Mayor Alan Webber and the Arts & Culture Department are pleased to announce the five artists and arts’ supporters who will receive the 2021 Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts. The Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts program was established in 1989 to acknowledge individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to arts and culture in Santa Fe. Nominations for consideration are collected each year from the community.

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“Santa Fe is known as a world-class city of arts and culture, and that reputation is a result of so many people and organizations who contribute so much. This year’s winners of the Mayor’s Arts Award deserve this recognition, as do the many nominees who make such a difference in Santa Fe. They all have my congratulations and gratitude. I’m looking forward to presenting the awards on May 6.”

– Mayor Alan Webber

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The Recipients of the 2021 Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts:

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ARTS: Lightning Boy Foundation was founded in the memory and honor of Valentino Tzigiwhaeno "Lightning" Rivera, a hoop dancer from Pojoaque Pueblo who passed away at the age of 8 in 2016. The nonprofit foundation is dedicated to empowering youth and helping them preserve cultural roots. The foundation supports a tribally inclusive Lightning Boy Hoop Dance Group and other youth performance and visual arts objectives.