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Signup for newsletter BRIO Current and Past Winners
Our 2007 BRIO Awardees
In Literary Arts:
- Carlos Serrano (Playwriting)
- Bruce Tallerman (Fiction)
- Julio Toro (Screenwriting)
In Media Arts:
- Pamela Sporn (Documentary Film/Video)
In Performing Arts:
- Jessica Danser (Choreography)
- PattyDukes (Vocal Music)
- Bradon McDonald (Dance)
- Maxim Pakhomov (Instrumental Music)
- Jennifer Shyu (Music Composition)
- Muhamadou Salieu Suso (Instrumental Music)
- Nelida Tirado (Dance)
- Rhina Valentin (Acting)
In Visual Arts:
- Blanka Amezkua (Crafts)
- Melisa Baez (Illustration/Drawing)
- Reina Mia Brill (Crafts)
- Toby Buonagurio (Sculpture)
- Peter Cabot (Mixed Media)
- Marisol Diaz (Photography)
- Joel Neff (Crafts)
- Danny R. Peralta (Photography)
- Ron Terner (Photography)
- Lois Weingarten (Painting)
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We are honored to be able to share a little background information on the remarkably talented people who received the BRIO Award this year.
Blanka Amezua – Crafts
Blanka Amezkua was a member of the International Student Exchange Program in Florence, Italy. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from California State in Fresno, California. Amezkua has had solo showings in New York’s Studio Gallery 88 and Sacramento’s State University Student Union Gallery. Some of her group showings include the Queens Museum, Galeria Galou and KBP Gallery both in Williamsburg New York.
Melisa Baez – Illustration/Drawing
Melisa Firelei Baez is an artist whose work explores socio-mythological contributions to the construction of individual’s cultural identity. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and has been involved with a number of institutions such as the Cooper Union Saturday Outreach Program and The Latin American Community Arts Project.
Toby Buonagurio – Sculpture
Toby Buonagurio is a Senior Professor in the Art Department at Stony Brook University. She has 27 solo exhibitions in museums and art galleries in the United States and abroad and her work has been included in over 200 group shows. Her most ambitious public work titled “Times Square Times: 35 Times” was commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Arts for Transit for permanent installation in the Times Square-42nd Street Subway Station in NYC.
Reina Mia Brill – Crafts
Reina Mia Brill’s work was included in the 1st Gallery issue of “Surface Design Journal” entitled “Breaking New Ground”. A former NYFA award winner, Brill’s work was also exhibited in two major exhibitions: Needle Culture in Flagstaff, AZ, as well as Twist and Shout: The New Needle Arts, which opened at Florida Craftsmen and will continue to travel to museums across the country through 2007. She was one of five Americans invited to participate in the 12th International Triennial of Tapestry in Poland for 2007.
Peter Cabot – Mixed Media
Peter Cabot has been a freelance artist for nearly two decades. From food styling to stage design to fine painting and sculpting, his commercial designs and fabrications have been included in venues as diverse as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Heritage of Pride, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, Good Morning America, BACA Film Festival and MTV. Mr. Cabot’s online portfolio may viewed at MakesThings.com.
Jessica Danser – Choreography
Jessica Danser, a native New Yorker, is a graduate of the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, Talent Unlimited, and the Alvin Ailey School. She founded Jessica Danser/Dansefolk in 2005. The company has performed at NYC venues including BAAD and the Riverside Church. Jessica is a member of the Ailey School’s faculty
Marisol Diaz – Photography
Marisol Diaz received a B.A. degree in photography from City College/ City University of New York. Her most recent exhibitions include Bronx River Art Center, el Taller Boricua, Boricua College and Haven Arts. She also received the New York State Senate Liberty Award for providing Art to the Community. Diaz is the Program Director of En Foco, Inc, and freelances as a teaching artist and a photographer for various organizations.
Bradon McDonald – Dance
Bradon McDonald is currently a dancer with the Mark Morris Dance Group which he joined in 2000. Before joining the group, Bradon performed with the Limon Dance Company for three years. Bradon is a graduate of the Julliard School (1997) and a recipient of the Princess Grace Award, as well as a National ARTS Foundation award.
Joel Neff – Crafts
Joel Neff received his B.F.A. in Ceramics from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. Six years ago he moved to New York and for the past three years has been working as a full-time artist here in the Bronx. He travels around the country participating in art fairs year-round.
Maxim Pakhomov – Instrumental Music
Maxim Pakhomov has toured England, Scotland, Austria and Estonia in both solo and chamber music concerts. He is a founding member of The Bronx Chamber Players and principal pianist of the Bronx Opera Company. His solo performances with the Orchestra of the Bronx includes piano concertos by Tschaikowsky, Saint-Saens, Brahams and Beethovan.
PattyDukes – Music Performance
PattyDukes is a Latina Hip-Hop Artist, an Emcee, Actress, Writer and Filmmaker from the South Bronx. Some of her solo shows include Yale University’s New Haven Arts and Ideas Festival, Atlanta’s National Black Arts Festival and The NYC Hip-Hop Theater Festival, The Point CDC and The NYC Mission Society. Group shows include The Knitting Factory, The Royal Shakespeare Company and The Center for Cultural Exchange. She is currently working on her debut album.
Danny R. Peralta – Photography
Danny Peralta studied at the Art Student League of New York, The School of Visual Arts, and New York University. He is the Honored recipient of The Jocelyn Benzakin Fellowship for photography work on the Dominican community in New York City and the Dominican Republic. Peraltas’ latest exhibit was at Chelsea Market and Bens One at ICP.
Carlos J. Serrano – Playwriting
Carlos J. Serrano play “The Ortiz Sisters of Mott Haven” was featured as the inaugural play for the 47th Annual Puerto Rican Theatre Festival in San Juan and Arecibo March of ’06. The play also ran at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre in ’05. He has won several awards for his writing, including the BRIO Award (2005) from the Bronx Council on the Arts, and placed 2nd for Met Life’s “Nuestro Voces” (2006) at Repertorio Espanol with his current Play “No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy”.
Jen Shyu – Music Composition
Born in Illinois, from parents of East Timor and Taiwan, Jen Shyu is a multi-disciplinary performer/composer touring internationally with saxophonist/visionary Steve Coleman since 2003. She performs on his latest albums (Luciddarium & Weaving Symbolics). She produced her debut album “For Now” (2002) and is currently developing her “Jade Tongue” project.
Pamela Sporn – Documentary Film Video
Pam Sporn is an educator and documentary filmmaker. She is interested in combining personal narratives and archival material to explore historical and cultural themes. Pam has taught video production for many years in high schools and media centers in New York City, at Hunter College, and at the Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Muhamadou Salieu Suso – Instrumental Music
Muhamadou Salieu Suso was born into a family of traditional Gambian musicians, historians, and storytellers that extends nearly one thousand years. He was trained to play the 21-stringed Kora (West African harp) by his father, renowned Kora player Alhaji Musa Makang Suso, beginning at age eight. He is descendant of JaliMady Wulayn Suso, inventor of the Kora instrument.
Bruce Tallerman – Fiction
Bruce Tallerman has studied creative writing at UCLA as well as the New School for Social Research and the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. His short stories have since appeared in literary magazines such as the “Laurel Review”, “The Paterson Review”, “Quarter After Eight” and “The Green Hills Literary Lantern”. He recently finished a novel and continues to write speeches and articles for various corporations.
Ron Terner – Photography
Ron Terner’s work is in the permanent collections of The Biblioteque Nationale in Paris, France, The Fotofactory in Oslo, Norway, Idaho State University, Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, and in numerous private collections throughout the United States and abroad. Recently his work was included in the book “Eros” published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang and curated by Linda Ferrer.
Nelida Tirado – Dance
Nelida Tirado was a soloist and dance captain of Carlota Santana’s “Flamenco Vivo” and an original member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Spanish Ballet in Franco Zeferelli’s production of “Carmen”. She was featured in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” for 2007.
Julio Antonio Toro – Screenwriting
Julio Antonio Toro attended the School of Visual Arts as a student in the Illustration/Cartooning program. He served as a writer/director at the Mezcla Latino International Film Festival, a not-for-profit media organization which promotes Hispanic artistic and literary works. Toro is also the co-founder of the movie production company Holly Hood Productions, Inc. “The Phenom” is his first feature-length screenplay.
Rhina Valentin – Acting
Rhina Valentin graduated from William Esper Conservatory completing her Masters in Meisner Technique and has performed in various theaters throughout New York City since 1998. Rhina was seen in the supporting lead role “Reina” in the 2006 HBO award-winning short “Betty La Flaca” which aired on HBO & HBO Latino. She most recently completed a successful run in Latina Poets Festival 2007 at The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and “Latinas Don’t PMS” at the World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood.
Lois Weingarten – Painting
Lois Weingarten studied with Philip Pearlstein, Ad Reinhardt and other artists. She also studied at the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn College, Fairleigh Dickerson University (B.A./M.B.A) and The School of Visual Arts. Lois’ work has been shown at the Brick Gallery, Kathleen Moses Gallery, Berkley College Art Gallery, Focal Point Gallery, Kathleen Moses Gallery, CIAO and 93 South Gallery.
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2006 BRIO Winners |
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2005 BRIO Winners |
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2004 BRIO Winners |
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