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Brendan Guy Murphy

ACTOR BRENDAN GUY MURPHY RECEIVES BUFFALO EXCHANGE ARTS AWARD

Brendan Guy Murphy, actor, received Tucson's 2008 Buffalo Exchange Arts Award of $10,000. The award was presented by the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA) at the Davis Dominguez Gallery in Tucson on Jan 14, 2009. Brendan Guy Murphy is a talented actor who directs, writes and acts in both theatre and film. Murphy recently founded his own film production company, Murphy Speaking Films, currently producing its third film. According to Cynthia Meier, one of the award selection committee judges, Murphy “is making films which are imaginative and inventive, creating opportunities for many Tucson actors and production personnel. Instead of leaving town to join a corps of actors and filmmakers in Los Angeles or New York, Brendan is attempting to create art here in Tucson, the place in which he grew up.” Since 1994, nearly $120,000 has been given to individuals in the arts community through the Buffalo Exchange Fund for the Arts held at CFSA. The award was established by Buffalo Exchange owners Kerstin and Spencer Block to encourage creativity, innovation and excellence in the arts.

Artists are nominated and selected by an anonymous panel composed of experts who are familiar with the local arts scene. The focus of the Buffalo Exchange Arts Award changes each year, rotating from an emphasis on the performing arts to visual arts to arts contribution/education. Candidates in performing arts were considered this year. The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona's mission is to work with charitably minded individuals and organizations to strengthen Southern Arizona communities, now and for generations to come. A public organization with more than $118 million in assets, it has allocated $90 million to the community since its founding in 1980 and stands as a vital link between philanthropy and the needs of our community.