Second annual Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Awards honor Roger Humphries and Tami Dixon

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 26, 2013 – The Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Awards will celebrate two local artists for their career achievements at Momentum, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) Annual Meeting on December 5, 2013.

Theater artist Tami Dixon will be honored as Emerging Artist and musician Roger Humphries will be honored as Established Artist. Each will receive a cash award of $15,000 in recognition of exemplary artistic achievements and promise for future work. 

The Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Awards are jointly sponsored by The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments as part of a major initiative, Investing in Professional Artists: The Pittsburgh Region Artists Program, that provides resources to professional artists for the breadth of the creative process, from concept to completion.

Candidates for the awards were nominated by artists and arts leaders from the region and chosen by an independent panel that reviewed applications and work samples. Twenty-four nominees representing the fields of dance, film and video, literature, multi-disciplinary arts, music, theater, and visual arts submitted applications. 

The awards honor the achievements of Carol R. Brown, who led the cultural and economic transformation of downtown Pittsburgh’s cultural district as President of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust from 1986 to 2001. During her tenure, a 14 square block area of downtown Pittsburgh, formerly a red light district, was transformed into a nationally-recognized cultural district with theaters, galleries, world-class public art, and public spaces.

“Championing the region’s artists was a defining aspect of Carol Brown’s work during her tenure at the Trust and it is fitting that these awards honor her vision,” said Germaine Williams, Senior Program Officer at The Pittsburgh Foundation. “Artists enrich us in so many ways, yet they often work unrecognized and struggle to find necessary resources. This program extends Carol’s early investments in creative artists as a way of ensuring the region’s continued cultural evolution and vitality.”

"It is a great honor for me to be associated with the Creative Achievement Awards sponsored by The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments,” said Carol Brown.  “The awards are so significant in nurturing the spirit and capacity of Pittsburgh's richly diverse community of artists, and certainly it is with individual artists that every great cultural community begins." 

Tami Dixon, Producing Artistic Director at Bricolage Theater, got her first taste of Pittsburgh when her performing arts school in Cleveland took their sixth grade class to the city as part of an exchange program with Rogers (CAPA).  Ms. Dixon went on to study drama at Carnegie Mellon University, where she now teaches.

She left Pittsburgh for New York City, figuring never to return.  In 2003, she met Jeffrey Carpenter, who had established Bricolage in Pittsburgh.  When deciding whether to make their home in New York or Pittsburgh, they weighed the pros and cons of both places. 

“Pittsburgh was an easy decision,” said Ms. Dixon.  “There is a strong artistic community here, and I believe that there are more opportunities here because of that.  I come from a blue collar town and I relate to the people here.”

Ms. Dixon has received numerous critical accolades for her recent work that includes her one woman show South Side Stories, which she wrote and performed at City Theatre.  Strata, a groundbreaking production that was performed at Bricolage over the summer, was recognized by American Theatre Magazine for immersing the audience in theatre.

“My work is not something you can touch and feel or take home like other art,” said Ms. Dixon.  “I am humbled and shocked by the recognition, and I am blessed to live in Pittsburgh with its many talented people.”

Roger Humphries started playing drums at 3 ½ years old.  By age four, he was playing shows with his saxophone playing older brother.  Along his storied career, he has played around the world and with greats such as Ray Charles.

“The reason this award means a whole lot to me, is because I’m not getting a whole lot of awards right now,” said Mr. Humphries.  “Musicians usually don’t receive recognition until after they are gone.  It is so nice to be acknowledged for dedication.”

Mr. Humphries’ roots are in Pittsburgh which has a long and rich jazz history.  He grew up playing in the Crawford Grill and it brings him me happiness to see establishments today in the city that are dedicated to keeping the jazz tradition alive.  “Other places are nice to see, but Pittsburgh is home,” he said.

In addition to a full performance schedule with his band, RF Factor, Mr. Humphries taught music at CAPA for many years.  “It is a great pleasure to inspire young artists to study this art form, not just in school, but by playing and learning with others,” he said. 

The GPAC Annual Meeting and the Carol R. Brown Awards presentation will take place starting at 8:30 AM at the Manchester Craftsmen Guild and are open to the public.  To register for the event, please visit http://www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/annualmeeting.

For more information on the Investing in Professional Artists: The Pittsburgh Region Artists Program, please visit http://pittsburghfoundation.org/region_artists_program.  

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Tami Dixon Photo Credit: Becky Thurner

Roger Humphries Photo Credit: Ahmad Sandige