Nominations Sought for Annual Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts
2015 Governor’s Arts Award recipient, Dr. William Clark, musician, music educator.
Santa Fe – The New Mexico Arts Commission and New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, are accepting nominations for the 2016 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts. The annual Governor’s Arts Awards are New Mexico’s highest and most prestigious artistic honors and are intended to celebrate lifetime achievement. Nominations can be submitted by individual New Mexico residents or representatives of businesses or organizations in New Mexico. Self-nominations are discouraged.Nominations for the awards may include individual living New Mexican artists working in any discipline who have demonstrated outstanding lifetime achievement; individuals who have consistently made significant or distinguished contributions to the arts in New Mexico; and businesses, nonprofits or foundations with sustained involvement in and support for the arts.
Nominations must be received by March 25, 2016. Nominations may be mailed or hand-delivered no later than Friday, March 25, to New Mexico Arts, Suite 270, 407 Galisteo St., Santa Fe, NM, 87501. Nomination forms are available online at www.nmarts.org or contact New Mexico Arts at 505-827-6490, 800-879-4278 (statewide), or email loie.fecteau@state.nm.us. The events for the 2016 Annual Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts are scheduled for fall of 2016 in Santa Fe.
Established in 1974 by Governor Bruce King and First Lady Alice King, the Governor’s Arts Awards celebrate the role that artists, craftspeople and arts supporters play in the economic and cultural life of New Mexico. Throughout its existence, a diverse and prestigious list of painters, weavers, sculptors, dancers, musicians, storytellers, poets, actors, playwrights and potters have been honored.
# # #
New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the state arts agency. New Mexico Arts administers the state’s One Percent for Public Art program, awards grants to nonprofit organizations for arts and cultural programs in their communities across the state, and provides technical assistance and educational opportunities for organizations, artists, and arts educators throughout New Mexico.
The New Mexico Music Commission unanimously adopted their 2016-2018 Strategic Plan at their January 11, 2016 public meeting in Santa Fe. The purpose of the plan is to advance, in a carefully considered and coordinated manner, the opportunities for music to further benefit the state’s citizens, the economy and education goals as well as enabling New Mexico musicians working in all genres to have a healthy and thriving environment in which to create and be recognized for their efforts. This will be accomplished through a pattern of promotion, events, identifying and supplementing existing programs and through working with others in the state’s agencies and the private sector.
The Strategic Planning Committee has met on numerous occasions during 2015 to identify and categorize needs and opportunities to address them. The invited Public Comment, as well as feedback from an online public survey, has provided valuable insights and direction. Music Commissioners who participated in the plan’s development were NMMC Chairman David Schwartz, Committee Chair Joe Brown, Music Commission Administrator Thomas Goodrich, and Commissioners Dan Stoddard, Rick Huff, and Renato Estacio.
The methodology of implementation will involve subcommittees being formed and chaired by sitting Commissioners which will seek to bring on additional expertise to serve and advise in each of the steps and goals being pursued. An emphasis will be placed on tracking progress and success. A regular pattern of reportage by the subcommittees to the Commission will help to insure continued forward momentum.
Specific achievable goals included in the Strategic Plan are as follows:
Music Awareness & Advocacy (media partnerships, outreach, legislative support)
Music Industry Clearinghouse (statewide listing of events, venues, businesses)
Events & Activities (ART2ART, Cultural Collaborative, NMMC Signature Event)
Music Education (needs, coordination of sources, funding)
Collaboration & Partnerships (new projects, support of existing ones)
Development (project funding, scholarships)
Click here for a printable version of the Strategic Plan’s Goals and Objectives. Click here for a copy of the full Strategic Plan. Visit the Music Commission’s Web site for further details about the Strategic Plan and ways to become involved.
Art and Cultural Industries, which include the state’s vibrant music industry, pump $5.6 billion into New Mexico’s economy. The state’s Arts and Cultural Industries support 76,758 jobs, 1 in 10 jobs statewide, with an impact of $2.2 billion in salaries.
~ University of New Mexico Bureau of Business & Economic Research Report ‘Building on the Past, Facing the Future: Renewing the Creative Economy of NM’ commissioned by the NM Department of Cultural Affairs.
Contact: David Schwartz, Chair, New Mexico Music Commission
Phone: 415-730-7305 dsmedia@earthlink.net
New Mexico Music Commission to Meet in Santa Fe
January 12, 2016
Santa Fe – The New Mexico Music Commission will hold a meeting on Tuesday, January 12, from 10 am to noon, in the Meem Auditorium at the Laboratory of Anthropology on Museum Hill off Old Santa Fe Trail, 710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87504. The meeting is open to the public.
Copies of the agenda will be available at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at the Commission’s website, www.newmexicomusic.org. Copies of the agenda also may be obtained by contacting New Mexico Arts at 505-827-6490; or statewide: 800-879-4278; or fax: 505-827-6043.
###
The New Mexico Music Commission is an advisory body administratively attached to New Mexico Arts, the State Arts agency and a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. The commission is made up of fifteen Governor-appointed volunteers who are specialists and leaders in the state’s diverse music industry. Their mission is to stimulate opportunities for musicians, music organizations, and other groups for activities or projects, to provide musical services and support to the state, to maintain and encourage musical excellence, and to promote awareness of and access to the music industry for all of the people of New Mexico.
###
New Mexico Music Commission Meeting
Meem Auditorium, Laboratory of Anthropology
Museum Hill off Old Santa Fe Trail
710 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87504
January 12, 2016, 10:00am—12:00pm
Agenda
•Welcome – David Schwartz
• Commission Introductions
• Public Introductions and Comments
• Approval of 11/10/15 meeting notes: ACTION
• Approval of the Agenda: ACTION
New Business
• Other new business
Old Business
• Strategic Plan discussion – Joe Brown/David Schwartz
• Approval of Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives: ACTION
• Choose subcommittees for Strategic Plan execution
• Other old business
• 2016 Commission Meeting dates: our next meeting is March 8, 2016 in Albuquerque
Albuquerque – tba: March 8, July 12, November 8
Santa Fe – Meem Auditorium at Museum Hill: May 10, September 13
Welcome to our new and improved Music Commission Web site!
photo: Marlon Magdalena performing with the Cultural Collaborative concert series at the Jemez State Historic Site, June 2015. The series was sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs, New Mexico Arts, New Mexico Music Commission, State Historic Sites, and AMP Concerts – Janey Potts producer.
The Music Commission is proud to launch our new Web site as of Monday, November 30, 2015. It’s the first significant upgrade to the site since its inception in 2005.
Here is a quick breakdown of the information you will find on our new site:
The About section provides history of the Music Commission, including its origins, mission statement, function, a statement from our Executive Director, Loie Fecteau, as well as printer friendly versions of the Commission’s Statutes and Bylaws, as established by the New Mexico Legislature. The About section also provides information on our upcoming Strategic Plan, past Projects, Bio’s of our Music Commissioners and how to contact our staff.
A robust Education section new to the site includes vital information about music Advocacy, news of past and upcoming Music Commission Workshops, volunteer Internship possibilities with the Music Commission, state Schools and school music programs, from pre-K through college, as well as information about Private Instruction.
The Partnerships section is devoted to highlighting the many relationships the Commission is actively building throughout the state, featuring our Affiliates, Grantees, and Sponsors.
The Resources section provides valuable information about State Grants through New Mexico Arts, Private Grants available through a myriad of sources, and the New Mexico Music Directory, a clearinghouse of musicians, bands, organizations, educators, and music-related businesses in our state. The Music Directory is a Phase 2 project of the Web site upgrade; the new version will be released in 2016. Also slotted for our Phase 2 roll out is a statewide music calendar.
Our Showcase section features Notable New Mexicans, our unofficial Hall of Fame, a tip of the hat, to our state’s chart topping award winning artists, extraordinary music educators, music organizations and businesses, as well as legendary figures in New Mexico’s vibrant and diverse folk music scene, namely Native American and traditional Spanish and New Mexican Music. Visit this section of our Web site often, as we will be regularly adding new entries. The Showcase section also features music recipients of the Governor’s Arts Awards, the Music Commission’s Platinum Achievement Award, a really fun section showcasing Songs about New Mexico, and a link to our YouTube Channel, featuring music videos of some of our state’s most treasured musicians.
The News section is an archive of our Press Releases and other newsworthy posts.
The site also provides links to our Social Media presence, most notably Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Phase 2 will include roll out of Instagram, Sound Cloud, and Twitter accounts.
The New Mexico Music Commission Events Calendar is a newly added feature. Here you will find music commission-specific-related-sponsored-produced events, activities, meetings, etc.
We also have a new feature that allows users to join our mailing list – we will send out (not too many) Music Commission-related news, about upcoming events, social actions, meetings, etc. Please consider joining.
Thank you and congratulations to Douglas Patinka, Department of Cultural Affairs Deputy Chief Information Officer, for the design and implementation of the new site. Without him this new site would not exist.
We’re excited about the new roll out of our new site and we hope you will enjoy viewing it. If you feel so moved, please drop us a line and tell us what you think – we’d appreciate hearing from you!
Contact: David Schwartz, Chair, New Mexico Music Commission
Phone: 415-730-7305 dsmedia@earthlink.net
New Mexico Music Commission to Meet in Albuquerque
November 10, 2015
Santa Fe – The New Mexico Music Commission will hold a meeting on Tuesday, November 10, from 10 am to noon, in the Salon Ortega at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102. The meeting is open to the public.
Copies of the agenda will be available at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at the Commission’s website, www.newmexicomusic.org. Copies of the agenda also may be obtained by contacting New Mexico Arts at 505-827-6490; or statewide: 800-879-4278; or fax: 505-827-6043.
###
The New Mexico Music Commission is an advisory body administratively attached to New Mexico Arts, the State Arts agency and a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. The commission is made up of fifteen Governor-appointed volunteers who are specialists and leaders in the state’s diverse music industry. Their mission is to stimulate opportunities for musicians, music organizations, and other groups for activities or projects, to provide musical services and support to the state, to maintain and encourage musical excellence, and to promote awareness of and access to the music industry for all of the people of New Mexico.
###
New Mexico Music Commission Meeting
National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th St. SW, Albuquerque
NM History and Literary Arts Building, Salon Ortega
Tuesday, November 10, 2015, 10 am to noon
Agenda
Welcome – David Schwartz
Commission Introductions
Public Introductions and Comments
Approval of the Agenda: ACTION
Approval of the July 7, 2015 meeting notes: ACTION
New Business
New Mexico Jazz Workshop collaboration proposal – Chris Cordova
Art2Art publicity PUSH!
Other new business
Old Business
New Music Commission Web site – Doug Patinka/Thomas Goodrich
Cultural Collaborative project update
Strategic Plan discussion – Joe Brown/David Schwartz
Other old business
2016 Commission Meeting dates: our next meeting is January 12, 2016. Santa Fe – Meem Auditorium at Museum Hill: January 12, May 10, September 13. Albuquerque – tba: March 8, July 12, November 8
Adopted at birth, Tom Bee was born and raised in the reservation border town of Gallup, New Mexico. Best known as founder and featured artist with the popular 1970s music group XIT, Bee’s composition “(We’ve Got) Blue Skies” was recorded by Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5 on their worldwide hit album “Maybe Tomorrow.” This led to an artist, writer, and producer contract with Motown Records. While under contract with Motown, XIT released two widely acclaimed albums entitled “Plight of the Redman” and “Silent Warrior.” A single from the latter album entitled “Reservation of Education” went on to become a top 5 selling record in France and other European countries in 1973. The political overtones of Bee’s lyrics kept them from ever achieving superstar status in the United States, but the group developed a cult status in America and Europe, which has allowed their music to survive for the last thirty years.
In fact, one major newspaper once wrote, “These guys are to the Indians like the Beatles were to the White folks.” Amid a legion of loyal fans throughout the world, their live stage presentations drew comparisons by the media to the raw energy of the Rolling Stones. While at Motown, Bee also wrote and produced the title song “Joyful Jukebox Music” for Michael Jackson’s Swan Song album on the label. He also worked with Smokey Robinson on his first solo album “Smokey.” In 1979, one of his compositions “Red Hot” was a top Billboard dance hit by Taka Boom (Chaka Khan’s sister), and in 1985, U.K. Rockabilly sensation Shakin’ Stevens recorded Bee’s “Don’t Be Two Faced” on his highly successful album, “The Bop Won’t Stop.”
Through the years Bee’s compositions have appeared on numerous other albums and special projects as well. In 1989, Bee formed Sound of America Records (SOAR), in the garage of his home. In 1995, Bee formed yet another company, SOAR Distribution LTD for the sole purpose of providing his clients with one-stop music from other independent labels and artists also producing Native American music. In 1999, SOAR purchased all three buildings that they had been leasing since 1991 to house their labels, publishing, and studio operations. SOAR was also enlisted as the exclusive Native American distributor for the Robbie Robertson records “Music for the Native Americans” and “Contact From the Underworld of Redboy,” on Capitol Records, and the multi-million seller “Sacred Spirit” on Virgin Records. SOAR comprises three publishing companies and five different labels; SOAR, Natural Visions, Warrior, Dakotah, and Red Sea. SOAR now has over 300 quality titles of both contemporary and traditional music. Bee has said all along that SOAR was not the first company to record Native American music, but they were the first to take it to the next level. SOAR was, however, the first company to release traditional Native American music on compact disc. He was once quoted as saying “we took Native American music out of the trading posts and into the streets.” SOAR’s motto has always been “Quality titles, not quantity of titles.”
Bee’s radical efforts over a ten year period helped in persuading NARAS to finally create a Native American Folk category in the Grammy’s. Besides numerous gold albums, Bee has received many awards, including the Eagle Spirit in 1994 from the American Film Institute in San Francisco and The Will Sampson Award in 1996 from the First Americans in the Arts. In 1998, Bee received the Producer of the Year Award from the First Annual Native American Music Awards (NAMMY’s). The following year he received the NAMMY’s Lifetime Achievement Award (1999). In 2001, Bee received a Grammy as Producer for Best Native American Music Album in the category’s inaugural year.
Mayor Martin Chavez, of the City of Albuquerque, proclaimed July 27, 2002 to be “Tom Bee Day,” in recognition of Bee’s accomplishments within the music industry as a recording artist, songwriter, record producer and multi-award winner. On February 8, 2003, Bee received the Lifetime Achievement Award from First Americans In The Arts in Beverly Hills, Ca. Most recently, on February 19, 2003, in New York City, Bee received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Four Directions Entertainment. Recent achievements include a 2004 Grammy nomination for his album “Reveal His Glory.” Bee won a Grammy for producing the 2004 Grammy winning record “Flying Free” by Black Eagle.
Tom lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
above: “Sacred Warrior” – song performed and produced by Tom Bee. The video was shot and produced by Video Works ABQ and took first place at the Native American Music Awards.
