitment to philanthropy in the arts, including sponsoring major exhibits at Denver Art Museum, grants for art conservation and their Museums on Us program.

City of Lakewood collaborated to create the 40 West ArtLine, a four-mile walking and biking arts experience, creatively connecting parks and neighborhoods to transit, businesses, and other amenities.

Colorado Harvest Company, a premium cannabis production and retail company, was a founding sponsor of Denver’s Levitt Pavilion and continues to integrate the arts into their facilities.

Dairy Block, developed by McWhinney, Sage Hospitality and Grand American, Inc., is a unique micro-district in downtown Denver, boasting over 700 pieces of art featuring 30 Colorado artists, curated by Nine dot Arts.

The Independence Center, an independent living center that serves people with disabilities in El Paso County, has forged unique relationships with arts organizations to lift up the voices of the people they serve.

Kaiser Permanente Colorado’s recent public health awareness campaign included powerful murals promoting the importance of mental health throughout Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

EY Next Wave Leadership Award

The EY Next Wave Leadership Award honors rising professionals who are leading the future of our cultural community.

Armando Silva, Artist/Gallery Owner, Artmando Studio is an artist, teacher and performer based in Greeley who supports the community through performance paintings, engaging murals and an annual hip hop dance festival.

PNC Bank Cultural Leadership Award

The Cultural Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding graduate of CBCA’s Leadership Arts program who has made an impact on arts and culture in Colorado.

Meredith Hutson, Founder and Executive Director, Presenting Denver (Leadership Arts 2012) is a tireless volunteer leader and arts advocate, furthering Denver as an innovative dance hub through Presenting Denver, community partnerships and volunteer service.

John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award
Named for CBCA’s founding chairman, the John Madden, Jr. Leadership Award recognizes a lifetime of extraordinary leadership and a legacy of support for the arts.

Mariner Kemper, Chairman, President and CEO, UMB Financial Corporation has carried on UMB’s comprehensive and sustained commitment to the cultural sector through his philanthropy, leadership, business practices and personal passion for the arts.

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2018/12/19/cbca-31st-business-for-the-arts-awards.html

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