RTD's Brenda Tierney Wins Excellence in Arts & Culture Award

Brenda Tierney, public information manager for RTD's North Metro Rail Line is the 2015 Denver Mayor's award winner for Excellence in Arts & Culture.

Brenda is also the creator and manager of RTD's Art-n-Transit program. Her skill, hard work and enthusiasm have had tremendous positive impact on neighborhoods throughout metro Denver. This prestigious award is well-deserved and we congratulate Brenda on this recognition of her work.

Brenda received the Mayor's Arts & Culture Impact Award, which goes to "an individual or organization that has made a significant and lasting impact on the artistic and cultural landscape in the City and County of Denver. This category requires that the nominee have at least 10 years of history with arts & culture in the City and County of Denver."

In rail construction projects, Brenda facilitates communication between engineers, contractors and the public that results in close working relationships during design and construction.

Twenty-one years ago Brenda created the Art-n-Transit program, which she continues to manage today. “Not only is the art at the stations a tie for the immediate community, but our commuters who are on the trains each day … it gives them the opportunity to see different art elements at each station,” Brenda said.

Community wanted public art

Starting in 1994 working in the Central Rail Line construction project, the first light rail line in Denver, she listened to the community when they requested public art at their stations.

With no RTD funding for artwork, she formed a nonprofit corporation and started fundraising. Over the next five years, enough money was raised to install the first five art projects.

By the end of 2016, even with no formal program or funding for artwork at RTD, the collection will grow to 70 pieces.

“I can’t even tell you how touched I am that I would receive this. It’s something that I wasn’t expecting and it’s truly a joy,” Brenda said.