The second annual Artist of the Year Awards brought together a group of local artists, recognizing their creative impact in the greater Southbury area art scene.
Hosted by the Southbury Arts and Culture Alliance (SACA), the award was established by the nonprofit to celebrate and elevate the diverse talents of local creatives.
A total of seven nominees were acknowledged on Thursday evening in the Kingsley Room of the Southbury Public Library.
This year, Darda Galletto and Alonso Guzmán – professional dancers and instructors specializing in Argentine Tango and Milonga – won Artist of the Year.
Since arriving in Southbury in 2021, they founded Galletto & Guzmán Dance LLC in 2023, and have since made significant contributions to the Southbury community through classes held at the Senior Center, and their Milonga gatherings that draw dancers from across the state.
“I want to thank SACA for pushing the word of artists in Southbury out there,” Guzmán said.
With over three decades of dancing experience, the two were forced to close their dance studio in New York City’s Times Square due to the COVID pandemic.
“Argentine tango is really about finding each other,” Guzmán later said, relating his craft to what became a theme of the night. “It’s a mission now to be more engaged with the community. It’s truly a blessing.”
SACA also announced a runner-up for the Artist of the Year award, given to Danielle Hawthorne, the talent behind D. Noel Imagery, while also being the publisher of Southbury Neighbors magazine.
“Danielle sees the world through a lens that reveals beauty, story, and connection,” said SACA secretary Nancy Monson.
The prestigious David K. Merrill Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award was presented to Jim Tornatore, the Artistic Director of the local Newbury Musical Theatre Company (NMTC).
Since the theater’s founding in 2008, he has helped produce over 25 full-scale productions, giving both children and adults opportunities in performance art. He also wrote a musical, “Sonshine,” a modern retelling of the life of Christ that was met with critical acclaim.
Prior to arriving in Southbury in 2006, he recalls a psychic laying out a vision for what would be the next chapter of his family’s life.
“She told us things that there’s no way she should have known,” Tornatore said. “She said, ‘You should move to Southbury’.”
When asked why, he remembers her answer: “The people in Southbury want theater. They have a playhouse.”
NMTC was launched soon after as a family-run company, much to Southbury’s gain.
Tornatore thanked his family and the community for making the vision possible.
“We couldn’t have done it without them and the support of so many people who come together, which is one of the beautiful things about community theatre…bringing people together,” he said.
He added that future collaborations with other nominees and award winners are made possible by bringing together the local creatives for the night of celebration.
“They are going to teach my wife and me how to tango, for sure,” he said of the Artist of the Year award winners.
For The People’s Choice Award, a shocked and surprised Ellie Hanna was recognized for her talents as a performer and an organizer who enriches Southbury’s cultural life. The award was won with over 450 community votes.
The lead singer for local band One Track Mind, she helped organize a fundraiser in May to purchase equipment for Settler’s Park and the gazebo where summer concerts were held.
Sherrie Romano, SACA’s Vice President, noted the band’s volunteerism in making the summer concert venue a better experience for all.
A former educator at nearby Newtown High School, Hanna has been singing in bands for over half her life and has realized in retirement that she can’t stay away from her lifelong passion of singing.
“It’s so cathartic, and it’s so fun to collaborate with other people,” she said. “You’re also afraid you’ll lose the muscle if you step away for too long.”
While her original plan was to be supportive and meet other local artists during the awards ceremony, she instead found herself thanking her bandmates, along with her mother, for the encouragement and support of her work.
“It was very collaborative,” she said of the band’s work to raise funds for Settler’s Park, where One Track Mind later played during the town’s summer concert series.
First Selectman Tim O’Neil and State Rep. Jason Buchsbaum were both in attendance to deliver proclamations and citations to award winners.
“Events like this remind us that the arts are truly the heartbeat of a vibrant community,” said O’Neil. “It sparks creativity in people across generations and cultures, and enriches the lives of both residents and visitors.”
For more information about SACA’s mission and ongoing events, visit www.southburyartsandculturealliance.org/
The Southbury Record 