Art and wine studio Art on the Brix was named the Golden business of the year at the Greater Golden Chamber of Commerce annual awards ceremony Jan. 17.

Art on the Brix (1299 Washington Avenue, Suite 180) owner Alyssa Graves said the award was a great surprise.

“The chamber’s president Roy Masters left me a phone message saying there was something he wanted to talk to me about. I thought I had done something wrong!” Graves said.

When she did get the news, Graves said she started crying.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal to have the whole community say, ‘We recognize you and we’re excited about what you’re doing,’” Alyssa Graves said.

Graves opened Art on the Brix in the fall of 2011 with her father, Barry Graves, a construction contractor.

“His love of wine and my love of art came together at the right time in our lives,” Alyssa Graves said.

Barry Graves put it this way: “I saw it as a way of getting her more of that artistic element that she’s interested in, and gives me something to do in my retirement.”

The studio, complete with a full wine and beer bar, gives individuals, couples, or even large groups a chance to come in and do some painting, often with the assistance of local professional artists like Jesse Crock and Jeannette Stutzman.

As she accepted the award, Alyssa Graves recounted the story of how a woman had just come in the day before to schedule a large group painting project.

“She said she was about to begin chemotherapy, and wanted to get all of her friends together to have some fun before she got sick,” Alyssa Graves said.

Colorado’s 7th Congressional District Rep. Ed Perlmutter attended the ceremony, which was held at the Golden Hotel, and said that all the award winners would be read into the congressional record. He described Golden as representing “good service, good products, good people.”

Also at the event Masters introduced the 2013 Chamber Board, including incoming president Lisa Knipp at the event.

Other awards given out at the ceremony:

Ambassador of the Year — Chris Quoyeser, Alpha Graphics

Golden Young Professional of the Year — Jaime Strong, Three Tomatoes Steakhouse

Civic Award — The Lariat Loop

Chairman’s Award — ERA, A Waters Company

Charlie O’Brien Award — Connie Tysdal