A NIGHT TO CELEBRATE ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE

Thank you for supporting and celebrating Bravo Greater Des Moines at the 14th Annual Bravo Awards Gala! 

Save the date!

The 15th Annual Bravo Awards Gala will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2020!

Bravo Greater Des Moines honored the Des Moines Community Playhouse, Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation and the Fred Maytag Family Foundation during the 14^th Annual Bravo Awards Gala. 

During the awards ceremony, the Encore Award was presented to Des Moines Community Playhouse in recognition of the organization’s longstanding and exceptional contributions to the region’s cultural landscape.

Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation received the Standing Ovation Award. The Standing Ovation Award honors an organization that has seen tremendous programmatic development and operational excellence over the past one-to-two years.

The Fred Maytag Family Foundation was honored with the Bravo Award which is given each year to an individual, family, foundation or institution whose contribution has helped to amplify the impact of arts, culture and heritage in the entire region. The Fred Maytag Family Foundation was created in 1945 by Fred Maytag II, who was then the Maytag Company President and Board Chairman. It was modestly endowed in the early years, with a particular focus on supporting charitable causes in Newton and central Iowa. After Mr. Maytag’s death, the Foundation’s direction was continued by his wife Ellen Pray Maytag, followed by their two sons, Fritz and Ken Maytag, who have been directing programs since their mother’s death.  Contributions from the Foundation enrich our community and our state by supporting the work of a broad and diverse scope of organizations including the Des Moines Art Center, Science Center of Iowa, Des Moines Metro Opera, Des Moines Symphony, Iowa Youth Chorus and Living History Farms. 

Laura Jackson, Executive Vice President of Health Care Innovation and Business Development at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Jeff Russell, President and CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa, were featured as the gala’s honorary co-chairs and welcomed more than 1,500 guests to the annual event.

ABOUT BRAVO GREATER DES MOINES

The Bravo Awards Gala is the perfect showcase for the work Bravo does year-round. Through investments made by 17 local communities, Bravo provides a competitive and reliable source of funding to regional arts, culture and heritage nonprofit organizations and programs. In addition to grantmaking, Bravo also measures the positive impact of arts, culture and heritage organizations on the regional economy, and leads the vision for the future by enhancing and elevating economic development and quality of life for residents and visitors throughout Central Iowa. Proceeds from the Bravo Awards Gala help offset Bravo’s administrative expenses allowing more dollars to be invested back into the arts, culture and heritage organizations that create the entertaining and thoughtful experience we all enjoy.

Be sure to connect with Bravo on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay updated on the Bravo Awards Gala!

Learn more about Bravo Greater Des Moines and our Cultural Partners from these videos which debuted at the 2019 Bravo Awards Gala.