Honoring Creative Leadership in Colorado: Gov. Polis Announces 2025 Governor's Creative Leadership Awards

April 29, 2025

To be presented at the Colorado Creative Industries Summit in Grand Junction, May 2

DENVER — Today, the Polis Administration and the Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced the 2025 recipients of the Governor’s Creative Leadership Awards to recognize Coloradans who have demonstrated a significant commitment to the state’s creative landscape through civic leadership and volunteerism.

“In Colorado, we celebrate the arts as a key economic driver, job creator, and important contributor to our thriving culture. The arts commemorate who we were, celebrate who we are, and shape who we want to be,” said Gov. Polis. “We are grateful to the recipients announced today for their work to continually elevate this important part of Colorado’s culture and economy.”

The Governor’s Creative Leadership awards will be presented on Friday, May 2, at the Colorado Creative Industries Summit at the Grand Junction Convention Center in Grand Junction, Colorado. The awards luncheon will also feature a keynote address by Theo Edmunds, Culture Futurist®, and poetry readings by Wendy Videlock, Western Slope Poet Laureate, and Rize Simmons, Poetry Out Loud State Champion. Press interested in attending and covering the awards luncheon should contact Libby Barbee(opens in new window) or Emma Acheson(opens in new window).

“The arts and creative industries thrive in Colorado because every year, people and communities across the state promote and celebrate their many contributions to our way of life and our economy. We are thrilled to recognize the incredible contributions of the recipients announced today. Congratulations!” said OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman.

Three categories of Creative Leadership Awards are presented to community members who have demonstrated a significant commitment to Colorado’s creative landscape through advocacy, vision, collaboration, or innovation: Arts and Community Action, Arts and Advocacy, and Arts and Creative Placemaking.

This year’s awards were created by local Grand Junction artist, Roni Schwinn. Schwinn was born and raised in Western Colorado, and is the owner of Working Artists Gallery & Studio in downtown Grand Junction. Her stained glass works presented to the recipients on May 2 will depict iconic Colorado landscapes from around the state.

“Arts and creativity play a critical role in community development and cultural identity,” said CCI Director, Josh Blanchard. “These outstanding artists and arts leaders work to support the growth of the creative economy, establish and maintain public creative spaces, and champion the arts as critical to healthy communities. Their leadership and commitment make Colorado better, a place where arts and culture are for everyone.”

The 2025 Creative Leadership Award recipients include the following (photos available by request):

Andy Sanchez

Arts and Advocacy Award: Honors individuals who work to advance economically vibrant, healthy, and equitable communities by ensuring that arts, culture and the creative industries and its workforce are valued and supported through policy, research, civic engagement, professional services and access.

As a Pueblo, Colorado native, Andy Sanchez is an advocate for arts and culture in Colorado committed to furthering everyone’s access to quality of life through such advocacy. His past work for both the University of Colorado and Colorado State University systems and his post-graduate study in fine art and business supports his work in art administration now. His work as the CEO of the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center for the last three years and his board service there for nearly six years prior has been alongside a team that also recognizes the needs of the greater community that surrounds it. Sanchez and the team oversee an accredited American Alliance of Museums arts campus that has over 84,000 square feet inclusive of an award-winning Children’s STEAM Museum, galleries, theatre, conference space, and educational programming that includes the practice of dance, performance, and the visual arts. His focus through his advocacy and work is to bolster the growth of Colorado arts and culture responsibly, yet with impactful results that leave it better prepared for our future and the next group of collaborators in the arts. All with stakeholders that support and steward resources sustainably while always encouraging innovation and quality of work to come.

Article cited from: https://oedit.colorado.gov/press-release/honoring-creative-leadership-in-colorado-gov-polis-announces-2025-governors-creative