Pueblo artists to be honored by Gov. Jared Polis for commitment to the arts in Colorado

A Pueblo artist will receive a Governor’s Creative Leadership Award Friday at the Colorado Creative Industries Summit for her dedication and contributions to the state's creative industry.

Cynthia Ramu will be given the Arts and Creative Placemaking Award, Gov. Jared Polis’ office and the Colorado Creative Industries division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade announced in a news release on Monday.

Ramu is the coordinator for the Pueblo Levee Mural Project. Meanwhile, Joe Kronwitter, a Pueblo native, will be recognized as the 2024 Governor’s Creative Leadership Awards Artist. He designed this year’s awards.

Polis will present the awards at the summit, which kicks off Thursday. The award ceremony starts on Friday at 12:30 p.m. It will all take place inside the Pueblo Convention Center.

The awards “recognize individuals that have demonstrated significant support or participation in activities statewide to advance the value of the creative industries in Colorado communities,” the state's economic development office stated on its website.

“Colorado artists and creative communities bring people together in celebrating our state’s heritage. This year’s Creative Leadership Award winners have demonstrated a commitment to their craft while expanding the arts for all Coloradans,” Polis said in the release. “The arts are an important part of who we are and our state’s culture, and as a state we deeply appreciate all the talented individuals and supporters who elevate culture and arts in Colorado.”

Grace Gillette and Tom Shepard are the other recipients of this year’s awards. Americans for the Arts will present Polis with the Public Leadership in the Arts Award, which is given to elected officials who advance and highlight the arts in their communities.

Why Ramu was selected for the award

The Arts and Creative Placemaking Award honors people who “use the arts to envision new futures through activities such as activating a public space, animating a community or sparking redevelopment," according to CCI.

Ramu is proud of the Pueblo Levee Mural Project, which once held the Guinness World Record for the largest outdoor mural in the world. She is leading the effort to reclaim that record.

“She’s done so much for Pueblo with the levee and river trail,” said Kronwitter, who’s known Ramu for around 30 years. “She’s just very dedicated to that project and she’s pretty good at doing what she does. It’s a benefit to Pueblo.”

Ramu has spent years cultivating artists to contribute to the levee project while supporting their artistic visions and passions, feeling that Pueblo’s history should be reflected in art throughout the city.

In the release, CCI called Ramu a “passionate artist and community leader.”

“With a diverse educational background and extensive experience in art education and mural creation, Cynthia has significantly impacted Pueblo, Colorado's cultural scene and beyond,” CCI stated in the release. “Her achievements include securing Guinness World Records and organizing community events, reflecting her belief in the arts' power to unite and inspire.

"Cynthia's dedication shines through her mentorship of youth and commitment to community engagement, making her a cornerstone of Pueblo's artistic landscape.”

Kronwitter sought to make the 2024 awards unique

Kronwitter, a fine craft wood worker and artist, said he was selected to design and develop this year’s awards, which he called a “real honor.”

He said he wanted to make each award unique and did so by giving them different colors, which he hopes “provides meaning for each person.”

“I thought about how those people give to the communities that they’re in,” Kronwitter said. “There’s a reciprocal thing that happens between artists and the communities they’re in where the artists do their thing and the community benefits from that, maybe more than they even know.”

What to know about the CCI Summit in Pueblo

The summit is an annual event that usually attracts hundreds of people from different Colorado cities. That includes artists, entrepreneurs, creative industry advocates and elected officials, among others.

The summit is a multi-day event where people can participate in classes and workshops or observe speakers, exhibits, or performances during their stay. This year’s itinerary features several sessions, tours, and events centered around the arts in Pueblo and beyond.

“It’s a big deal,” said Elissa Ball, the recorder for the Creative Consortium of Pueblo. “We’re seeing it as an opportunity for Pueblo to do its very best to shine.”

The CCP is sponsoring an event called Faux-First Friday Art, Food and Drink Crawl, where people can visit booths that highlight local artists, makers and creatives. It starts at 4 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m. on May 10 at the Visit Pueblo Welcome Center.

For a full schedule of the CCI Summit, visit oedit.colorado.gov/colorado-creative-industries-summit.

Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo, Colorado artists receive awards for contributions to the arts