COPPeR: Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region

To be of use

2011-12-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come or the fire to be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

Poetry While You Wait Submissions

2011-12-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Poets and poetry lovers – now is the time to submit your original poems to the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Project for the next Poetry While You Wait poetry booklet. Submission is free and open to all residents, adults and children, of El Paso and Teller counties. This year, poems will be considered in English and foreign languages. If you wish to submit your poems in a foreign language, include your original foreign language poem and its English translation. All forms (free verse, blank verse, etc.) will be considered for publication. You may submit up to five poems, 30 lines or shorter, and suitable for public consumption, in the body of one e-mail, not an attachment, to poet@pikespeakpoetlaureate.org. Or mail to: Jim Ciletti, Poet Laureate, 1215 N. Union, Colorado Springs, 80909. Deadline is December 7, 2011. Please include your postal and e-mail address and phone number and a one-line bio with your submission. Poetry While You Wait will be published in Spring and distributed to waiting rooms, like your doctor’s or dentist’s office, tire stores, auto repair shops, beauty salons, barber shops, etc. – wherever there is a waiting area. Contact: Jim Ciletti - 634-2367.

Tree-Ring Circus

2011-09-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

__________

The tree rings on the small tree on the sidewalk outside the COPPeR Office are part of the Art on the Streets (AOTS) public sculpture program that exhibits artwork for one year in Colorado Springs' downtown corridor. Eleven sculptors from around the country were juried in and invited to place work around town. I think this work has some properties that are atypical of artwork one typically finds in the area or as part of this type of art program. And, it may be Colorado Springs' first multiple-sited, site-specific, community-specific artwork. It might also be the largest.

It's challenging to create a work like this, because it follows contemporary art sensibilities and practices that don't get talked about much here. Maybe this is because there hasn't been anything like this, although an even larger art installation is going to take place in Manitou this October with The Chair Project. This work seeks to expand ideas about art, art making and art's value in the region.
After the work was installed, I emailed the organizers of the AOTS program to illuminate some of the reasons for my work. AOTS gave the installation a second place award, even though
they did not have an artist statement at the time of adjudication.

As I explained in the email:

There is a gesture toward the businesses and activities in the vicinity of each sculpture siting--not in the rings themselves. The rings are purposely non-objective and use a black & white color scheme to differentiate them from any common associations with other things. I changed pattern recognition on a couple of the trees to deviate from conformity and habituation of the viewer. One tree has colored rings, but it proves to be the hardest to find.
The sites I chose were based on several factors:

-the physical characteristics of the tree (straight saplings when possible)
-the visual aspects of the site (noisy to serene sites, the rings have a different effect in each)
-frequency of occurrence and the use of both sides of the street (about 3 per block along 7 blocks)
-the kind of businesses or social activities in the immediate area (the rings could bring visitors to each site, endorsing existing businesses and bring attention to vacancies or new businesses)
-the likeliness or unlikeliness of vandalism
Following are site selection photos taken in early April followed by completed installation photos taken the morning of June 24, along with my thoughts and reasons about siting. At the end of the email is an artist statement and something about how the rings were made and installed.
Thank you for reading.

- Sean O'Meallie
__________
Tree Ring Circus -
#1.   SW corner of Boulder & Tejon

This is the northernmost site. Driving south, this begins the highly active stretch of Tejon Street. There is usually a cluster of people in their teens and twenties and a few homeless folk hanging around the front door of the locally owned coffee shop located on this corner. Seeing the crowd clustered here as I drive into downtown signals to me the the start of the active street culture of our downtown community.

#2.   320 N Tejon

In April, Richard Skorman, the owner of Poor Richard's restaurant, bistro and bookstore was a candidate for Colorado Spring's first "strong mayor." Richard is a recognized supporter of the creative class in the community, but not Republican in a largely Republican leaning county. I thought including this site would have meaning whether he won or lost the election. He lost. I want to honor Richard's commitment to the community and his aspiration to make Colorado Springs a more interesting place. This block has a huge amount of visitation due to Richard's businesses.

#3.   Tejon near Platte across from the El Paso Club

This area of Tejon St is the loneliest, grayest part of the entire street. A lively nightspot called Jinx's Place used to be on this corner. It could use a mural or a projected photo image of the former business.

#4.   SW corner of Platte & Tejon

This is a lush raised garden area at one of the most used intersections downtown. Drivers wanting to bypass the shopping district or enter the shopping district, either cross or turn south onto Tejon St at this intersection. The neighborhood immediately turns more urban. Acacia Park is to the east. The El Paso Club, the oldest man's club west of the Mississippi, is to the north.

#5.   226 N Tejon

I love the urban clash of bikes with the tree here. I intentionally kept the rings high on this one so that the use of the tree for securing bikes could continue. I also wanted to honor Mountain Chalet, one of Colorado Spring's favorite downtown fixtures. The bikes belong to residents of The Albany, a low income apartment house. The residents were very accommodating during the installation, removing all their bikes for the two hours necessary to install the armature and rings. They look after the artwork and are careful not to lean their bikes on the rebar.

#6.   214 1/2 N Tejon

Here's an empty storefront. It's been empty a long time. There are a few of these as backdrops to the tree treatments. Not only does the place look vacant, but it looks disregarded. I wondered if calling attention to this area would help advertise the location for the owner and additionally, for a new tenant.

#7.   Acacia Park

What an important urban community space this park is. Here, I'd like to honor Kat and Bob Tudor for their gifts and investments in the community. Their wildly popular Uncle Wilbur Fountain plaza is in the background below.

#8.   124 N Tejon

I chose this tree because of the setting and rhythm of the placements along the street. Johannes Hunter is a long time downtown jeweler. I decided to incorporate a more intricate and lacy design motif on the rings. Michelle's candy store, once famous for its lace candies, chocolates and soda fountain, now defunct, slides into decrepitude next door.

#9.   115 N Tejon

Primarily chosen for physical and rhythmic reasons, I notice that the storefront advertises artmaking experiences available to anyone coming to their open classes. Right next door is Lasko Fine Art, a very small art gallery finding a way to survive.

#10.   112 N Tejon

Bryan & Scott Jewelers has been around for 70+ years. It's my local gallery. Owner Roberto Agnolini has been supporting artists and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center for many years. The business and building are up for sale.

#11.   31 N Tejon - SE corner N of The Famous

This site offered a bit of a sidestep from the Tejon Street busyness, although a lot of vehicles and people go by. It seems a little off the path, but it's a nice little oasis. The spacing rhythm and backdrop led me to select this tree. The tree is full of 2" thorns. There's usually a homeless person sitting in the shade here. There's some office space available in the building behind.

#12.   30 N Tejon

Another empty storefront. Shewmaker's Cameras was an important resource for many artists in the community for many years. I knew a few of the employees. Not sure where they are now.

#13.   19 N Tejon

I'm not sure what all goes on in this building, but I needed a tree in the area and I thought the rings would fit with the architectural design of the entrance. There's a bank in the lobby and the county Public Defender's office. Perhaps the building is owned by LandCo, a local real estate developer in bankruptcy and tied to political and financial shenanigans with the former mayor and the U.S. Olympic Committee. The site is near the rowdy Cowboys bar and required a sturdy ring and armature.

#14.   3 N Tejon

Downtown's new 7 Eleven. This is on the corner of downtown's central intersection. Here the city is quadrisected into North, South, East and West. The building houses another bank, or used to. Now, a lot of youth and homeless hang out there and the downtown community makes good use of the convenience store's convenience. This tree required some of the largest rings in the installation, and sits kitty-corner from another large tree with rings.

#15.   6 S Tejon:

Here North Tejon becomes South Tejon. US Bank has been a corporate financial sponsor for AOTS since it began. I used to bank at this location when it was Colorado Bank Exchange and had built some of the cabinetry in the lobby years ago when I was in that trade. This tree also required large rings. It plays a little with the tree in front of 7 Eleven, located diagonally across the intersection from this tree. A statue of Spencer Penrose is located nearby.

#16.   15 S Tejon

The Ritz restaurant has been a local fixture for many years. My daughter works there and I know some of the employees. Every once in awhile, there's a scuffle or a stabbing within arm's length of this tree. The tree also gets lots of water from leftover drinks and I suspect some mineral nutrients from an occasional puking. This probably goes for a number of the trees downtown. Here, the ring's black and white motif echos that of the Ritz. The bouncers and staff are helping to keep an eye on the sculpture.

#17.   22 S Tejon

To foster alertness, I decided to use color on these rings. The sapling is one of the skinniest in the array and it's also tall. I chose this location for rhythmic layout reasons.

#18.   111 S Tejon

David Jenkins and his son Chris are developers and philanthropists and major supporters of the AOTS program. They've invested heavily in the community. I know Chris somewhat and I've spoken with David on the phone a few times. I wanted to acknowledge their contribution to local cultural organizations. I think the sophistication of the rings contrasts the sophistication of their architecture here, but both are clean modern ideas. During the installation of these rings, we were accosted by building security and threatened with dynamic emergency art extraction (they own the sidewalk!) until they discovered a gap in their internal communications. Now, Michael The Security Guard, and I are cool.

#19.   121 S Tejon

This tree, the smallest in the array, sits a few steps from the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR), a fledgling, community-supported organization that works to gather and disseminate information about cultural organizations and happenings to the community and tourism interests. It also works to educate and seek support for these same entities. This is a worthwhile effort by an earnest and dedicated group of civic-minded cultural activists.

#20.   The Pioneers Museum

This former courthouse and county seat houses one of the most important historical collection of art and artifacts in the region. Director Matt Mayberry is a dedicated historian, curator and cultural leader. The setting is quite nice. The rings, subtly present in the landscape. This is the last and southmost tree in the installation.

Statement:
Tree Ring Circus is a multiple-location, site-specific art installation that makes use of intimate knowledge for the activities and history of the Tejon Street corridor in which it is sited. The rings are specific to each tree and setting upon which they are situated. The rings were fabricated about one mile from the site using local labor.
The artwork addresses the stated aims of the AOTS sculpture program. The artwork is intended to fulfill the year long duration of the program and no longer. The materials are impermanent and will not be re-sited or sold, but destroyed during their removal. The artwork concept was planned to precisely meet the parameters of the AOTS program and yet, by intention, expand the possibilities of the program, enrich opportunities for artists and those invested in the success of the program and of downtown Colorado Springs.

The rings are non-objective, non-representational sculptural forms intended to evoke curiosity about their unlikely occurence, placement and recurrence along the streetscape, or to just be enjoyed for their existence. The artwork is original and non-traditional. It establishes its own syntax from which any viewer can derive meaning, question or enjoyment.
All the rings are different across 20 different sitings. They can be viewed and considered while driving or while walking the street. The work is urban in conception, nature and setting and acknowledges the community and activities in which it exists and which support it.
Media / Fabrication / Installation:
The sculptures are made of Styrofoam sheeting, readily available from building suppliers and sold as insulation. Foam circles were sawn to size, laminated to thickness, then hand shaped with rasps and sandpaper. The rings were painted with exterior grade wood glue before being covered with two layers of paper saturated with the same glue. The rings were then primed and painted white before masking for black paint. The paints are all exterior grade. Each ring was then sawn in half and labeled by site. The rings are supported by 3/8" rebar posts driven into the ground to a specific height. Usually the rebar needed to be driven into the ground 6-10 inches from the base of the tree to avoid roots, then bent to conform to the tree. Steel rings of varying diameters were hand-formed in the studio then bent around the tree and wired to the rebar. The foam rings were glued to the steel rings and rebar using silicone caulking. Soft urethane foam spacers attached to the inside of the rings prevent the sculptures and rebar from knocking into the tree. Nothing is attached to the tree.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

2011-08-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hello! You may have noticed me walking around downtown Colorado Springs, fervently pushing a red dolly emblazoned with a shiny yellow COPPeR logo. Depending on the occasion, said dolly may have been weighted down with PeakRadar Pages (your official, comprehensive guide to arts and culture in the Pikes Peak Region), house paint, or a root beer keg. WELL. I’m not just a mule for the arts; I have a name, you know! (It’s Sarah Wool. Cozy, right?) And I am working with COPPeR for the summer with the awesomely fancy title of Community Arts Development Specialist.

Sarah Wool, Summer Fellow. Here I am!

COPPeR and I found each other through Colorado College’s Public Interest Fellowship Program, or PIFP. Jeff Livesay, one of my favorite Sociology professors, designed PIFP to give students an opportunity to work with nonprofits in Colorado in summer or yearlong fellowships. Because I will still be in school as a senior next year (Sociology major, Art History minor), I was interested in the summer fellowships. COPPeR immediately caught my eye. It seemed like the perfect place to combine my interest in social action and enrichment with my love of culture and art.

Whether I was coloring on the walls, giving myself a spontaneous haircut, writing a newspaper that only my parents would read, or coloring my dog’s fur with washable markers, I’ve had a passion for creative endeavors since I was very small. (And I guess I’m still pretty small, because Christina told me last week that I’m the shortest person COPPeR has ever hired.)

It was in the second semester of my junior year, during a semester of studying art in Chicago, that I began to realize how vital the arts are to a city’s personality, energy, and sense of community. (Fun fact: I interviewed with COPPeR on Skype while I sat in the closet of my tiny Gold Coast apartment in a desperate attempt to get some privacy from my roommate.) As I made my way through Chicago’s famous art spaces—the Art Institute, Improv Olympic Theater, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and The Moth StorySLAM, among many others—I decided that I wanted to do all I could to make my own city of Colorado Springs a vibrant and attractive arts community. Lucky for me, COPPeR and PeakRadar are really into that goal too! Who would’ve thought?

I’ve been engaged in quite a few projects this summer, the most active of which was planning and executing a large mural on the wall of COPPeR’s office where people could paint messages or logos on an abstracted cityscape of the Springs. That should explain why I was wheeling paint along the sidewalk. When I’m not breaking a sweat to keep the arts community alive, I’m usually creating emails or surveys, planning events, and indexing local arts and cultural resources. I also organized and led a forum-type meeting called Coffee with COPPeR, where different cultural projects around the city presented their plans and progress to arts professionals and interested or curious community members.

One of my favorite things about this job is that it’s given me the opportunity to talk to a lot of different people about a lot of different things that are going on in this area. CC students very often forget that they are merely a small part of a much larger community; they rarely acknowledge that there is anything to do outside of the comfortable bubble of campus. Working with COPPeR and PeakRadar has shown me that there’s always, ALWAYS something to do. In fact, COPPeR employs [the wonderful] Brett Garman with the specific task of fighting boredom!

So there you have it: the story of how COPPeR and I met and came to be great boredom-fighting, arts-building friends.

On living in the Pikes Peak Region and loving the arts for more than a decade

2011-01-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

A multitude of thanks to the many friends who attended my going away party at the Fine Arts Center on Wednesday, January 5. There were so many wonderful people in attendance and I didn't get a chance to talk to everyone. A few people have asked me to share my remarks from last night, so here they are.

This place is inextricably linked to creative experiences for me. My first visit to Colorado Springs was on a field trip with my high school orchestra, where I played Copland's Rodeo Suite on the Pikes Peak Center stage as part of the Cavalcade of Music. Later, after I had been accepted to Colorado College, where I would ultimately earn my degree, I saw a production of My Fair Lady at the Fine Arts Center Theater.
Since I moved here, I've played in orchestras, string quartets, bands, and acted in amateur dinner theater. I even started an underground music venue in my venue while at college, the High Life House. I've amassed a respectable collection of work by local artists. And all of those experiences added up to what ended up to be an extremely satisfying career in the arts; and ultimately, a job at COPPeR, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region.

It has been my privilege and honor to serve as the first Executive Director for this organization. I have been so lucky to act as ambassador for the arts on behalf of all the amazing creative people who make this such a quality, vital place to live. To my friends and colleagues, the artists: You guys are AWESOME. The arts scene here is so rich, so vibrant and you all accomplish an astonishing volume of work with limited resources. My hat goes off to you.

I've been thinking a lot about what to say tonight. Having spent the last 13, very formative, years here, I have a lot to reflect upon. The past three years at COPPeR have been a period of exceptional growth. But in the past few weeks, as I have been packing up my belongings in preparation for my big move to California, I came across the document that is responsible for me being here in the first place.

The following is an excerpt from my college application essay that granted me entrance to Colorado College thirteen years ago. Keep in mind, if you will, that I was 17 years old when I wrote this. A little backstory - I was fortunate to have performed in the orchestra that inaugurated a brand-new Performing Arts Center with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This essay is about that experience.

"After the standing ovations, I walked through the champagne reception and stood outside in the October air. I couldn't talk through my tears yet, and the conversations I'd overheard as I passed through the lobby contributed to my intense feeling of joy at having been able to contribute to something as so bold as fulfilling an artistic vision. This must have been what Beethoven felt as he was turned around on the conductor's podium to face the applause he could not hear: joy, triumph, pride, and above all a feeling of belonging to something with a greater power that that of beginnings or endings: a constancy of both the human spirit and the presence of beauty.

I have had many profound musical experiences, but this story seems to be the best illustration of why I want to pursue an education and career in the arts. Art has the ability to convey the entire spectrum of human emotion, whether it takes form in a sculpture, a poem, or a symphony. It guides us through our lives; it helps us overcome pain, and it enhances the joy of living. Art is a dynamic constant, a true manifestation of the human spirit-- there is always more to learn about it, since just like us, it is always changing."

I'm excited about the new adventure that faces me in California, but I'm also excited about the future for COPPeR. Christina McGrath will do a wonderful job moving the vision forward, and we've got great staff in place, like Brett Garman. I will miss working with you. Judging by the turnout tonight, there are so many people invested in the future of the Pikes Peak region. Say it loud and say it proud: We love the arts in the Pikes Peak region!

COPPeR Announces New Executive Director: Colorado Springs native Christina McGrath brings arts passion and organizational savvy

2011-01-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

The Board of Directors of COPPeR, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, is pleased to announce the appointment of Christina McGrath as Executive Director, starting January 18, 2011.

Christina comes to COPPeR from El Pomar Foundation, where after completing the Fellowship program she was invited to stay on and manage several programs including: the Anna Keesling Ackerman and Freda Hambrick Funds, The Empty Stocking Fund, and the foundation's compliance program. McGrath will replace Executive Director Bettina Swigger, who will step down in January after having served in that position for three years.

"COPPeR is at such an exciting stage in terms of growth and development," said Amanda Mountain, board chair of COPPeR. "The board feels that Christina is the perfect fit to build on all of the tremendous work Bettina has done, and to further expand beyond what even we can see in terms of possibilities for the organization."

Christina has lived in Colorado Springs for over 20 years and says that her passion for the arts started as a toddler when she was first sprinkled with "fairy dust" by Mary Mashburn, long beloved locally as the Fairy Godmother of the Arts. Christina grew up taking classes at the Bemis School of Art, and as a student at The Colorado Springs School, she was exposed to and participated in all aspects of fine arts thanks to their strong arts curriculum. Christina has a Bachelor's degree in Architecture and a Minor in Arts Management from Miami University. While at Miami, she played Baritone in the Marching and Athletic Bands and was a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity. An active community volunteer, she serves on the board of Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity.

"At El Pomar I've had exposure to hundreds of outstanding nonprofits, I am excited to now be working for one," said McGrath. "The vitality of a city depends on its arts and cultural scene and having grown up in this community I know we have a lot to offer."

"Christina's many experiences and leadership opportunities here at El Pomar certainly have prepared her for this new responsibility. We are pleased to see her take on this next challenge and believe that COPPeR and our entire Colorado Springs community will benefit from her skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm," said William J. Hybl, chairman and CEO of El Pomar Foundation.

"I am delighted to know Christina will be taking the reigns at COPPeR," said Swigger. "This vibrant organization has an active, committed board of directors, excellent staff, wonderful support in our community, and a solid plan for growth and development. I look forward to working with Christina in the next few weeks to ensure a seamless leadership transition."

Members of the community are invited to meet Christina at an open house/art opening in the COPPeR creative space in the Plaza of the Rockies on Friday, February 4, 2011 from 6-9 p.m. This celebration will happen in tandem with the opening of the Breaking the Sound Barrier, Sonic Art 1860-2010 exhibition at the UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art next door.

Important News from COPPeR's Board Chair

2010-11-22T11:33:00.001-08:00

It is with both sadness and a sense of excitement for her bright future ahead that I must share with you the news that COPPeR Executive Director Bettina Swigger has accepted a position as the executive director of Festival Mozaic, a music festival in San Luis Obispo on the California Central Coast. This is a tremendous opportunity for Bettina for which she was approached as a part of a competitive national search. This not only speaks highly of her personal and professional integrity and work ethic, but speaks to the culture of COPPeR where we strive to provide our staff the best opportunities possible to actualize their fullest potential.

COPPeR has grown leaps and bounds since its inception four years ago. We've established PeakRadar.com as THE go-to website for arts, culture and fun. We've worked together with artists and arts organizations, donors, businesspeople and local government and municipalities to leverage the role of arts and culture as a vital part of the fabric of community identity, and a significant economic driver. We've told the story of how arts and culture bring together people from various backgrounds and perspectives to celebrate what is truly important, our shared humanity.

All of this with Bettina Swigger as the leader of this vibrant, ever-evolving organization. She served first as a founding board member and then as the organization's first executive director for three years.

As Bettina transitions into the next phase of her career, COPPeR itself is poised to head into the future with many exciting things ahead. In 2011, COPPeR will be working with members of the community to implement parts of the Cultural Plan for the Pikes Peak Region; gather data for the next economic impact study on the arts and culture sector and its impact on the local economy; move forward with the board of directors on its new five-year strategic plan; publish the next edition of the COPPeR Pages; and more.

A party is planned to honor Bettina's legacy at COPPeR and to wish her bon voyage. Please save the date for January 5 and you can expect an invitation with all of the details shortly.

As we look to the future, the Board of Directors of COPPeR is seeking a new executive director who will help lead us into the next phase of our development. We are currently accepting applications and you will find the job posting on our website. Deadline for applications is December 3, 2010. Click here to see a complete job description.

Look to hear more from us as we embark on this exciting search for the next leader of this tremendous organization.

Thank you for your support of COPPeR, and of the entire arts community.

Amanda Mountain
COPPeR Board Chair

Two new arts trainings - Audience Development and Impact Measurement and Outcomes

2010-11-19T09:37:00.000-08:00

COPPeR is delighted to invite you to our final two arts training
"Boot Camp" sessions for 2010:

Audience Development: Beyond Butts in Seats
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
4:30 - 6 p.m.
Jack Quinn's Pub
21 South Tejon Street

In today's world, it takes enthusiasm, energy and innovation to grow audiences for the arts. This boot camp will explore new ways of opening up to new audiences. Hear from Ivette Gallegos and Karen Evers, the masterminds behind the Jack Quinn's Running Club, a phenomenon that has transformed Tuesday nights in downtown Colorado Springs by bringing thousands of runners together. Also hear from realtor Benjamin Day about his experience as an audience member and how the lessons he learned from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' CEO Michael Kaiser inform his business planning and building his client base. Finally, hear about trends in audience development from across the country from Brett Garman, manager of PeakRadar.com, fresh from the 2010 National Arts Marketing Partnership Conference. This conversational session will allow time for questions, comments and dialogue about how to expand our reach as an arts sector. Click here to register by email.

Impact Measurements and Outcomes
4:30 - 6 p.m.
Wednesday, December 8
East Library
5550 N Union Blvd

Measuring the impact of the arts can be challenging. This session will provide insight in to how your organization can measure and track your impact in real ways. Debi Krause-Reinsch with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association will share tools she has used to measure impact in the nonprofit and commercial sectors. Susan Edmondson, Executive Director of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, will discuss the importance of accurate measurement from a funder's perspective. And Caitlin Green, Director at the UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art will share research she has done across the sector in new techniques. Boot camp participants will be guided through exercises. Click here to register by email.

All sessions include:
- Tools to help your arts organization survive and thrive in a challenging economy.
- Information geared specifically for the unique challenges of arts organizations.
- Time for Q&A and collective sharing of our individual organizations' successes and challenges.
- Networking with colleagues and new friends

Cost: $5 per session per organization (more than one member of an organization may attend).
$2 for COPPeR Arts Partners.
Pay at the door.

RSVP: Space is limited!
RSVP to info@coppercolo.org.

You may RSVP for all sessions at once, too.
Questions? Call Bettina at 634.2204.

Cultural Plan for the Pikes Peak Region is finally here!

2010-09-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in my office, finally sitting at my computer and reveling after having just formally announced the first-ever Cultural Plan for the Pikes Peak Region. It's been a whirlwind morning of press conferences and TV cameras. It's a big moment for our community.

Two years ago we embarked on a journey with Arts for Colorado. In 2008, before the National Performing Arts Convention was coming to Denver and bringing with it 8,000 arts professionals from across the nation, I spearheaded an application for Colorado Springs to participate in a statewide collaborative community planning process. We were selected as one of eight communities around the state, which also included Aurora, Cortez, Steamboat Springs, Monte Vista, Glenwood Springs, Lakewood and Glenwood Springs. We put together a team, which included Thomas Wilson, associate conductor of the CS Philharmonic, Jan Martin, Colorado Springs City Council, Deborah Thornton, Imagination Celebration, and Dave Talbot, an entrepreneur. We headed to Denver for NPAC that summer and began to explore the possibilities of launching a cultural planning process for Colorado Springs and our region. A previous effort at creating a Cultural Plan for the region had led in part to the very formation of COPPeR, and cultural planning is a primary activity of cultural offices around the country, we figured there was no time like the present.

Two years later, I'm delighted to say that we have a plan! Click here to download the plan that will help guide arts providers to better serve the community for years to come. The Pikes Peak region (El Paso and Teller counties) is home to more than 200 nonprofit arts organizations that produce an annual economic impact of nearly $100 million. Thousands of individual artists also call this region home. Colorado Springs ranks in the top 15 percent of 276 metropolitan areas nationwide in the number of arts businesses per capita, proving that creative industries are a major force in the economy.

It just makes sense -- a strong arts and cultural sector benefits everyone from visitors to residents, educators to businesspeople, schoolchildren and seniors alike.

The Cultural Plan is a strategic plan which aims to develop, enliven, enhance and promote arts and culture to strengthen our community. Our arts scene already is vibrant - and we simply want to see even more of a good thing. This 10-year plan has identified the necessary goals, strategies and recommended action steps for supporting the growth, diversity and sustainability of cultural activities in the Pikes Peak region. The plan identifies methods in which the arts can strengthen all sectors of the community, with the understanding that the arts are an intricate ecosystem composed of individual artists, nonprofit organizations, and creative industries like film, design and architecture. In order for our region to be hip, exciting and attractive we all need to be on the same page, with a similar vision for the future built on shared values.

Some major takeaways from the plan:

NEW VENUES
This plan identifies that one of the most critical issues holding back the artists and arts organizations from serving our community is the lack of a variety of affordable and accessible venues throughout the region. This plan calls for dedicated effort toward ensuring a variety of cultural spaces -- from an amphitheatre that takes advantage of our beautiful scenery and weather to more simple and small-scale spaces for performances and exhibit spaces -- spaces that are achievable in partnerships with developers, institutions, municipalities and others.

NEW ARTS EDUCATION
Numerous studies have shown that in order to compete in an increasingly fast-paced employment market, arts education is essential for building 21st-century thinkers. This plan looks at ways to capitalize on successes in innovative arts training and connect more students to arts learning opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. The plan also calls for more interactive, instructive arts programming to build creative individuals of all ages.

NEW RESOURCES
Philanthropic support will always play a part in the arts. This plan identifies new systems and structures for generating new, sector wide private support for the arts, in addition to ways the arts community can better demonstrate its impact and its high level of professional management standards to donors and partners.

NEW NEIGHBORHOOD ART
Serving the community begins at the neighborhood level -- from block parties to coffeeshop poetry readings to concerts in neighborhood churches and YMCAs and community centers -- and especially integrating public art and murals throughout our two-county region. This plan calls for tools that will help artists and arts organizations work with our community at the neighborhood level to increase the quality of life for all of our residents -- in downtown Colorado Springs, in artistic hubs such as Manitou Springs and beyond to all of our neighborhoods.

Download the complete Cultural Plan for the Pikes Peak Region here.

Congratulations to Kevin Johnson

2010-09-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hello to COPPeR friends, donors, supporters and volunteers:

After two and a half years at COPPeR managing PeakRadar.com, Kevin Johnson will be leaving in mid-September for a brand-new position as
Information and Online Community Coordinator at Pikes Peak Community College. We are extremely excited for Kevin as he faces this bold new opportunity, and we are terrifically grateful for his work here at COPPeR. He will be missed.

Kevin says: "I have had the good fortune to make lasting connections with many of the fabulous people from the diverse arts and cultural organizations we serve at COPPeR, and I will miss working closely with them to support their programming. I was proud to be a part of an organization that has brought attention to the outstanding events and programs that are produced here in the Pikes Peak region."

With apologies to Battlestar Galactica

2010-08-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

As we approach the rollout of the first-ever Cultural Plan for the Pikes Peak region, I decided to combine my love of SciFi with my love of Cultural Planning in the video below...

Stay tuned. 9.9.10. The Cultural Plan arrives.

From Katie, the friendly Fellow

2010-07-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

My name is Katie Ferguson and I’m so excited to be working with COPPeR this summer as their cultural planning coordinator through Colorado College’s Public Interest Fellowship Program. I’m a Mathematical Economics major and dance minor at Colorado College, just down the road. I have grown up in the nonprofit world, training with a dance company and school near Denver and working with their administrative and development departments and teaching in past years.
I’ve not posted a blog on here before so I thought I’d fill everyone in on what I’ve been up to and let you all know that, at least for the summer, there are more people in the office! (I wouldn’t want any of you coming into our office and thinking there was some random girl hanging out at a desk). So here goes!
During my time here at COPPeR, (about 2 months now!) I’ve gotten the great opportunity to work very closely with Bettina compiling and creating the first ever Cultural Plan for the Pikes Peak region. This project is what drew me to the job in the first place so I’m so happy to be getting to do so much work with it ☺ So far this process has been a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the area and discover just how important the arts and culture are to this region. It has been really great to be able to meet so many influential people in the community through the plan0-writing process.
I’ve also gotten to explore the Colorado Springs arts scene and learn more about what’s going on here. I was shocked in my first few weeks to learn how much was going on! I have always considered myself to be pretty aware, but there was so much I hadn’t heard about. As I explored and visited places like Smokebrush Gallery, the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum and Cottonwood Center for the Arts, I also learned just how very essential the arts, culture and heritage are to this community and to so many people who live in it and work for it.
I had no idea places like Cottonwood existed, let alone so close to where I live. I got a tour of Cottonwood from artist Jennifer Hanson and to get to meet so many of the artists. I was blown away by the level of local talent we have here. From sculptors to painters and even artists who work with pastels (I never could do anything with those except get them all over my hands and clothes) the work was just brilliant. There was one artist who paints landscapes from pictures so that they would look brilliant-- even clearer than the original picture! And the truth is that there are tons of venues for local artists to show their work- we have an amazing artistic base here in the Pikes Peak region. Unfortunately, not everyone knows about our rich arts scene and that's why COPPeR is so important for getting the word out.
I brought a couple friends with me to the Pioneer’s Museum and besides learning new things about Colorado’s history; we got a secret tour up to the top of the bell tower! Check out this picture - there's COPPeR wa-a-a-y down below. If any of you heard the bells ring a couple random times in mid June- that might have been me! It was great up there; you could see for miles.

In addition to my work on the Cultural Plan and exploring the area, I have also gotten to work on the PeakRadar.com Arts/Culture/Fun(d) drive, in which we raised more than $8,000 to support PeakRadar.com! There have been lots of other activities, too - there's always something going on at COPPeR.
Last weekend I got to hang out at the COPPeR booth at Pride Fest which was so much fun (Click here to see some great photos)! It was great to see the diversity of our region so engaged in such a great festival. It has been a really truly great experience working with COPPeR and I’m excited to continue on through August!

Nuggets from Michael Kaiser's Arts in Crisis Presentation

2010-07-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a fantastic morning at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center where we heard from Michael Kaiser, President and CEO of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on his only stop in Colorado on his 50-state Arts in Crisis tour. I served on the interviewing panel along with Maurice LaMee from Creede Repertory Theatre and Elaine Mariner from Colorado Creative Industries (formerly Colorado Council on the Arts). We had a lively crowd and Mr. Kaiser presented some great information about what he's learned during his tour and some of his advice for arts groups moving away from crisis and toward organizational health.

COPPeR Board Member Benjamin Day live-blogged the whole thing on Facebook – so for those of you who couldn't be there - here are his posts for all to enjoy!

Michael Kaiser's Fan Club @ FAC... Representing COPPeR at "The Kennedy Center Presents: Arts in Crisis". Parking lot was full more than a half hour before event was to begin.
“Yes, I'm blogging live... Yes, we have had a Coffee Crisis when we almost ran out of decaf; a Strawberry Squeeze when there was a fresh fruit deficit; but no CC Compromise with Bettina facilitating!”
“first instinct of arts organizations when faced with economic constraints is to start cutting." Equates programming to marketing: your programming is your message.
‎"There is no reason to give to an organization that is doing nothing". Huh. Does that extend to organizations / municipalities / communities / organizations outside of the arts?
‎70% of international tourists to the US identify themselves as cultural tourists. 17% of GDP is manufacturing. Smallest number of any developed nation.
A wish not a plan is to do more marketing and more fundraising. Hint: programming. You can't balance your budget on bequests. Talk about the present and the future, forget the past. Plan big transformative projects, meaning a five year calendar. Kaiser has five years of projects as a menu: donors will connect to one or two; if you have only one, ... See Morethey might get distant. The length of time actually helps tighten the bond with the audience. Five years gives him time to educate an audience. Take time to do the exciting work.
Institutional marketing connects people to "the family." marketing: you do it and you do it again and you do it again. Hint: arts organizations fear doing anything big. You don't need big donors: people want to be involved. Big is a pretty easy way to get people involved. Haley Dance Company facing bankruptcy in 1992 paid off their debt within 12 mos.
There is zero room for negativity in the arts, the spokesperson must be optimistic and communicate the positive attributes exclusively. Arts are notorious for whining about their financial problems, reducing programming, being entitled ("ask Bill Cosby for $1 million"... "why? We don't deserve it"), and living in the ruins of their past ("who was ... See Morethe fool who approved the $56K cannon for The Nutcracker? That was dumb. Let's marinade in dumb..."). That thinking organizes no one. Arts must be visionary and paint a picture/direction that is optimistic.
Arts ticket prices have created a large degree of exclusivity and thus irrelevance. The Met has decent tickets for standard opera next year are $750/piece. Arts orgs have to think inclusive and how to get everyone involved. Kennedy Center has a free performance daily at 6. Changes daily. Most popular are what likely would seem most irrelevant: symphonic music and ballet. These "free" events draw more than anyone.
We are channeling Seth Godin here: don't work on your donor base. Work on being exciting. Example Soweto Dance Company. If you can do it there (one of the poorest slums on the planet creates a top int'l dance troupe)... You can do it anywhere. Do exciting & important, focus on that. Biggest arts progam of 2010 was in Gand Rapids, MI, Visual Arts Festival. 1500 artists showed up: year one. Interesting and Important can happen anywhere.
Creede Rep. Theatre has a value of "we will fail." Kaiser: arts must lead. Probably will fail when you lead. Most "best" arts performances people experience are not ones they expected. Arts are risky: embrace that. People don't claim Phantom of the Opera as their lifetime best arts experience... It's good, maybe great, but the best lies in surprise... See More. For me, Arcade Fire and the Sam Lay Blues Band (at Shove Chapel, 1995) are the two best live music experiences I can think of, not the huge, high expectation events. Both surprised me and left me transformed. (Now we are channeling Aeschylus!)
Lots of grumbling before event on the title and use of "Crisis". We are clearly crisis'ed out. We are city 66 out of 69, maybe is resonated more six months ago. In any event, the theme is exceedingly positive and pokes at the crisis-to-crisis mentality, and that "from the 1890's there are accounts of the arts are doomed." Arts are not allowed to function from a crisis mode.
Totally agree..if you have a product, it needs to be exciting more than anything else. Organizations that cut back on programming also cut back on product...no product, no sales. Most marketers look for the "home run" donors, exclusively. But they don't understand that by tapping the base of the pyramid, you can get tons of singles....Singles win Ballgames!
Arts Crisis Alert! Educational problem and arts not considered part of the necessary curriculum. How to address? Proactive behavior of arts orgs should be to concentrate on inclusive events and actions. Again mentions ticket prices as a huge problem and a deficit of thinking about big programming that's exciting. Innovation also really brings people in.
Interesting spiritual nugget: arts leaders should be mentored and mentoring.
Oh dear... First person has left and I can't say I'm surprised who it was. Yes, an EDC member.
More spiritual... Know when to build a building. Debt kills. The line between sickness and health is very slim. What, is he addressing a bunch of 30 yr old men? :) awesome advice for life not expected at an arts event.
Singles win ballgames... I love it Mark. Thanks!
Send off: we sell more tickets for arts then sports in the US.
Imagination Celebration presents the Dragon Hat, as the Protector of the Jewels of the Kingdom.

US Air Force Academy to Downgrade Band - consequences for our community

2010-05-28T13:01:00.001-07:00

From COPPeR Board member Mark Dempsey, Executive Director of the Colorado Springs Chorale:

The Air Force has made the determination to downgrade the Air Force Academy Band designation from Premier to Regional while retaining the Band’s national touring mission. The downgrade is not just in title and stature but will have a very real impact.
The Band will lose 7-10 musicians and the members will have to rotate through other regional bands every three or four years. The ensemble's current strength is based on playing together as an ensemble over a long period of years. They will no longer have as much ability to audition musicians, but will have to consider candidates rotating through the re-assignment pool. In addition, this will leave the Air Force Academy as the only service academy whose band is not a premier band and eliminate the only premier band located outside of the East Coast/Washington, D. C. geographical area.

I see this as a tremendous blow to the Academy, the region’s number one tourist attraction, an insult to Colorado Springs and to Colorado more generally, not to mention the hard to calculate impact on the region as a tourist draw. It certainly impacts our efforts to develop the cultural reputation of the area. The Philharmonic will lose the availability of some top musicians, and regional schools and other clinician, teaching and developmental efforts among kids and adults alike now provided by the bandsman will suffer as band members are regular clinicians with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association, Peakharmonic and other youth organizations as well as providing off-duty free clinics in at least six area high schools.

The downgrade will also impact recruiting for the Air Force Academy in competition with the other service academies for top quality cadets and in the long run, has the potential to degrade the quality of Air Force leadership. For comparison purposes, the U.S. Army has four Premier bands, the Navy, two, the Marine Corps one plus a Premier Drum and Bugle Corps, all located on the East Coast.

Additionally, the Band uses the Pikes Peak Center 7-10 times a year, presenting at least five concerts to the community. Twenty-five members of the band or their spouses are private music teachers, reaching over 200 students per week. Two members of the band are contract members of the Philharmonic, three band spouses are contract members, while eight band members are regular performers with the Philharmonic.

The only recourse now available to reverse this decision is for individual citizens to contact their political representatives asking them to intervene. I encourage you to contact your elected officials today! (But please keep in mind that cut and paste of my or others’ remarks suggests an organized mass mailing and has less impact than a simple, short call or letter in your own words as an individual concerned citizen.)

El Paso County Treasurer Sandra Damron has made the following plea to her elected officials, as well:

The community’s concern regarding the downgrading of this band from Premiere to Regional is based on several factors:

The Air Force Academy would become the only service academy without a Premiere Band.
The Air Force Academy band is the only Premiere military band west of the Mississippi. This is a slap in the face not only to the Pikes Peak Region and Colorado, but to the entire Western half of the country.

The reason given (career stagnation and lack of promotion opportunities) is simply not true. Musicians function much as a baseball or football team does: the longer they play together, the better they get. For example, the Stellar Brass, which has had the same personnel for 12 years, is possibly the best brass quintet in the country, military or civilian. As far as promotion opportunities, taking away one of the two Air Force Premiere bands effectively cuts promotion opportunities for all other Air Force musicians in half.

There is no cost savings. In fact, the requirement of adding 45 more AF personnel to the list of those who are transferred regularly will actually increase costs by approximately $1 million annually.

The members of the US Air Force Academy Band are permanent members of the community. Because they feel a connection with the community, during their off hours they teach in our colleges (state-wide), they play in our community orchestras (also state-wide), and they volunteer in our social organizations and churches. The loss of this connection would negatively impact all of these organizations.

It is my hope, and the hope of many others, that you will be able to convince the AF Chief of Staff that downgrading the AFA Band is unnecessary, and that we will be able to proudly keep this band as “The Best of the Best” in representing the United States Air Force Academy.

Elected Officials Contact Information:

The Honorable Doug Lamborn
US House of Representatives
437 Cannon House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Phone (202) 225-4422
District:
1271 Kelly Johnson Blvd. Suite 110
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Phone: (719) 520-0055
Fax: (719) 520-0840
The Honorable Mike Coffman
US House of Representatives
1508 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Phone (202) 225-7882
District:
9220 Kimmer Drive; Suite 220
Lone Tree, CO 80124
Phone: (720) 283-9772
Fax: (720) 283-9776
The Honorable John Salazar
US House of Representatives
326 Cannon House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Phone (202) 225-4761
District:
134 West B Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
719-543-8200
719-543-8204 (fax)
The Honorable Mark Udall
United States Senate
317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-5941
District:
2880 International Circle, Suite 107
Colorado Springs, CO 80910
P: 719-471-3993
The Honorable Michael Bennet
United States Senate
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Phone (202) 224-5852
District:
409 North Tejon St., Suite 107
Colorado Springs, 80903
Phone: (719) 328-1100 Fax: (719) 328-1129

Flash Mob for Poetry

2010-04-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you've seen the Improv Everywhere "Food Court Musical" and thought to yourself, how cool is that? Can we do something like that here? Check out this video for how these spontaneous performances can surprise and delight.

Well, just in time for National Poetry Month (April), here's your chance to get involved in a poetry flash mob. Calling all with dramatic flair, a passion for poetry, and/or video skills [BYO camcorder], the mission is to make poetry happen, in sync, all over Colorado Springs.

We'll gather to assign groups and tasks on Saturday, April 10 at high noon. Come to the offices of COPPeR, the Cultural Office of the Pike's Peak Region. Missions will include visual and spoken performances of predetermined poems at prearranged places throughout the city. The hope is that we take Colorado Springs by surprise with poetry.

Examples of group missions include:
-holding posters along sidewalks and across parks, mapping out famous lines of poetry
-erupting in spontaneous choral recitations in grocery stores and shopping malls
-videotaping crowd responses and enjoyment of spontaneous poetry

Deployment of the missions happens on Saturday, April 17th. We want lots of footage so we can gather later to celebrate our success!

If you're interested, please come down to our office tomorrow and we'll be sure to post videos of the deployment after they happen.

Art Creates Community Winner announced

2010-03-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the winner of the new the 2010 ART CREATES COMMUNITY $10,000 Award sponsored by the Bee Vradenburg Foundation and the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado was announced. Congratulations to Community in Unison: Chamber Orchestra of the Springs and the Gospel Music Workshop of America!

Community in Unison will combine chamber music virtuosity with the explosive energy of gospel choir in a concert of original arrangements of traditional spirituals and gospels. Chamber Orchestra of the Springs and Gospel Music Workshop of America - Colorado Springs Chapter will present this inspiring concert at the downtown First United Methodist Church on September 10, 2010 in association with a Volunteer Fair. If you want to learn full details of the project and/or play a more active role in its realization please contact chamorch@gmail.com.

Spotlight: Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association

2010-03-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

This is the second in our Spotlight series in which we have invited folks from some of the Pikes Peak region's diverse arts groups to tell us what they do, who they work with, and what they're all about. You may have seen the banners in downtown Colorado Springs advertising the 30th anniverary of the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony. Today we give you a behind-the-scenes snapshot of this venerable institution. This post was written by David Sckolnick, Marketing Consultant for the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony.

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At the age of 30, we reach a time in our lives when the previous three decade's trials and tumbles make way for genuinely powerful and consistent accomplishment. The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association is celebrating that birthday this year, but the experiences and accomplishments of many of the aspiring musicians who have been a part of our program go beyond what is considered normal in the classic model of the human growth curve.

"I love being able to play with people that share my passion for music."

For three decades the CSYSA has been shaping young musicians. As part of this year's celebration we're reaching out to our musicians, folks in their 40s, 30s, 20s and teens to see what our program has meant to the lives of our musicians. The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association provides high quality, diverse instrumental music education to youth and is a resource to the community. CSYSA is comprised of 7 auditioned groups (2 full orchestras, 2 bands and 3 string orchestras), a Mozart String outreach program and a chamber ensemble program. CSYSA serves over 450 musicians a year in these programs (once a week rehearsals/classes minimum). Musicians come primarily from the Pikes Peak Region and musicians come from more than 60 different schools and outlying communities.

"What I like best about Youth Symphony are the friendships I've made. Through tours, rehearsals and concerts, the other musicians become your second family. I'm thankful to the organization for integrating wonderful musicians from many different schools--without Youth Symphony I never would have met these amazing people. The music is great, too!"

The Colorado Springs Youth Symohony provides an experience outside the schools to offer outstanding musicians real-world orchestral experience. Unfortunately, in our society, money is more frequently alllocated for ahtletics programs than music programs in public schools. It's true that athetic team experiences inspire great camaraderie and growth for young people as they move through the ups and downs of a competitive season. Some of the athletes even spend hours practicing on their own in weight rooms and working on their sport. But the hours spent mastering a violin, trumpet or bassoon may match and in many cases exceed how a high school linebacker or a point guard in basketball gets his or her body and mind prepared for a challenging opponent. And alongside the discipline, devotion, camarederie and growth nurtured by the experience of playing in an orchestra, a crash course in Bach, Mozart and Beethoven expands the minds and spirits of young people.

These young people also act as ambassadors for our community. The Youth Symphony tours internationally every other year as an ambassador of our city and country-they have performed in China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Spain, Czech Republic, Carnegie Hall, and others!

For some of the musicians, playing with the Youth Symphony is the only chance they have to play with other musicians. One young musician says, "The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony is the highlight of my week. It is well worth the 200-mile drive each week. I have really grown as a musician being able to play with such talented kids. Gary Nicholson is an outstanding conductor who challenges me to do my very best." This student drives TWO HUNDRED MILES every week! That's dedication.

"I like losing myself in the music. When I play with all of the instruments, I feel like I am all of the instruments!"

But the benefits of being part of our program extend beyond their time in the ensemble. Although some alums do choose to pursue professional careers, many continue playing their instruments in a part-time community setting. But more importantly, our musicians go on to become one of the most vital component of the arts - the audience! Our cellists and trombonists of today will go on to attend symphony and chamber music concerts and other arts events in the future. The love of music they learn while in CSYSA will make sure that classical music keep sounding off on their loudspeakers and earbuds. It's just a little truth we have learned at Youth Symphony - music is a lifelong "sport" in which its players just get better and better, regardless of how their bodies wear down over the decades.

Spotlight: The Club of Arts

2010-02-22T16:20:00.000-08:00

This is the first in our new Spotlight series in which we have invited folks from some of the Pikes Peak region's diverse arts groups to tell us what they do, who they work with, and what they're all about. This post was written by Jessie Pocock, Development Director at the Club of Arts.
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Facts:

There are 54 million people with disabilities in the United States making it the largest minority group. -Colorado Springs Independent

The unemployment rate for those with disabilities in the United States is 63.1 percent. The El Paso County rate was close to 80 percent in 2008. -The Resource Exchange, Cornell University

In 2009 alone 232 people with disabilities in El Paso County participated in art at TCOA in over 7,500 artistic interactions.

From Jessie:
Before attending the grand opening of The Club of Arts in 2005, I rarely considered why I almost never encountered people with developmental disabilities in the community. As a sociology major at Colorado College, I didn’t notice that there were no class offerings in my department that focused on the social issues concerning disabled people. It wasn’t until I entered the community of people with disabilities that I learned how powerful their voices can be.

Since I have been associated with The Club of Arts, (a nonprofit art organization reaching people with disabilities through artistic education, expression, and performance) I have learned so much about the strength, endurance, and power of people with disAbilities. For example, there are students like Allicia, who was on the waiting list for services she had been deemed eligible to receive for fourteen years. Allicia came to The Club of Arts hungry for independence, in need of a safe place to express herself. She is an incredibly talented silk dye artist. Her parents believe that art and TCOA have saved her life.

There are students who had never engaged in the arts previous to TCOA, like Marty, who is in his forties and started taking classes at TCOA a couple of years ago. Marty began experimenting with gluing wine corks to wooden boards and has now created intricate cork cities and has discovered a fine talent for diorama.

And there is Joe, an incredible oil painter who cannot physically speak because of his disability, but has found that he can communicate powerfully through art. In his self-portrait series, “Beyond My Wheelchair,” Joe paints his body trapped inside of a bottle demonstrating how the world occurs for him as a young man with a disabled body inside a world that is uncomfortable with difference. For Joe, art has become a way for him to communicate and a way for people to listen. Here's Joe at Exposion in summer 2009.
Joe wrote a poem about his experience of showing the world what he can do through his art.

Trapped in a Bottle
I am trapped in the bottle that is my life.
Always on the inside looking out
My bottle does protect me
All the while restricting me.

My bottle doesn’t allow friends
Nor does it allow climbing mountains.
It keeps me from being a drummer
And it doesn’t permit surfing.
My bottle doesn’t like babies
Nor does it like motorcycles.

But I have found a way around my bottle.
My bottle does allow art.
What my bottle doesn’t know
Is that by letting me paint,
It is losing control over me.

Painting frees me from my bottle.
I can paint thoughts my bottle won’t permit.
I can paint peace and frustration
And I can paint love and hatred.
I can paint spirituality and freedom
And I can paint hope and majesty.
I can paint patriotism and pride
And I can paint security and stereotyping.
I can paint good and evil
And I can paint alienation and connections.

Even though my bottle tries to protect me,
I still have all these thoughts.
And because my bottle allows art,
The world will know my thoughts.

Today, TCOA serves over 200 artists with disabilities, who through the artistic process are finding their own unique form of expression, a place to be heard, and a tangible artistic contribution to make that is appreciated and respected.

For more information about The Club of Arts please visit us online or stop in and visit. Our students love visitors! We are located at 505 E. Columbia St., 80907.

Poetry Out Loud

2010-02-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the distinct privilege of serving as a judge for the Palmer High School Poetry Out Loud competition. Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation contest, was founded in 2006 by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation. I've been aware of the program for several years, but I didn't get to actually experience it until last year at COPPeR and the Chamber's Business and Arts Luncheon, where Colorado state champion (and Palmer High School student) Kaleena Kovach stole the show with her moving recitation of a Margaret Atwood poem. It's not easy to captivate a room full of 300+ business people, but this 17-year-old did just that, and left the room hungry for more. As one luncheon attendee put it, "I am still amazed that the highlights were local opera singers and teen aged poetry performers."

Last night's competition was brief, with only three competitors, but there was a decent crowd of people to support the contestants, and the evening was carefully and lovingly executed, including incidental music. There were five judges: Aaron Anstett, the reigning Pikes Peak Poet Laureate, Jim Ciletti, poet extraordinaire and owner of Hooked on Books, Slam Poetry Mistess Karen Sucharski, Molly Gross, co-director of the Colorado College Writing Center and candidate for an MFA in poetry at Bennington, and yours truly. The reciters were of varying ability, but all were enthusiastic. The coach, Heather Brown, has done a phenomenal job of inspiring her students to appreciate poetry. But after my experience last night, I think she's gone beyond that; in fact, she has given each of her students a truly profound gift.

My grandfather was born in 1903. One summer when he was well in his eighties, we went on afternoon walks almost daily. On these walks, he told me all about his education in the small town in Texas, where he grew up on a farm. He went to a one-room school and eventually worked his way up to earning a scholarship to Oberlin. One of his favorite memories, and thus one of the stories he liked to tell again and again, was how his teacher required him to memorize poems. Numerous poems. Later, as his health declined and he became more senile, he had trouble remembering how to complete simple tasks. But he never forgot a poem. Those poems that he was forced to memorize in that little schoolhouse gave him a sense of peace that could never be taken away.

I was reminded of my grandfather last night. Poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins and Carl Sandburg, which I'd read on the page many times years ago in class, came alive. It was as if by hearing them so lovingly recited, I was able to truly understand the poems, without having to parse or dissect them. It took the labor out of poetry appreciation and left all the joy.

One of the goals of Poetry Out Loud is to help students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about their literary heritage. But they also gain fundamental understanding of individual poems and they will take those poems with them for the rest of their lives. For lack of a more poetic way to say it, that is just really, really cool.

Want to learn more about Poetry Out Loud? Click here.

For your enjoyment, one of the poems from last night's competition.

The Cities Inside Us by Alberto Rios

We live in secret cities
And we travel unmapped roads.

We speak words between us that we recognize
But which cannot be looked up.

They are our words.
They come from very far inside our mouths.

You and I, we are the secret citizens of the city
Inside us, and inside us

There go all the cars we have driven
And seen, there are all the people

We know and have known, there
Are all the places that are

But which used to be as well. This is where
They went. They did not disappear.

We each take a piece
Through the eye and through the ear.

It's loud inside us, in there, and when we speak
In the outside world

We have to hope that some of that sound
Does not come out, that an arm

Not reach out
In place of the tongue.

Bob Lillie, 1937-2010

2010-01-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

ROBERT CLAUDE LILLIE - Obituary
Robert Claude Lillie, "Bob" or "Bobby" as he was called by family and friends, was born on August 2, 1937, in Hammond, Indiana, and passed away peacefully on January 15, 2010, in Colorado Springs. Bob was an accomplished musician, especially on the pipe organ, and played for 15 years for the Sacklunch Serenade concerts at the City Auditorium, in downtown Colorado Springs. He was a founding member of the Colorado Springs Chorale, and was a participant in many local musical events. He also founded the Friends of the City Auditorium group, and served as its first President. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Robert M. Lillie and Chlotielde G. Lillie, and his wife, Charlea. He is survived by his son, Robert Douglas (Gloria) Lillie, two daughters, Lisa Ann Fox, and Margaret (James) Hopkins, and a brother, David A. Lillie (Kate O'Boyle), a sister, Coral (Lonnie) Mings, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, two nephews, four nieces, and great-nephews and great-nieces. A memorial service will be held at the Colorado Springs City Auditorium, 221 E. Kiowa, on January 25 , at 1 p.m. Gifts of flowers will be gratefully accepted (please have them delivered to the Auditorium before 1 pm on the 25th), or, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pikes Peak Area Theatre Organ Society (PPATOS http://www.theatreorgans.com/ppatos), or to Friends of the City Auditorium http://www.cityauditorium.org . Bob will be greatly missed.

Top 11 of 2009

2009-12-31T09:22:00.000-08:00

Top ten lists are everywhere these days, so I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon. There is no way to list all the amazing creative events that took place in the past year. There were hundreds of concerts, plays, art openings, festivals and musical events that showcased the amazing talent in the Pikes Peak region. Here are the top eleven of oh-nine, that I believe had a strong impact on our community, in no particular order:

Stargazers Theater opened as a much-needed music venue in the old Colorado Music Hall building. Owners Cindy and John Hooten host blues, Americana and lots of other music, as well as offering space for community events like the Pikes Peak Arts Council Awards and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day.

Poetry While You Wait, a project designed by first-ever Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Aaron Anstett, launched with books of poetry, table tents and posters with local poems in places you'd least expect it. More than 25 poems by local poets were on display, and an exhibit of poetry at the Fine Arts Center Modern also opened in April to celebrate National Poetry Month.
Dream City: Vision 2020 hosted visioning sessions across the community and had a specific focus on arts and culture as a means for envisioning a thriving community. The process engaged artists young and old in arts contests and made a special effort to educate people on our rich arts and cultural legacy. More than 300 people attended the Dream City summit in July, where an arts and culture vision statement was unveiled.
The Pikes Peak Arts Fest brought thousands of people to America the Beautiful park in downtown Colorado Springs to see art and performances. Despite taking place during a hundred-year flood, tourists and locals alike flocked to the park for the cultural experience, opening their pocketbooks to purchase art by the carloads.
The ModBo opened its doors in summer. This funky gallery space (its name is a hybrid of the words "modern" and "bohemian," in case you were wondering), in concert with neighbor gallery Rubbish, has breathed new life into the dark alley we like to call the "Alley Arts District." Owners Lauren Ciborowski and Brett Andrus hold monthly art openings, open-mic poetry, live bands, and classical music salons.
The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association kicked off its 30th anniversary season in Fall 2009. Educating young musicians since 1979, the CSYSA continues its tradition of presenting excellent training and also acting as musical ambassadors for the Pikes Peak region. Conductor and co-founder Gary Nicholson will take the Youth Symphony to perform at the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Wind Symphony will perform at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in 2010.
The Meadowgrass Music Festival launched this summer with two days of music, food and brewskis at the beautiful La Foret grounds in Black Forest. Despite intense rain and cold temperatures, music lovers shivered under ponchos, enjoying the dulcet tones of local musicians like Edith Makes a Paperchain and John Alex Mason alongside national acts like Magnolia Electric Company and Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles. When the sun did come out, the crowd celebrated. We hope this becomes an annual tradition that requires sunscreen in the future.
The Colorado College Summer Music Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary. This festival has a devoted following and brings the finest in chamber music and orchestra to the Pikes Peak region. This year, the orchestra commissioned a piece by Patrick Zimmerli, which was inspired by the architecture of the Cornerstone Arts Center. The performance of that piece included video projection of the building and an exhibit at the I.D.E.A. Space, and the evening was an exemplary model of the interdisciniplanary programs the Cornerstone was designed to inspire.
The Colorado Springs Philharmonic launched their new Vanguard series, a concert series featuring 20th century composers as well as past masters, in order to expose Pikes Peak region audiences to contemporary work. This series was a bold move for an orchestra in this economy, as was Executive Director Nathan Newbrough's decision to slash ticket prices for new subscribers. The risk paid off--audiences are responding to the new energy, and subscriptions are up for the orchestra: good news in this uncertain economy.
The Cottonwood Center for the Arts opened triumphantly in May, with thousands of visitors streaming through the doors during opening weekend. Cottonwood's new home features two huge galleries, teaching classrooms, a kiln yard and ceramic studio, and more than 65 individual artists' studios. It is a bustling hub of creativity in downtown Colorado Springs, and their last Friday openings are packed.
And if I may say so, I do believe that COPPeR has made a real difference in 2009 through our work connecting people to fantastic opportunities like the ones above. Just a smattering of our accomplishments in 2009: we published the second edition of The COPPeR Pages, our free guidebook to all the arts and cultural organizations in El Paso and Teller counties, the traffic at our calendar website PeakRadar.com grew 50% from 2008, we collaborated with the Chamber to host a successful 2nd annual Business and Arts Luncheon, we hosted a number of bootcamps designed to help arts organizations survive the recession, we continued to support local music by co-sponsoring the lively Showcase at Studio Bee concerts at the Pikes Peak Center, continuing our research to complete a cultural plan for the region. And of course, there is the ongoing, essential work we do every day to advocate for the value of the arts as essential to our communities--from the economy to education, from helping seniors to youth education, from public policy to neighborhoods. If you feel the work we are doing is making a difference, please consider making a tax-deductible gift to COPPeR by clicking here. Thank you!

What were some of the most meaningful arts experiences that really had an impact on the community in 2009? Please feel free to share in the comments below. As I said earlier, there is no way to list them all. I will lift a glass tonight to celebrate all the accomplishments of the past year and I eagerly look forward to seeing what 2010 will bring!

How Art Saved My Life

2009-12-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

The following essay was read today at Tony Babin's memorial service. Please enjoy and share with others. If you'd prefer to download and print a PDF, please click here.

How Art Saved My Life
By Tony Babin (1957-2009)

Adolescence is a hard time for all of us. I know I had it rough. At 16 I was a 350-pound fat kid with bad acne whose only friends were girls. I sucked at sports, but excelled in choir and the Forensics Team. I had won every tournament the Forensics Team went on in my category of “Dramatic Interpretation.” I was religious. I was a junior deacon, a member of the church choir, and often the featured soloist for Sunday sermons. My grandmother’s favorite was my rendition of “How Great Thou Art.”
I also had a terrible secret. I was gay. Of course, at that age and in that time in a small farm town, I wasn’t sure of what that was. I just knew I was different and that all the jocks in school called me a fag.
I remember our church hosting what was called “The Lay Witness Mission,” which was basically lay church members giving testimonials. It was a revival of sorts. On the last Sunday, we were told to write on a piece of paper something in your life you want to change. We were then to lay that piece of paper on the altar and then they led us in a group prayer that was supposed to address the piece of paper. I wrote “I am a queer” on my piece of paper and folded it about eight times to make sure no one else would see it, and I left it on the altar and prayed. I prayed hard. I asked God to show me a sign. I was only 16.
I waited and waited for some kind of answer from God. After a few weeks, I decided that there was no answer. I became depressed and started thinking about suicide a lot.
Then, one Monday in school, our choir teacher told us that we would be participating in the entertainment tent when the Art Train came to town. Yes! The Art Train was coming to our town!! For those of you who don’t know what that is, the Art Train was a project funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. A train was loaded up with masterpiece works of art and then it toured the country stopping in small towns across America for farm kids and migrant workers to experience and see. Our whole town was abuzz! My speech teacher convinced me to sign up to do stand-up comedy and dramatic monologues. I did.
There I was, a 16-year-old fat gay kid with pimples standing up on a makeshift stage in a tent doing a monologue from “Death of a Salesman” and looking out into a crowd of strangers who were crying. Later, as I was telling jokes, those strangers were laughing.
It is hard to describe the feeling I felt as I stood in that dark room sharing laughter and tears with a crowd of strangers.
When it was my turn to board the train and see the artwork, I was filled with excitement and a sense of awe. As I walked down the corridors looking at the beautiful works, I was stopped by a reproduction of Michelangelo’s painting “Creation of Man.” I stood there for a long time with tears in my eyes until they eventually ran down my cheeks. It was one of the most emotion-stirring paintings I had ever seen. I am not sure why it touched me the way it did at that time. I was so afraid someone would see me crying in front of a painting and my big secret would be out. I looked to my right, and there was a little old lady with white hair and a lace collar. She was crying too. She looked over at me and said, “Isn’t it beautiful?” and handed me a tissue from her purse. She then took my hand and patted it and walked on down the corridor.
At that moment I could see my destiny before me very clearly. I knew that I would move to a bigger town, become an actor, and all thoughts of suicide and being different and not fitting in seemed not to matter so much.
It wasn’t until years later that I realized why that particular painting had touched me so deeply. And it wasn’t until years later that I realized that the Art Train was the sign from God I was waiting for.
Now, whenever I see a news story about arts funding being cut from schools and art programs being dropped or dismissed as not being a necessary part of the curriculum, I can’t help but get sad. Somewhere, there is an overweight teenager who feels like a misfit, whose only hope of feeling a part of something is being taken away. Art has the power to heal, to change lives, to answer prayers, to make us all feel like we are part of the Cosmic Dance. Art is more important than any sporting event can ever hope to be.
Art saved my life.

Tony Babin,

2009-12-10T16:05:00.000-08:00

Beloved actor and director Tony Babin, founder of the Upstart Theatre Company and the Upstart Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival, died of a heart attack Wednesday.

Tony was a force of energy and a genuinely kind man. He will be dearly missed.

The Gazette's Arts blog is collecting memories. Please click here to visit and post your own.

UPDATE: Memorial Celebration will take place Wednesday, December 16, 2-4 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.



Location:	Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Theatre, 30 W. Dale St.

Welcome to the neighborhood, UCCS

2009-12-01T16:05:00.000-08:00

Our mini-cultural district in downtown Colorado Springs is getting a new member! UCCS, representatives of Nor’wood Development Group and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center announced last week that the space which has been known as the FAC Modern will be reborn as the UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art 121, or GOCA 121, and will continue to build on the long tradition of contemporary art exhibits at UCCS. Caitlin Green, interim director, Gallery of Contemporary Art, said the new venue provides an opportunity to reach new audiences and develop a forum for critical discourse on contemporary art. GOCA 121 will be situated between two other downtown creative centers, us at COPPeR and the fabulous foodies at Nosh. The FAC Modern’s final exhibition closed Nov. 13. UCCS will open its first exhibit Feb. 5, 2010. More when that comes around.

We're sad to see the FAC move out, as they have been excellent neighbors, but we also understand. “The FAC MODERN served us well,” said FAC President and CEO Sam Gappmayer. “We will be forever grateful to the generosity of Chris Jenkins and Nor’wood Development for providing the Fine Arts Center and its patrons this amazing space. The MODERN allowed us to continue to present world-class exhibitions without interruption during our expansion. But the time has come for us to pay it forward. We couldn’t be more pleased to hand off the MODERN to UCCS and their talented gallery director Caitlin Green, who will bring exciting programming to the Plaza of the Rockies.”

We're delighted to welcome GOCA 121 and UCCS to the neighborhood, and we look forward to co-hosting Friday art opening receptions with GOCA 121 in the new year.

Cal Otto

2009-11-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

Sad news last week from the Pikes Peak Library District:

"Calvin Otto, our Pikes Peak Library District Board of Trustees member and champion of literacy, historical preservation, and community engagement, died Monday, November 23. His death is a great loss to our library family and the community that we serve.

For those of you who did not have an opportunity to know Cal personally, here, in brief, are some of the things he did on our behalf:

Cal’s involvement with us spanned nine years, during which time he co-founded All Pikes Peak Reads and the Regional History Symposium, orchestrated the development of the PPLD Foundation, established an endowment to support Special Collections programming in perpetuity, fostered PPLD’s partnerships with UCCS THEATREWORKS and the World Affairs Council, and worked tirelessly on projects such as the 1905 Carnegie Garden, Fountain Branch Project, and others.

Cal attended every Summer Reading Party during his tenure, never missed an opportunity to represent the Trustees to staff and the public, and treated everyone he encountered in a gracious and genuine way.

Before coming to Colorado Springs, Cal founded the American Ephemera Society, The Virginia Festival of the Book, and served on the Vermont Council of the Humanities, The Virginia Humanities Council, and eventually Colorado Humanities.

Cal is survived by his wife, Patricia Otto; his daughter Sharon Mertens, Gary H. Mertens, and grandson Christopher Mertens; his son James R. Otto, Laurel Otto, and grandson Nicholas Otto.

A memorial service will be held Friday, December 4 at 2 p.m. at Broadmoor Community Church, 315 Lake Ave. All Pikes Peak Library District facilities will close at 1 p.m. on December 4 to allow staff to attend if they so choose.

If you wish to make memorial dedication, donations to the PPLD Foundation have been requested by the family in lieu of flowers."

Eight Years of Cultural Resurgence

2009-11-11T15:13:00.001-08:00

Last week a number of folks gathered for a discussion about the state of the arts in the Pikes Peak region. Hosted by the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, about 45 people gathered to talk about how to capitalize on the momentum gathered in the past few years and move forward to continue to capitalize on the incredible depth and breadth of our arts scene. Check out this slide show to see what we're talking about!

11.04.09 Eight Years

View more presentations from Bee Vradenburg Foundation.

Rocco Landesman announces new direction for NEA

2009-10-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

At the 2009 Grantmakers in the Arts conference, Rocco Landesman laid out his new direction for the National Endowment for the Arts. Click here to read his full remarks.

In it, he talks about the need for optimism. "Art is the most optimistic of activities: the ballerina standing en pointe or being thrown high into the air, lovers breaking into song in musicals, painters through history rendering success in war and hunting, or religious imagery or the exuberant discovery of new forms and shapes, the thrilling, spontaneous riff of a jazz saxophonist, the emotional release of comedy, even tragedy in the Aristotelian sense of catharsis and lessons learned."

He also lays out his simple direction for the NEA:

Art works.

I hope you read it. It's given me lots of food for thought this week.

Theater scene in Springs expanding

2009-10-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend serves as a poignant reminder of the tragedy of abundance.

There are too many cool music events, festivals, art openings to hit them all up. This is true most weekends, but this weekend in particular features an abundance of theater. Our theater scene, all of the sudden, is thriving!

This weekend, count 'em:

Broadway Bound at the Fine Arts Center
Our Town at Theatreworks
The Arte of War presented by Theatre 'd Art
Ten Minutes Max at the Manitou Art Theatre
Face The City at Venue 515

and the newly resurrected Star Bar Players are performing The Weir in a warehouse space.

Plus, in two weeks, the new theatre troupe, Springs Ensemble Theatre will launch with a fundraiser.

Whilst perusing the blogs this morning, I stumbled upon this blog about audience development in the theatre. As our theatre community grows (and I, for one, believe a population of almost half a million can support a lively and diverse theater scene), we might do well to heed the advice of our peers in the industry. Make sure you read the comments at this blog.

Four years ago...

2009-09-30T09:53:00.001-07:00

Like any good nonprofit, we here at COPPeR recently held our annual strategic planning session with our staff and board of directors. 2010 will bring us to the end of our initial five-year strategic plan, so as part of our meeting, we looked back on our accomplishments. I'm going to share some of the highlights with you here, since it tells the story of how far we've come in such a short time.

Let's take a trip back through time. Imagine, if you will, a distant moment in the past. It was the year 2005. Having trouble remembering what the world was like way back then? Here are some reminders.
The White Sox had their first World Series win since 1917. Chicago fans went wild.
Everyone was reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
New Orleans was still an intact city.
House Majority Leader Tom Delay was indicted. Now he is appearing on "Dancing with the Stars."
Nobody except for a few college kids were on Facebook.
An unknown named Miley Cyrus audition for a role called Hannah Montana.
Everyone thought real estate was the most secure investment ever
Nobody tweeted.
And of course, there was no COPPeR.

After the 2003 Arts Summit, Susan Edmondson, Kimberley Sherwood, Michael Coumatos, Judy Noyes and other key leaders in the community got together to start exploring the options of founding a cultural office. Through their research they discovered that Colorado Springs was the largest city in the nation without a professionally staffed cultural office, so they moved forward with a plan to create a regional nonprofit organization that could serve that function: operating as the spokesperson for our entire creative community--a central source for information about our arts scene. After many focus groups and planning, an initial strategic plan was written. The following are goals from that plan.

In the plan? Our proposed budget was $203,000, with monies coming from foundations, individuals, and $49,000 as a contract for service from the City of COS, two full-time staff and one part-time employee. Reality in 2009: Our annual budget is around $175,000 excluding rent and in-kind gifts, and we receive $39,000 from the City of Colorado Springs. We have two full-time staff and a part-time intern from UCCS, who receives credit. The fact that these numbers are so close is impressive indeed. However, it's important to note that this is about 1/4 the budget typical for a cultural office for a city our size, and 1/10 the city support typical for a city our size and 1/3-1/4 the staff typical for a city our size.

Our 2005 Mission: Connecting residents and visitors with arts and culture to enrich the Pikes Peak Region.
Our 2005 Vision: A community united by creativity.

Our goals:
1. Build cultural participation
2. Foster sustainability of the region’s cultural arts industry.
3. Advocate for the region’s cultural vitality.
4. Leverage cultural assets to promote a positive regional brand and image.
5. Foster authenticity.
6. Provide sustainability, growth, accountability and diversified support for the cultural office.

Mission, vision and goals in 2009? Ditto.

In addition to those broad goals, we had some very specific outcomes in mind.

1. Launch a comprehensive cultural events calendar. Done and done! After painstaking research, we contracted with Artsopolis to build PeakRadar.com, which went live in 2007. We now have full-time staff, Kevin Johnson, and PeakRadar is the number one arts website in Southern Colorado, experiencing hundreds of thousands of page views monthly and proves month after month that is building audiences for arts groups in the Pikes Peak region.

2. Coordinate "Arts and Economic Prosperity III" impact study. Together with the Bee Vradenburg Foundation and Americans for the Arts, we participated in this national benchmark study in 2005 and 2006, releasing the results in 2007. We will participate in Arts and Economic Prosperity IV starting in 2011.

3. CBCA Leadership Arts – This goal was to create a workshop to engage more business leaders in arts nonprofit boards. Because the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts does such a good job with this training, we refined this a bit to instead offer trainings to arts nonprofits, with topics like marketing and communication, board governance, budget performance and digital media. Early this Spring, our arts "boot camps" helped more than 70 representatives from arts organizations all over the region.

4. Publish cultural amenities brochure with info on more than 80 arts organizations. The first edition of The COPPeR Pages was released in Fall 2007. Then, after two years of research, the second edition of COPPeR Pages was released in August 2009. People pick up their free copies at our office every day, and to date more than 9,000 copies have been distributed.

5. Offer best practices leadership for community projects – This was originally conceived to be providing leadership on projects like like Memorial Hospital healing arts group, City Auditorium renovation. Instead this has been: The Quality of Life Indicators Project (I serve as co-chair for a vision council), Dream City, Fire Station 8 art commission jury (I served on the jury and helped with the RFP), and serving on the marketing committee for the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

6. Assist in business planning and launch of Arts Fund
Currently the Bee Vradenburg Foundation is doing a feasibility study with the Pikes Peak Community Foundation. COPPeR staff and board have participated in interviews.

7. Develop membership structure - while not a formal membership structure, we did launch our Arts Partners program, in which we encourage local arts organizations to show their buy-in by making a donation to our organization.

8. Neighborhood Arts Program - this isn't developed exactly, but some elements of this will likely be addressed in the Cultural Plan.

9. Cultural tourism support - we work closely with the CVB, and have been quoted in American Way Magazine and United Airlines Hemispheres magazine, as well as Denver's 5280 Magazine and others.

10. Launch high-visibility community event – We have certainly accomplished this with our Studio Bee concert series, The Business and Arts lunch (a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce), and our participation in First Friday art walks and gallery openings.

11. Brand identity project – We launched Volume I of the Sounds of the Pikes Peak Region CD in 2008, which has birthed a concert series and more notoriety for the local music scene.

12. Provide networking functions, e-newsletter of arts and cultural news for the region. Yes! We do both.

We couldn't have anticipated the rise of new media: Facebook, Twitter, integrating PeakRadar with the Fort Carson texting service, Examiner.com, and more!

We certainly didn't expect to have a fabulous downtown storefront office space necessitating regular office hours and where every day people walk in off the street to find out about arts opportunities

We didn't know that space would be adjacent to a fine art gallery, enabling joint art opening receptions and staff time in ensuring solid exhibits for our walls.

We didn't know that the we would be encouraged to launch a process for the Cultural Plan by a statewide planning process.

We didn't know we would have the opportunity to partner with the Chamber of Commerce on the annual Business and Arts lunch, honoring businesses that support the arts and showcasing local performers.

We didn't expect to have booths at festivals and send our staff for speaking engagements all over El Paso and Teller counties.

We didn't expect to co-sponsor a free, monthly concert series at the Pikes Peak Center.

We didn't expect to be a presenting partner for the region's first Poet laureate project.

Of course, we also couldn’t have anticipated a global recession that affects city budget, tourism/LART revenue, foundation giving, corporate giving and individual donations.

Our staff is earning accolades on the state and national level. I have received scholarships from Americans for the Arts and am an active participant in AFTA’s emerging leaders network and U.S. Urban Arts Federation. And just recently I was asked to join the Colorado Council on the Arts’ Peer Assistance Network. And Kevin Johnson is a tech whiz whose expertise has guided our success. He also received a full scholarship (including air travel and room and board!) to the 2008 National Arts Marketing Partnership conference.

Now is not the time to rest on our laurels. We have more work to do, and it is good, honest work. But in this time of uncertainty, it is nice to look back at our accomplishments....just think where we will be four years from now!

Federal Stimulus Money Arrives

2009-09-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Remember way back in early 2009 when Americans for the Arts (including Bob Lynch, Robert Redford, John Legend and others) and countless other brave souls in congress successfully lobbied to include a paltry $50 million in the stimulus for the National Endowment for the Arts? (In case you're curious, that $50 million represents barely even a droplet in the $787 billion stimulus package)

Well, that $50 million has now been distributed, and it's trickling down to our own local arts community. There are some extremely misinformed comments on the story in today's Gazette about the $30,000 awarded to three organizations. It appears that despite our best efforts to educate the public that arts jobs are real jobs, there is still much work to be done.

In accordance with federal stimulus policy, these funds are specifically earmarked for retaining jobs in the arts. These are real jobs held by real American people. They are artists, musicians, filmmakers, cultural managers, stagehands, gallery staff, technicians, costume designers, marketing directors, IT staff--the list goes on and on. They are part of the economy. They earn paychecks, they pay sales taxes, they enter into mortgages. They work hard to support their families.

The stimulus money was designated by the NEA to the more than 4,000 local and state arts agencies throughout the nation. The reason for this? These agencies have nearly 50 years of proven history as good stewards of tax dollars and can ensure speedy disbursement to local projects. In Colorado that meant the Colorado Council on the Arts (CCA), the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs (DOCA), and the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) awarded 47 Colorado non-profit arts organizations with $568,040 in federal recovery funds to preserve or restore 313 salaried and contract positions.

DOCA alone announced $225,000 in stimulus grants to 15 Denver arts organizations. A few people have been contacted me, concerned about a perceived inequity between Denver and the Springs. It's important to note the distinctions between our communities. There's more going on here than immediately seems apparent. As I pointed out to the Gazette reporter, we have fewer arts organizations with paid staff in the Pikes Peak region, and these grants are specifically for preserving jobs, not creating programming.

Second, we don't have a mechanism for delivering the funds to arts organizations in the Pikes Peak region. While COPPeR is in many ways a parallel organization to DOCA, we are a private nonprofit, and we are not set up as re-granting organization at this point in time. Similarly, the Department of Cultural Services within Colorado Springs City government also does not operate as a re-granting agent. In fact, Cultural Services was not even eligible beacause they had not received a CCA grant in the designated time. Furthermore, if Cultural Services had been eligible, they would have most likely applied to save the jobs that are hemorrhaging from the 2010 budget. To read more about proposed City budget cuts, which include closing the Pioneers Museum,click here.

Our arts community has grown immensely in the past five years. I truly believe that momentum is not slowing. But we face new challenges, and we must accept that we are growing incrementally. Like many, I wish that more than $30,000 had made its way to the Pikes Peak region (and indeed, I know many worthy organizations that did apply), but at this time, we simply don't have the infrastructure of Denver to offer the kind of support they can.

Online Forum discussion of NEA and Federal Arts Policy

2009-09-02T11:45:00.000-07:00

Over on the right side of this blog, you can see links to some of my favorite blogs from around the community and dealing with arts on a state and federal level. I don't have nearly enough time as I would like to read all of the scholarship and research out there. Thankfully, there are blogs that aggregate the information in a well-written, concise way. One of my very favorites, Barry's Blog by WESTAF's Barry Hessenius, just announced perhaps the most ambitious online Federal Arts Policy discussion ever attempted.

Starting on Tuesday, September 15, this six-week long online discussion will attempt to bring together arts service organizations, past NEA administrators, the private sector, artists, foundations and emerging leaders, including one of my other favorite arts bloggers, Createquity's Ian Moss, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the Americans for the Arts Convention in Seattle this June.

If you're not an arts policy wonk, consider the questions that will be among those addressed in this six-week forum:

• What should be the role of arts & culture in the economy, in foreign affairs, in education, in health services, in civic life?

• How can the various federal agencies that have some role in arts funding or otherwise coordinate their efforts, and where and how should the arts be represented in the White House and in formal policy making – or should it?

• How do we best nurture and develop all the multicultural arts traditions of a diverse society?

• How do we create equal access to arts & culture for every citizen?

• How do we build bridges between the "for-profit" and nonprofit arts industries and promote cooperation and collaboration where it is to the mutual benefit of both parties, or to the larger society?

And what should be the role of the National Endowment for the Arts in any of this? In terms of a national arts policy, what do we want for our artistic community in America, and what do we want from it?

This has a lot of potential, and the technology truly means that everyone can participate. So I ask you--please alert any artists, arts organization staff, Board and constituents/client base about this upcoming online forum so that as many people as possible might participate.

Read more about the project here.

Feeling the Love

2009-08-31T15:30:00.001-07:00

Be prepared for a dose of cheerfulness. And all this on a Monday, too! A few weeks ago I was approached by a writer from 5280 Magazine who was interested in doing a story on the arts scene in the Pikes Peak Region. I sent him a quick email describing what I would do if I were him, and lo and behold, this story appears in this month's issue. Thank you, Dougald McDonald, for your kind writeup. Glad you liked it; come back again soon!

It tickles me pink to read the first paragraph:

The beauty of Pikes Peak has inspired artists since the 19th century, yet only in the past few years has a diverse, truly exciting arts community blossomed in Colorado Springs, the city that lies in Pikes Peak's shadow. With major museum expansions, new galleries, and a wide range of community efforts to bring fine arts to the fore, the Springs has seen a burst of artistic energy that's drawing art lovers from all across the state.

This follows quickly on the heels of Outdoor Magazine naming Colorado Springs the Best City to Live in America. That writeup refers to our cultural amenities, proving once again that having a strong arts community builds civic pride and provides a sense of place.

Arts Organizations for Health Care Reform

2009-08-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, artists and employees of nonprofit arts organizations are keenly aware of the state of healthcare today. I am inspired to read that 23 national arts organizations have added their voices in support of healthcare reform. Here is their complete statement:

August 12, 2009

As national arts service organizations representing thousands of nonprofit arts organizations at the state and local level as well as serving thousands of individual artists across the country, we call on Congress to pass a health care reform bill.

The current economic crisis has affected the cultural sector as dramatically as it has the millions of unemployed and uninsured Americans. Like others who have fallen through the cracks of the current system, many in the cultural workforce work independently or operate in nontraditional employment relationships, leaving them locked out of group healthcare coverage options. Additionally, soaring health care costs are consuming the ever decreasing budgets of nonprofit arts organizations hit hard by today’s economic recession. The time for reform that delivers high quality and affordable health care for businesses and individuals is now. We call on Congress to pass:

• A health care reform bill that will create a public health insurance option for individual artists, especially the uninsured, and create better choices for affordable access to universal health coverage without being denied because of pre-existing conditions.
• A health care reform bill that will help financially-strapped nonprofit arts organizations reduce the skyrocketing health insurance costs to cover their employees without cuts to existing benefits and staff while the economy recovers. These new cost-savings could also enable nonprofit arts organizations to produce and present more programs to serve their communities.
• A health care reform bill that will enable smaller nonprofit and unincorporated arts
groups to afford to cover part and full-time employees for the first time.
• A health care reform bill that will support arts in healthcare programs, which have shown to be effective methods of prevention and patient care.

There is little time to waste as a broken system continues to leave far too many behind and adds trillions to our national debt. Millions of cultural workers stand ready to assist our leaders with solutions that protect all Americans and its creative sector with guaranteed universal insurance coverage deserving of the wealthiest nation in the world.

Americans for the Arts
Alliance of Artists Communities
American Art Therapy Association
American Association of Community Theatre
American Dance Therapy Association
American Music Therapy Association
Americans for the Arts Action Fund
Arts & Business Council
Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
Business Committee for the Arts
Fractured Atlas
Grantmakers in the Arts
Literary Network
National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture
National Center for Creative Aging
National Dance Association
National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts
Theatre Communications Group
VSA arts

Jason Zacharias, 1975-2009

2009-07-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

I am brokenhearted to report that the Pikes Peak region arts scene suffered yet another devastating loss yesterday. Jason Zacharias, artist and creative champion, took his own life in Green Mountain Falls this week. A native of Kansas City, Jason became a force in the arts after moving to Colorado. His journey as curator began with his website, Optical Reverb, a place for artists and writers to post their work. He went on to run the gallery space at Cedars Jazz Club, then later a space in the Downtown arts district next to Smokebrush. But he is perhaps best known for working with dozens of restaurants, clubs and bars to place local art by emerging artists on their walls. Among the many establishments he worked with are Phantom Canyon, V Bar, Blue Star, Blondie's, and many, many others in Colorado Springs, Pueblo and beyond. He also was a great friend to COPPeR--in 2007 he curated an art exhibit at the Warehouse that was a fantastic fundraiser for us. That picture of him is from that event--typical Jason in a sassy wink.

Click here to read Kathryn Eastburn's profile of Jason, the "Little Curator Who Could," in The Independent from 2006.

All of us here at COPPeR send out sincere condolences to all of his friends and family. A strong and vital arts community depends artists and the people who, like Jason, are champions for bringing together different forms of creativity and making sure art is visible and valued. His contributions will be deeply missed.

It breaks my heart to write this blog post. Suicide is an extremely painful issue, no matter when it happens. I am extremely disturbed that our arts community has been touched by this horrible issue so many times this year. Depression is real. Please, folks if you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please know that you are not alone.

JZ, we miss you.

2009 State of the Arts

2009-07-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today's Gazette features the annual special section on the State of the Arts in the Pikes Peak Region. It features interviews with Sam Gappmayer from the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Nathan Newbrough of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Drew Martorella from Theatreworks, Peggy Vicaro from Cottonwood Center for the Arts, Amber Cote from Futureself, Susan Edmondson from the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, and many others. I can't find the special section online just now, but I thought I'd share my full comments on this blog.

2009 in a nutshell: At the national level, lobbyists on Capitol Hill successfully argued that arts jobs are real jobs, and that the arts industry is a vital part of the economy. An additional $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts was included in the stimulus package as a result. That money helps arts organizations all over the nation.
On a state level, the Colorado Council on the Arts conducted a study showing that the creative industries are the fifth biggest sector of the state economy. However, CCA was forced to cut 25% of their budget, awarding $907,000 to individuals, organizations and government agencies in 33 counties across Colorado in 2009. $90,400 was awarded to arts organizations in El Paso and Teller counties, compared to $183,490 in 2008, which is obviously a significant decrease.

Drilling down to the local level, in 2009, American Style magazine named Colorado Springs among the top 25 arts destinations for midsize cities, which means we must be doing something right! Of course, the City of Colorado Springs budget crisis has taken its toll on our arts community--because of City budget cuts, the Pioneers Museum (an absolute gem in the heart of downtown) was forced to reduce hours and staff and the Parks department has been unable to water the parks, which has impacted concerts and festivals. The good news, however, is that our local arts community has not suffered as much as other places around the country, mostly due to the fact that our organizations and artists have been operating at the small but scrappy level for years. Very few local institutions had endowments to begin with, so they could not take a beating.

We did, of course, have our casualties--Springs Magazine and Bon Vivant shuttered their doors, some smaller galleries closed down. In 2010 and beyond, I am concerned about about the impact a prolonged recession will have on the ability for arts and cultural organizations to thrive, effectively market their services, and continue to build audiences. However, I believe that the creative momentum in our community has not slowed down; the cultural renaissance we have been experiencing for the past five years continues. There is an energy and buzz about the arts, and civic leaders from all over the region are truly starting to understand the value of arts and creativity.

From COPPeR's perspective, we feel our programs are reaching more people than ever--we were thrilled to celebrate PeakRadar's second birthday this summer with a fundraising campaign that exceeded its goal. (PeakRadar traffic is booming and we have information about hundreds of arts events at any given moment, as well as a robust artist profile directory with information on 150 local artists.) The local music scene is starting to emerge from its hidden treasure staus, thanks to the Showcase at Studio Bee series, KRCC Concerts, Stargazers Theater, the Black Sheep, the Rocket Room and Kinfolks.

We also lost some beloved artists this year. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of Gerry Riggs, Bob Pinney and Timber Kirwan.

The Best in Public Art from Around the Nation

2009-07-08T09:08:00.001-07:00

I've got public art on the brain these days. Sitting at my desk in downtown Colorado Springs, I have a fantastic view of several pieces of public art, including Chris Weed's new paperclips, two butterflies and the bronze sculpture of William Seymour by Stephanie Huerta at the bench where the downtown shuttle stop used to be (sigh...).

One of the most enjoyable sessions at the conference in Seattle was the public art year in review. Jurors Janet Echelman and Mildred Howard selected 40 of the best public art works in the United States, including projects from 32 cities in 15 states. The works were chosen from more than 300 entries across the country.

All of the projects were stunning, but here are just three of my favorites:

Language of the Birds in San Francisco, CA at Broadway and Columbus (in front of the legendary City Lights bookstore) by Brian Goggin and Dorka Keen. It is the first permanent solar-powered public art piece in the United States. Note that the sculptures are suspended books with solar panels, that, when illuminated, look like birds. Here's a video of the installation.

Language of the Birds from Thomas Both on Vimeo.

The second project is in the Jacksonville, Florida airport. Called simply "Gotta Go," this piece by Gordon Heuther is a breath of fresh air for weary travelers. Bob Lynch, head of Americans for the Arts, told a story about being in the airport looking at the piece when someone came up next to him. They started talking about the work and the person said, "This is really beautiful. Is it art?"

The third is Raine Bedsole's Remembering Boat in New Orleans. The piece is a memorial to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It features a poem by Tony Fitzpatrick
water has nothing to do with luck
and everything to do with chance
water is the music of consequence
the water is hungry... the water wants

These are just three of the 40 projects we got to see. I like these three because they show the real range of public art. It can be evocative, representational, symbolic, a statement of memory or whimsical. But it always starts a conversation.

Paperclips, Public Art, and the Pacific Northwest

2009-06-30T15:11:00.001-07:00

Wow--leave town for a week and a giant landmark arrives! After arriving back from the Americans for the Arts convention in Seattle, I was delighted to discover Chris Weed's newest piece of large-scale public art in front of our office. Friday night at the opening reception for Art on the Streets Chris won first prize! Congratulations to him. We're thrilled to have such an eye-catching and playful piece in front of our office and doubly thrilled that it's by a local artist. Go, Chris. It's been a ball to watch the passersby gawk and the children climb all over the work. The paper clips have also resulted in a dramatic increase in traffic into our office (see the little door - that's COPPeR- come visit us!), so I have been woefully neglectful in writing in this little blog. Hi, readers, nice to see you.

So, Seattle. This was my second year attending the Americans for the Arts annual convention, and I was pretty excited about its location (the convention is in a different city each year; last year was Philadelphia, next year will be Baltimore) because my mother and one of my best friends live there. I was also excited because this convention provides such great opportunities to connect to my colleagues at local arts agencies around the country in a truly meaningful way. This year the Pikes Peak region had four representatives--in addition to me, the fabulous Susan Edmondson of the Bee Vradenburg Foundation and COPPeR board member was there, along with my dear friend (and PeakRadar's Kevin Johnson's fiancee) Amber Cote, executive director of FutureSelf, and Wendy Mike, former executive director and founder of FutureSelf and creativity champ. It was great to have such strong representation from our community-- and I think it's a real sign that our arts community is growing up.

I arrived in Seattle and my mom picked up from the airport. We decided to have a late dinner before she took me to the hotel (thanks to Amber for letting me crash in her room. I would have stayed at mom's but she lives in West Seattle and commuting would have taken away valuable networking time). I have a thing for grocery stores, especially Asian grocery stores, so we went to Uwajimaya.

After yummy sushi and a bahn mi, Mom dropped me at the hotel and headed home. Sidenote: my mother is a working artist and she lives in the coolest place ever -- the remodeled and repurposed Cooper School, which has been converted into an arts center complete with affordable housing for artists, part of the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. More about that in a later entry.

The conference kicked off with a lively plenary by Bill Ivey, in which we got a behinds-the-scene glimpse at what life in DC was like during the presidential transition. Bill Ivey was chair of the National Endowment for the Arts during President Clinton's administration, and he was also part of the transition team and is the author of Arts, Inc. . One of the most important pieces of advocacy Americans for the Arts completed last year was lobbying to have every single presidential candidate form an official arts policy. I remember hearing about this at last year's conference--it ended up taking on a much bigger scope when Obama was elected, since his was among the strongest arts policies. Here's an interview with Mr. Ivey at the conference in Seattle, courtesy of ArtsJournal.

More coming soon. Just wanted to give you a teaser!

Americans for the Arts - Seattle 2009

2009-06-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm tying up loose ends here before I head off to Seattle tomorrow for the annual Americans for the Arts convention. I attended the convention for the first time last year (in Philadelphia) and found it incredibly inspiring. I will post my takeaways and big ideas here when I return. In the meantime, here is a blurb from the incredibly moving 22nd Annual Nancy Hanks lecture on American Arts and Public Policy delivered by Wynton Marsalis at the Kennedy Center in March. If you have a few minutes, please watch this video at the Americans for the Arts website.

This is entitled “The Ballad of American Arts.” Before we sang, we spoke. Before we danced, we walked. Before we wrote, we told stories. Before we told stories, we lived. Those songs, dances, writings allow us to speak to one another across generations.
They gave us an understanding of our commonality long before that DNA told us we are all part of one glorious procession. At any point on the timeline of human history, there are tales to be told of love and loss; glory and shame; profundity and even profound stupidity; tales that deserve retelling, embellishing, and if need be, inventing from whole cloth. This is our story. This is our song. If well sung, it tells us who we are and where we belong.

Austin Trip: Part IV

2009-06-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

After our meeting with the San Antonio Chamber, our group took a brief jaunt over to the Alamo (the building was smaller than I expected; the grounds much more magnificent than I could have dreamed). Then Dave Csintyan from the Colorado Springs Chamber took me and Angela Joslyn from Senator Michael Bennet's office in Colorado Springson a tour through the Riverwalk. It was about 90 degrees and quite humid, but down on the riverwalk it was cool. We wandered past the many restaurants, mariachi bands, and hotels. It is a vital and bustling tourist destination, and Dave, a former resident of San Antonio for many years, assured me that the locals spend time there as well. I would like very much to go back and spend some more time there, specifically to see Fiesta Noche del rio, the longest running outdoor performance series in the country, at the Arneson outdoor amphitheater.

We headed back to Austin, and I collected my bags from the AT&T hotel up by UT-Austin and headed downtown to the Radisson (My contact at the Cultural Arts division, Vincent, kindly arranged a very reasonable rate for my last night in town). I checked in and then headed toward the 2nd street district, to Cru wine bar to meet my cousin Jessie. Jessie and I hadn't seen each other for more than ten years, but we reconnected instantly. She just completed her first year as an assistant professor at Western Carolina University, but has lived in Austin since the mid-1990s. She is a historian with a keen interest in urban and suburban history, so she had lots to say about Austin's development, particularly with regard to how the housing boom had affected many of her friends. Her husband, for example, bought a loft in 2004 and is now trying to sell it at nearly three times what he paid for it. House-flipping was common and the incredible swell in real estate values caused radical gentrification and pushed families out as wealthy young workers moved in. After only hearing about the positive aspects of economic development, it was refreshing to hear about the real-world impact on Austinites and their families.
Jessie had dinner plans, so I headed back to the hotel to get a better view of the bats at dusk. The hotel is on the river, so I stepped through the pool area, and headed down the hill. On this second night at the bridge, I saw more bats--the Congress bridge colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats. Each night during the spring and summer, the bats emerge at dusk, and the spectacle has become an extremely popular tourist attraction.
On my own for the evening, I began wandering up toward 6th street. The weekend was in that strange in-between-time of post-regular performing arts season, pre-summer season, so I couldn't catch a formal event. I wasn't worried, though--one of my favorite things to do in unfamiliar cities is to wander around and see where I end up.
As I walked among the crowds of people heading uptown from the bat bridge, I happened to overhear a gentleman pointing out various landmarks and telling funny stories about Austin architecture. I boldly stepped up and asked if I could join their tour. "Why, sure!" said one. "Where are you from?"
When I told them I was visiting from Colorado Springs, they were astonished. It turns out that two of the guys in the group, Jim and Mark, graduated from Mitchell High School in the 1980s. Jim had been living in Austin since then, and Mark was visiting from New Hampshire. They hadn't seen each other in about ten years. With our 719-connection established, they kindly let me follow them around on their night on the town. Jim knew many of the business-owners on 6th Street. We ate dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, visited a bar called Maggie Mae's where a friend of Jim's had some photorealistic oil paintings of local music legends hanging on the wall. Jim moved to Austin because of the nanotechnology boom (he does something that has to do with semiconductors, I must confess, the details were beyond me). After a brief stop at Lovejoy's, a very punk rock sort of place where they brew their own beer, we headed to Emo's, the legendary rock club. Jim knew the property owner, so we got in for free and caught the Detroit Cobras, a great lo-fi rock'n'roll soul band. On the way out, we stopped at Best Wurst, a fabulous street vendor, then said goodnight.

My new friend is in Colorado this week for Apogaea, the Colorado arts and outdoor festival, put on by Burning Man. I promised to show him around when he returns from camping--here's hoping I can return the favor and get him some behind-the-scenes access!

The next day I went on a long walk on the river path and met up with Jessie again. We had a leisurely lunch at Enoteca, a charming restaurant on South Congress. The South Congress neighborhood is a hip revitalized area with quirky shops, restaurants and a parking lot filled with retro airstream trailers converted to food vendors, including the original "Hey Cupcake."

We poked around in Uncommon Objects, a thrift store/antique shop crammed full of strange and delightful curios, then stopped at the outdoor street market, where local artisans sell their wares. One of the merchants stopped me to compliment me on my watch and then recommended a pair of hand-carved wooden earrings. I have a bit of an earring habit, so I happily obliged. We walked the whole stretch of South Congress in about an hour, stopping in boutiques and peeking in the glamorous hotels that have become destinations for film industry folks.

Just a few years ago, the entire South Congress area was, to say the least, seedy, with a reputation revolving around prostitution and drugs. A strategic initiative to redevelop the neighborhood resulted in the South Congress Combined Neighborhood plan. In the commercial guidelines, one of the first instructions is "Keep It Funky."

The urban design guidelines for South Congress Avenue set out to create a
distinctive district with a “funky, Austin-centric” feel. This development should not be a replication of other areas of Austin; rather, a new expression of the energy, culture, and individuality embodied in the slogan: “Keep Austin Weird”.

It's a very cool neighborhood.

With just a couple of hours before my flight, we headed down to the shops at 6th and Lamar, where the first Whole Foods began. Now an 80,000-square feet museum of a grocery store, it's a destination all in itself. Jessie bid me goodbye, and after I drooled over the foodstuffs (but miraculously did not buy anything!), I headed across the street to Book People, one of the largest independent bookstores in the country. I spent two hours happy as a clam (a painful reminder of how much I miss the Chinook bookstore and Hathaways), bought the new John Hodgman book, then phoned for a taxi.
My cabdriver arrived, apologizing that he had his sister along with him, but explained that she was visiting and he wanted to show around. I asked where she was visiting from and was delighted to hear that she was visiting from Paris. We quickly discovered that they had grown up in in the same neighborhood I stayed in on my trip to France two years ago. The siblings had not seen each other for several years. The last time they had seen each other they had gone on vacation in.....wait for it...Southern Colorado! They reminisced about skiing at Monarch and going to art galleries in Salida. We had a lovely time chatting and they tolerated my very poor French. I was sad to get to the airport.

I neglected to mention this so far, but since I was representing all you groovy artists and musicians out who call the Pikes Peak Region home, I gave a copy of our local music compilation, Sounds of the Pikes Peak Region, to each one of the fine speakers who met with our group. Austin may be the live music capital of the world, but we have some incredibly talented people here as well, and I was pleased to be an ambassador.

The entire visit left me (and all the participants) with much to think about. The biggest takeaway for me was that successful community-planning depends upon a delicate balance between careful planning and long-term vision and valuing the characteristics that make a place unique and authentic. We need to figure out who we are -- then be the best we we can!

I also feel very confident that the community arts development, the work we at COPPeR are engaging in on a daily basis, is putting us on the right path. Of course there are many components of a successful city, but the arts help us tell the story of what makes us human. Right here in COPPeR's brochure, we have a list that answers the question, "Why the arts?" It's simple:

the arts foster vibrant neighborhoods and urban revitalization
the arts are a magnet attracting young professionals and a skilled, innovative workforce
the arts shape a "destination city," luring cultural tourists, who stay longer and spend more money than other travelers
the arts create a positive, unique and authentic brand for our community
the arts bridge ethnic and cultural divides, helping us to better understand people of different backgrounds and viewpoints
the arts build community identity, inclusion and pride.

Thanks for reading.

Austin Trip: Part III

2009-06-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening wrapped up with a huge group dinner at Carmelo's. Everyone was in high spirits, and Dave Csintyan, head of the Chamber, gave a toast, ending with, "and no one else can give a toast unless they do so in the form of a limerick." Kevin Reel, headmaster of the Colorado Springs School, stood up to the challenge. Unfortunately I can't recreate his spontaneous poetry from memory, but, inspired, the group then decided to go around the table and create a new poem using rhyming couplets. As you can imagine, this resulted in much hilarity and merriment.

After dinner the honorable Mayor of Manitou Eric Drummond took us down to the Congress Avenue bridge to see the bats come out at dusk. A group of people headed off to the Broken Spoke to do some two-stepping, but I decided to stay on 6th Street with a small group. We wandered into an Irish pub with a blues band playing. The very talented guitar player, Ulrich, from Germany, had just received his Masters in music from UT-Austin. Yet another connection between the university and the lively cultural scene...

Next morning, we had breakfast with Pike Powers (or, he joked, as he is frequently introduced to people, "Austin Powers"). In 1983 Pike began the planning and organizational tactics for attracting two of the nation's most ambitious projects around global competitiveness in electronics and is widely viewed as one of the senior voices on technology development and as the designer of important legislative and public policy solutions resulting in new enterprise and corporate models for attracting and retaining technology-based activities. If that description sounded complex and jargon-y, Pike himself is the opposite of that. He has frequently been quoted in Richard Florida's work and is a spokesperson for why the City of Austin has become successful.

His lesson? All his accomplishments stood on the legs of what Florida calls the "Three Ts:" Tolerance, Technology, and Talent. Listen to each other, widen the conversation, be respectful. One of the most powerful stories he told was about how he invited young people to join the conversation about economic redevelopment. He talked about the importance of understanding people's differences and making sure you are genuinely inclusive. He may be coming to Colorado Springs in November--I will keep you posted. He's well worth hearing.

Our group split again, for the last time. My group made the two-hour drive to San Antonio, during which I had a lively conversation with El Paso County Attorney Bill Louis and Angela Joslyn with Senator Michael Bennet's Colorado Springs Office. We discussed Law school, children's creativity, playground equipment and more. We arrived in San Antonio at the Chamber of Commerce, located right on the Riverwalk. Upon walking in, we saw local contemporary artwork all over all the walls. The Chamber has monthly rotating art exhibits, all featuring local artists.

Representatives from the Chamber, including Chair-elect Carri Baker Wells, and staff Bill Mock and Mark Frye, discussed how they are leveraging San Antonio as an economic center for health technology. Ann Stevens, the President of BioMedSA, a new initiative to promote the local healthcare and bioscience industry and its importance to the local economy. She talked about the medical community's unifying moments--hospitals would fight against each other for patients, doctors, and funding, but when it came to raising the entire industry's profile, their leaders came together, realizing that they needed to do this as a sector.

We also discussed how industry drives job creation and growth. If competitive industries exist in a region, they can serve as an incentive for young people to stay. Congruently, if there are skilled workers in a region, they can convince a business or industry to stick around. This got me thinking: I believe that the only way the creative sector is going to survive is if we can promote ourselves as a viable, productive sector of the economy. Every business leader I know talks about industries as having clear definitions of different industry sectors (Military, health care, nanotechnology, etc.) A recent study by the Colorado Council on the Arts points out that creative industry makes up the 5th largest sector of the Colorado economy. We are big. We matter. So every lesson I try to learn from Business leaders is how to translate those lessons into the work we do.

We can have a touchy-feely feeling of community here in our arts community all we want (and in fact should have a supportive, nurturing environment to bolster our creative spirits), but the fact remains that if there is no infrastructure to support our artists--no market for artists selling their work, no institutions of higher learning offering them superior advanced degree programs, no museums, galleries, or performing arts facilities for our creative people in which to do their work, it is all for naught.

These same San Antonio leaders told us about a project they had been working on called Pathway to a Great City. Please note: the their informational brochure prominently features an enormous piece of public art (Mexican artist Sebastian's The Torch of Friendship (La Antorcha dela Amistad). This document makes a series of recommendations to the City for what it will take to move San Antonio from a good city to a great city. Among their recommendations:

Great Cities are known for their parks and vibrant cultural and entertainment centers, and as such, this plan calls for a new cultural and performing arts center
Great Cities think big and know that making their city unique involves a variety of innovative and creative funding strategies, as such, this plan calls for the expansion and improvement of the San Antonio river district
It is desirable to highlight many cultures and western heritage and provide more access to historical sites and monuments

Food for thought? Perhaps the work ordinary citizens are doing to create a long-term vision for our community through Dream City: Vision 2020 can be harnessed into something similar.

Coming soon: Final thoughts and a night on the town.

Austin Trip: Part II

2009-06-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

Promptly at 8 a.m. on Thursday, we dove into our first session with Dave Porter, Vice-President of Economic Development at the Austin Chamber. In many communities, Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce are merged, creating one umbrella group responsible for retaining and cultivating existing businesses while simultaneously seeking out new businesses and industry. In Colorado Springs, the Chamber and the EDC are separate organizations (they were once aligned, but split in the early 1990s). Dave spoke about the importance of attracting and incubating small businesses in the high-tech field. Because UT-Austin is such a fantastic training ground for highly-educated, skilled workers, businesses began to move there, knowing they would have a rich pool of talent from which to pick their workers.

Austin's story began to unfold as we met with Downtown developers and Lee Cook, the former Mayor of Austin. In the 1980s, Austin was in the midst of a huge recession. During the Savings and Loan crisis, more than 30 local banks closed (out of about 750 that failed nationwide). Real estate plummeted, and the future of the capitol city was uncertain. Austin had been "branded" the Manufacturing capital of Texas in the early part of the 20th century. Local leaders realized they had to shake off that mantle and move forward with a more clear and compelling direction in order to compete.

You may have seen the bumper sticker campaign: "Keep Austin Weird" (Manitou Springs has also adopted this slogan). The slogan was generated by the Austin Independent Business Association and is a perfect example of how Austin takes pride in being quirky, independent and visionary. Over and over, the people we met with kept invoking this indescribable Austin creativity and sense of pride.

Just one example of this--Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the World. Most people know that. But what you don't know is how that came to be. Former Mayor Lee Cook told us the story about Max Nofziger, a flower City Councilman. From his bio:

Max's love of the city prompted him to become involved in the political process. He felt that he could legitimately and effectively work to keep Austin environmentally and culturally unique.
In 1979 Max made his first run for City Council -- Place One, campaigning for a clean environment and against Austin's involvement in the then newly proposed South Texas Nuclear Project. A political new-comer, Max won several thousand votes, but not enough to win. Not to be discouraged, he tried again in 1981 and got even fewer votes! Again not to be discouraged, Max was determined to be a voice in the city he had adopted as his own. 1983 saw "Max for Mayor" this time getting enough votes to force his contenders into a run-off. Another run for mayor in 1985, another run-off, this time he endorsed the eventual winner. Finally, on his fifth try for elective office Max won Place One on the City Council in 1987, edging out a well funded opponent in a very tight run-off race!

He went on to serve nine years in City Council. As Mayor Cook told the story, Max "Max for Mayor" Nifzger suggested calling Austin the Live Music Capital of the World. Not the live music capital of Texas, or the Southwest, or even the United States. THE WORLD.

That, folks, takes guts. And leadership.

Later that afternoon, we headed down to Ballet Austin (that's the lobby of this to-die-for facility with acres of sprung floors and a modular performance theater with moveable seats that, when removed, reveal a floor the exact dimensions of the stage of the Long Center, where the company performs).
We met with Vincent Kitch, head of the Cultural Arts Division at the City of Austin. Vincent was kind enough to agree to give a presentation to a group of people he'd never met coordinated by a woman he'd never met (me). But all of the new connections I made in Austin were easy--I picked up the phone and called people and they agreed to meet with me. The arts community is like that, I suppose--just one more reason I feel so fortunate to work in this field. Also, just another reason why having a Cultural Office in a community is so essential; our peer network gets us access.

I gave a bit of a background on COPPeR and how we were founded, and then Vincent talked about what his office does. Most U.S. cities have cultural offices embedded in their local government (as a nonprofit partnering with the City, COPPeR is different). Austin's department of cultural affairs is under the Economic Growth and Redevelopment Services branch of Austin city government, and it's easy to see why. Just a few quick facts:

Live Music contributes $616 million in economic impact and $11 million in local tax revenue
There are 1,543 music-related businesses in Austin and 1,903 Austin music acts.
The not-for-profit performing arts and visual arts generate $532 million in economic impact and $6 million in local tax revenue.
The City of Austin provides nearly $5 million annually of the Hotel Occupancy Tax to contract with non-profit arts and cultural organizations for services rendered.
Creative industries in Austin generate $2.2 billion in economic activity and create 44,000 permanent jobs.

That is a huge chunk of revenue. Vincent explained that the Cultural Arts division grants millions of dollars to local arts organizations and individual artists. While I wiped the drool from my chin and attempted to collect my jaw from the floor, he told us more about how this all came about.

In 1985, a 2% tax for the arts was approved by voters. The money comes out of hotel/motel tax, and results in all the funding. Vincent's division now has 9 employees and the majority of the work they do is regranting to arts groups and artists. Austin just recently completed a Cultural Planning Process, called Create Austin. All the figures above came from that process. You can read the plan and see how they are implementing it here.

After this extremely educational session, a few of us wandered over to City Hall. This might look familiar to Pikes Peak regionettes, since it was designed by Antoine Predock, who also designed Colorado College's new Cornerstone Arts Center.

City Hall is a perfect example of Austin's purposeful integration of arts and civic life--this gorgeous building is also one of Austin's most important art galleries. City Hall showcases the talents of local artists with an extensive annual art exhibition in the atrium and open areas of the first three floors. Approximately 150 contemporary artworks are on display, including paintings, photographs, sculptures and other mediums. Upon entering the building and going through the metal detector, we picked up a 24-page booklet guiding us through the pieces of art. It is breathtaking.

The bottom line: Austin took a time of scarcity and true hardship and harnessed creativity to cultivate a thriving arts and music destination city as well as a center for emerging technology. They consistently take the long view and continually search for ways to learn from other successful communities. They listen to their leaders, they communicate, and above all, they COLLABORATE.

Coming soon in Part III: more leaders dish, going green, and I hit the town with some locals.

Austin Trip: Part I

2009-06-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I heard about a strategic planning mission coordinated by the folks at the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce (with whom COPPeR co-hosts an annual award luncheon honoring businesses that support the arts) to try to figure out why Austin left us in the dust in terms of economic development 20 years ago. Two decades ago, Austin and Colorado Springs were competing neck-and-neck for businesses and high-tech industries. Now, Austin boasts a population of 1.7 million people, a thriving nanotechnology industry, a world-class research and teaching university, and of course, it is the live music capital of the world.

The Southern Colorado Innovation Strategy Leadership Trip to Austin, coordinated by the Chamber and UCCS, took place last week and I was extremely honored to be among the attendees, representing the arts and cultural community in the Pikes Peak region. Elected officials City Councilwoman Jan Martin and County Commissioner Sallie Clark and Manitou Springs Mayor Eric Drummond were there, as was Pam Shockley-Zalabak, chancellor at UCCS. About 30 movers, shakers and leaders in the business and education world from Colorado Springs, Manitou and Pueblo went on the trip. My job was to connect the dots between a quirky, authentic and vital arts and cultural community and a thriving economy. I quickly got to work connecting with my counterparts in Austin cultural services coordinating meetings and sessions so all the attendees could see firsthand why a vibrant arts scene is essential to economic and community development.

I flew out a bit early on Wednesday morning so that I could do some reconnaissance around town before the rest of the delegation arrived. It may betray my hipster pedigree to admit this, but I had never been to Austin before last week. I stepped off the plane and immediately noticed the placard in the jetway ("Welcome to Austin," it said, "the live music capital of the world."). I flagged a taxi, got a basic geography lesson from the friendly cabdriver, checked into the AT&T Conference center and hotel up at the UT campus, and then wandered down Congress Ave, past the capitol and in to the heart of downtown.

I found myself at Arthouse, a contemporary art venue. I caught the last week of the very cool local show up right now called 5x7, in which hundreds of contemporary Texas artists create unique works of art on identical 5” x 7” boards, all displayed anonymously and on sale for extremely reasonable prices. An old family friend, Ben Slade, is working there as membership coordinator and new media coordinator, so he and I chatted about the visual arts scene there. Ben and I both grew up in New Mexico, and after he graduated from college he got a job working at a gallery in Santa Fe. Shortly after, he left to move to Austin. He vastly prefers the authentic arts community in Austin to the glittering commerce-based community in Santa Fe. I also talked to Nathan Green, staff from Okay Mountain, an artist-run gallery space.

Ben and Nathan told me that between the Univerity of Texas art students, the South by Southwest music and film festival kids (Austin is a festival town--it's the #2 major U.S. City in the number of festivals per thousand population), there is creative energy burbling up all over the place. Young artists will start art galleries in their living rooms and host First Friday receptions with bands playing. They both praised the new-ish Fusebox Festival, which focuses on performing arts.

Ben and Nathan had to get back to work, so I left them and trudged around the 2nd St. district, peered in at the Austin Children's Museum (noting that their informational brochure is completely bilingual), and drooled over a couple of very chic design boutiques.

Later that night, we broke off into small groups to enjoy dinner. I took a small group to Moonshine (note: beer-battered asparagus is delicious; I regret not ordering the corndog shrimp) and we met up with some local longtime arts mavens. Rick Hernandez, the immediate past Executive Director of the Texas Commission on the Arts, an organization he was involved with since the mid 1970s as an artist-in-residence. Rick is warm, outgoing, and full of insights about how Austin completely transformed during the 1980s. Latifah Taormina also joined us--she is the executive director of Austin Circle of Theaters, a co-presenter of NowPlayingAustin.com (sister and fellow Artsopolis site like PeakRadar.com). Latifah has a fascinating past--she started the legendary Committee improv troupe in San Francisco. We had a wonderful dinner sharing stories and laughing, then Rick and the rest of our gang set off to see the town. We just missed the solar-powered outdoor concert series in Republic Square (a brand-new initiative to prove that even the music scene is part of the environmentalist movement in Austin), but we cozied into the Elephant Room and heard a great set of jazz. Then the diehards in the group headed up to 6th St., where among the dozens of bars --all featuring live music-- we found Pete's dueling piano bar and laughed our way into the wee hours of the morning. Along the way we played one of the GuitarTown guitars,a public arts project feautring local artists' takes on ten-foot Gibson Guitar sculptures.

I'll continue with Part II tomorrrow, in which we meet with the head of Austin Cultural Affairs (responsible for giving $5 million to arts organizations and individual artists in 2008) and continue the cultural tourism.

Philharmonic Music Director Stepping Down

2009-05-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

I found out this morning that Lawrence Leighton Smith is leaving the Colorado Springs Philharmonic after next season.

Larry's leadership has been incredible for this orchestra and this community. His loyalty to the musicians, especially during the very turbulent past few years, has been immeasurable. My first introduction to Larry came when I was a freelance writer for the Colorado Springs Independent. I was hired to do classical reviews and previews. Not only did Larry always take my calls, he and I would frequently engage in lengthy philosophical conversations about composers. He has done so much for this orchestra.

But then, we get to see Mahler 9 this weekend, and we have all next season to appreciate him!

Here's the full press release:

Lawrence Leighton Smith will hand off the baton after 11 years as music director of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and its predecessor, the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra. Smith announced his decision at a rehearsal for Mahler’s Symphony No. 9 on Wednesday night.
“I feel it’s time for something different for everybody,” said Smith, who has led
the Springs’ only professional orchestra since 2000. “In the professional arena, this is my longest stay anyplace.”
“Larry is giving us two years notice,” said Nathan Newbrough, the Philharmonic’s president. “And that’s great, because the shoes he leaves us to fill are enormous.”
“He’s been the perfect person for this orchestra,” said concertmaster Michael
Hanson. “He’s the experienced musician and steady person we needed to take us through turbulent times.”
The most turbulent time of all was the bankruptcy of the Colorado Springs
Symphony Orchestra in January 2003. Smith’s announcement that he would stand by the musicians was a major impetus behind the decision to form the Colorado Springs Philharmonic that spring.
Now that Smith feels the orchestra is ready for a different pair of hands, the task
begins for Newbrough and others to find Smith’s replacement.
“The search is a long and thoughtful process that’s extremely rewarding for the
orchestra and the community,” said Newbrough. “Right now we’re in the process of
assembling a group of musicians and community representatives to commence the search process.”
“A conductor search is an exciting opportunity for an orchestra to find out about
itself,” said Hanson. “It’s a marriage of personalities. Each new person brings something different, and the orchestra responds differently and sounds different for everyone.”
Smith plans to take some time off come the summer of 2011 – but not too much
time off. “I have some guest-conducting coming up,” he said. “I have a lot of composing on my plate. As long as I hang on to my marbles, there’s no lack of things to do.”
Asked about highlights of his music-making in Colorado Springs, Smith
mentioned the 2006 performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and the 2007 performance of Dvorák’s Symphony No. 6 as two that stood out.
“But I’m not leaving for two years,” he said. “There are some highlights I don’t
know about yet.”

NEA chair announced

2009-05-14T11:59:00.001-07:00

Oh, COPPeR blog--my apologies for the lack of posting. It's not for lack of activity, that's for sure. The academic calendar is in my blood, it seems. Perhaps that's why the end of every semester feels so hectic. I'll give a longer local arts update next week, but nationally, we in the arts finally have the answer we've been waiting for:

Rocco Landesman has been appointed chair of the NEA.

Tony Kushner's ringing endorsement in the article linked above makes me think this is a very good thing, although I am a little nervous about his money-making background. Will a big-time Broadway producer be able to connect to the small community arts groups that rely on NEA funding? One thing's for sure--his leadership will shake things up. He doesn't seem like one to hold back.

Robert Lynch in Colorado Springs

2009-04-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Robert Lynch, head of Americans for the Arts, was in town yesterday to give a speech at the 30th annual Arts, Business, Education Consortium luncheon. He stopped by COPPeR in the morning to tell a group of us how Americans for the Arts develops broad-based arts advocacy nationwide.

Bob Pinney, The Rest is Silence

2009-04-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Colorado Springs theater community lost a shining star this past weekend. Bob Pinney, actor, teacher and friend, passed away quietly.

Beth Clements-Mosley remembers him:

The world that died with Bob Pinney was vast and colorful, rich and elegant… and much of it was private - quietly lived moments both tragic and excellent.

I was privileged, as many of us were, to be part of that wonderful world, and to have Bob in ours. In each line of Shakespeare I recite, in my awareness of gesture, Bob lives. Each time I enunciate ‘FOR-GET’ rather than ‘fergit’, Bob’s voice, ponderous and gravelly, is heard again. In my life as an actor, moving from role to role, in my telling and retelling of stories, my fond recounting of stage disasters and profound moments, Bob will always be present, informing my journey. In my understanding of what it is to be loved though one’s family is far away, to live alone but not to be lonely, Bob is there.

My experience with him as a young actor taken under his wing, groomed and nurtured, is not unique. Always the teacher, Bob loved new talent and did whatever he could to encourage and advocate it. He was always one of my strongest supporters and biggest fans, and I, among many others, adored him. I remember being shocked during Dracula (Theatreworks, 1991) when Bob, playing Van Helsing, actually cut his finger every night with a hidden Exacto blade to tempt the Count (Rick Zahradnik) with his blood. He spared himself nothing in his quest to offer the audience everything.

Bob spent his 70th birthday in a tent playing King Lear, a role he had yearned to inhabit for many years; it was my great honor to share that experience with him. The entire run was amazing, but that night was… magical: the air was electric. At the moment Lear was cast out onto the heath, one of the most powerful scenes in English-speaking theatre, as the first storm cue sounded, real thunder began to rumble in the distance. As Bob raged and wept, imperious and heartbreaking, the rest of the cast stood amazed as lightning blazed across the sky and rain pounded the tent… for exactly as long as the scene went on, relenting the instant he left the stage. I will believe for the rest of my life that Shakespeare was there with us that night and that the storm was Bob’s birthday gift, a reward for a life spent in devotion to the theatre.

Over the last few years it became clear that his poor body was no longer able to house the enormity of him. During the Scottish Play in 2005 there was a terrible moment in which, playing the Porter, marvelous as always, he was unable to find his way off the stage, frantically feeling his way along the curtains to find the exit. Those of us backstage realized what was going on and reached out from behind the blacks to grab his hands and guide him; later the understanding of it wrote itself across our faces as we all looked at each other and tried not to know the truth: the great instrument was failing. He bore it with grace and without fear, exceeding his doctors’ expectations and offering more comfort than he required... and then, quietly, he was gone.

He was a huge talent, a tireless mentor, a dear friend, a gracious host and a wonderful chef who showed his affection with corned beef and cabbage or gourmet birthday cakes. He understood sorrow and offered comfort whenever he could. He was fervent in his praise, generous with advice, gentle but truthful in his criticisms, blunt in his admonishments. I was fortunate to have almost two decades with him – countless moments to cherish, too numerous and precious to recount here. I loved him, and ache to think of never hearing his laugh again.

He was… extraordinary.

Your cause of sorrow must not be measured by his worth, for then it hath no end.
– Macbeth

Week in Review

2009-04-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

Things I've found inspiring this week:

National Poetry Month officially kicked off with the release of Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Aaron Anstett's project. The Poetry While You Wait booklet features 40 local local poets. The books are being placed in waiting areas and lobbies. Want a copy? Stop by COPPeR's offices to pick some up--just promise to distribute them at your hair salon, doctor's office, mechanic, vet, or any other place people wait. Table tents and posters featuring poems from the booklet are also being disseminated at restaurants, businesses, and in storefront windows. KRCC is also airing high frequency, daily poems from the collection read by the poets themselves.

When you stop by our office (corner of Colorado and Tejon in downtown Colorado Springs, across from McKenzie's in the Plaza of the Rockies), you can also visit the beautiful and serene Call and Response exhibit in the Fine Arts Center MODERN. The exhibit features a number of lovely poems on beautiful handmade paper. There's also an interactive walll where you can contribute your own poetry.

Kevin Johnson, your friendly PeakRadar.com manager, took a great art-lunch tour this week. Check out his posts on twitter by following on @PeakRadar.

This morning I stopped by Celebration Place in the Citadel mall. They have expanded their gallery space into the now-vacant Steve and Barry's across the hall. Pieces from the 47th Annual Young People's Art Exhibition (this week it's K-1; high school entries go on display next week) are now in the huge Steve and Barry's open space. It's a completely refreshing, unexpected place to see artwork. Kudos to the Citadel for letting Imagination Celebration program the space--it seems to me that this could serve as a great example to all the vacant storefronts in malls, downtowns and strip-malls across the country. If you're in the Citadel, make sure you stop in.

These are just a few reminders that art can be found everywhere. It is deliberately and delightfully planned, as above, but it is also in the landscape of the built and natural environment. It is in the design behind our home decor. It is in the clothes we wear. It is in the stories we tell each other and the way that we can make each other laugh.

I'm off to celebrate the life of a person who understood that. Timber was weird, wacky and wonderful. The lesson to the rest of us? Acknowledge the weird, wacky and wonderful inside you and all around you.

Timber Kirwan, Artist and mischief-maker

2009-04-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Colorado Springs arts scene suffered another devastating loss yesterday. Timber Kirwan, beloved local artist and downtown icon, took his own life. His whimsical creativity resulted in beloved parties as Santa-con. He created geodesic domes and light installations and had a fondness for fur and costumes. He was a wonderful friend, a jovial person, and his creativity had a real impact on our arts community.

Please click here to join the Friends of Timber group on Facebook.

All of us here at COPPeR send out sincere condolences to all of his friends and family. A strong and vital arts community depends not only on strong arts organizations, but individual artists. Timber was the perfect example of a deeply creative person who naturally brought people together through his artistic expression. He is instantly, deeply missed.

Dealing with suicide is very painful. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal thoughts, please know that you are not alone.

Two Pikes Peak Region arts publications fold

2009-03-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sad news in my inbox today:

Springs Magazine ceases publication after 27 years of serving arts community.

Colorado Springs-Sunrise Publishing, Inc., publishers of the Springs Magazine and Bon Vivant announced today that both magazines ceased publication effective March 31, 2009.

According to publisher Michael Gardner, "It was a wrenching decision. In our 27 years of publication we've been through a number of lo cal and national downturns but this most recent recession has been different in many ways. As much as associate publisher Sharon Friedman and I wanted to continue serving the region's arts community the economics of doing so just weren't there."

"I know there are other venues for our advertising customers but I still feel bad about not being there for them," said Friedman, who is also Director of Advertising. "I've worked with many of our clients so long that they are like family and I'm going to miss them terribly. I feel so grateful and honored to have been able to have served them for so long."

Springs Magazine was the region's oldest and largest monthly magazine devoted to championing the arts. It would have been 28 years old this May. Bon Vivant, its sister publication, was a high-end four-color slick stock direct mailed publication also focused on local art and artists.

"I know everyone is saying print journalism is an artifact of another century, that the Internet is the future. We considered transitioning to an online platform, like many papers are doing, but frankly there are still too few successful models. The Internet may be publishing's future but it's not here yet," said Gardner.

"It's been an incredible ride," said Gardner. "I'm very proud of the stories we've done along the way, the message we've helped to deliver, that the arts are a vital foundation for a successful community."

"It's hard to imagine doing anything else," said Friedman, a sentiment echoed by Gardner. "I believe we still have ink running in our veins. Even though we won't be publishing news about the arts we still plan to actively support those who are making it," said Gardner.

Doug Lamborn Stands Up for Christo and Jeanne-Claude

2009-03-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Did you hear the news? Last week, Congressman Doug Lamborn stepped up and publicly endorsed internationally-acclaimed artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Over the River project.
Click here for the KKTV story.

A quick disclaimer: The project falls a bit outside of COPPeR's boundaries (we define the Pikes Peak Region as El Paso and Teller counties) but to me it's a no-brainer that the project will provide myriad potential benefits to all of Southern Colorado, as well as for the entire state!

Artists and community leaders have been working for many years to try to change the perception that the arts are not part of our daily lives here in Colorado. With the attention that would arrive with Over The River, Colorado would earn its rightful position as one of the great arts destinations in the United States.

Meet your wrappers: Christo and Jeanne-Claude have an impeccable record of respecting the environment, being forthright with officials and government, valuing local residents and rural communities, and working tirelessly to address any and all concerns that arise during the planning stages of their work. Moreover, their commitment to fully financing the project means that they will bring tourists to the state without creating a negative impact on funding for localized artists and projects. Folks, that means we don't pay for it! We get all the benefit with none of the cost!

Like with all of their projects, the artists have put a tremendous amount of thought into how to execute the work. Their respect for the natural environment is tantamount to the success of the work, and they have done a tremendous job embracing environmentally-sound practices for their piece. The economic impact through increased tourism could bring estimated millions of dollars. The opportunity to spotlight Colorado’s breath-taking natural environment and its cultural assets on a global scale is unprecedented.

So naturally, Lamborn is getting some flak for his decision to support the project. If you would like to tell him you think he did a very good thing for the state of Colorado and the Pikes Peak region, please visit his website or give him a call at (719) 520-0055.

This Just In: Cultural Post at White House

2009-03-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

"President Barack Obama has established a staff position in the White House to oversee arts and culture in the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs under Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser, a White House official confirmed. Kareem Dale, right, a lawyer who last month was named special assistant to the president for disability policy, will hold the new position. Mr. Dale, who is partly blind, previously served as national disability director for the Obama campaign. He also served on the arts policy committee and the disability policy committee for Mr. Obama when he was a senator from Illinois. Bill Ivey, who served as the administration’s transition-team leader for the arts and humanities, said he was encouraged by the appointment and would meet with Mr. Dale next week. “It’s a big step forward in terms of connecting cultural and government with mainstream administration policy,” Mr. Ivey said in an interview on Friday. The White House declined to describe the position in detail, since Mr. Dale’s appointment has yet to be formally announced. Mr. Ivey, a former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, said he expected that the job would mainly involve coordinating the activities of the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services “in relation to White House objectives.” Although there have been staff members assigned to culture under past presidents, they usually served in the first lady’s office, Mr. Ivey said."

Arts Bootcamps

2009-03-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here at COPPeR, we are dedicated to ensuring a bright future for our local arts community. In response to the financial crisis that is rocking our world right now (and not in a good way), we launched a series of "arts boot camp" sessions. The sessions are designed to arm our community's arts leaders with the necessary tools to face the coming months and years of uncertainty. So far we've hosted two--one on budgeting and reforecasting and one on Programming and Collaboration. Feedback for both has been good. One participant described the sessions as "always informative with great people to meet!"

Two bootcamp sessions left! Click here to learn more and RSVP

SURVEY TIME
Additionally, we are keenly interested in tracking how economic events are affecting our local arts community. As we know, several small galleries and one large theater festival have already shuttered their doors. If you work for an arts organization, please take a moment to fill out this brief survey. All feedback gathered is COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS and will be used to help us state the case for the arts on a regional, statewide and national level. Your feedback really does help us and is needed.

During these uncertain times, we want to make sure that we all have the tools to make sure our local arts not only survive but THRIVE. It's my hope that in the great economic and societal reboot of 2009, creativity will at the forefront of what we do. The artists can be the leaders!

The Intern Speaks

2009-03-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

Some of you may not know me, but I am the current intern at the COPPeR Office. My name is Brett Garman; I am a senior at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, graduating in May with a double major in Professional Writing and Media Management. Bettina asked if I would like to post something to the blog about my experience so far, and I jumped at the chance! Let me give you an idea of a typical day in the life of a COPPeR intern.

When I arrive in the morning, the first requirement is to check the intern email. I’m currently working on confirming all the information for the 2009-2010 COPPeR Pages Directory. Click here to download the 2007-2008 Edition. This directory is filled with area arts organizations that work to promote creativity and support art appreciation. It is a valuable tool for the community as there is no other publication like it. It's particularly helpful for newcomers to the community. Combine the COPPeR Pages and PeakRadar, and any new resident will find him or herself with lots and lots to do. The listings featured in the COPPeR Pages provide the public with contact information and descriptions to help connect individuals to opportunities to participate in the arts in El Paso and Teller counties. I know I consider myself a person who is aware of the culture in our city, yet I find myself overwhelmed, surprised and delighted to learn about so many arts organizations.

Every day I when work on the directory, I discover the existence of a new arts organization in Colorado Springs. For example, just today I found out that there is an organization called New Vue Productions, Inc. that uses multi-media projects to encourage teenagers to engage in arts practices. As a Media Management major with a strong interest in all things multi-media, this organization immediately gained my enthusiasm. Also, there are more venues and creative outlets for music, visual and performing arts, and culture than I had ever been aware of. Just this month I’ve been to a couple new locations to look around. They include Smokebrush Gallery and Foundation and ARTSpace at Hillside Community Center. Since beginning my work with COPPeR, my horizons in just the Colorado Springs area alone have greatly expanded.

Back at COPPeR, I sit at my glass-top desk, working with updating contacts and organization descriptions. I believe I’ve added about twenty new organizations to the already substantial list of more than 170 organizations! And, more are brought to our attention everyday. Then, I usually work with the Peak Radar mailing list and postings. Kevin has to come to my aid on a regular basis as I bother him with questions about technology.

The day always seems to fly by when I am in the office. I really enjoy working downtown, where I find the atmosphere busy, yet calming. I’m always comfortable in the COPPeR Office and while I’m outside running errands. The location also presents the opportunity for several individuals to come in to the office. I’ve met a few board members, all of whom are kind and outgoing. I’ve also had the chance to meet several artists, such as Tom McElroy and Daisy McConnell. Both of these artists have items in the office and gallery at this time, so getting the chance to meet them and place a face with the creativity they present is exciting. Everyone is so friendly, and often very funny! I definitely feel like getting the chance to complete my internship with such intriguing and nice personalities is spoiling me. A lot gets done, but there is also time for important discussion of music, art, and the Colorado Springs community with my two favorite coworkers.

On February 6th, I had the opportunity to stay late at COPPeR for the FAC Modern Art Gallery opening of Atomic Elroy’s Hometown. The event was a great success. People filled the office and gallery, and everyone was having a great time. That night has been one of my favorite moments with COPPeR. I met some of the board members and got to enjoy some great food from La’aus. The exhibit is still at the FAC Modern. I definitely recommend coming to see it if you haven’t already! Link to PeakRadar listing

Thankfully, slave labor and irrelevant tasks are seldom in my daily requirements. Bettina and Kevin are an absolute pleasure to be around, and the work environment is always enjoyable. I feel so privileged to have gotten the chance to intern at COPPeR. I’ll be sad when I have to go in May. Don’t worry though; I should be around for more gallery openings, volunteering, and random visits.

CFWT Closing

2009-02-27T08:48:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we received the news that the Colorado Festival of World Theater is disbanding. Despite their efforts to narrow their programming, contract their budget, and expand their community relationships, the board made a decision to terminate the festival.

This morning's article in the Gazette.

The Festival brought theater legends to our region for five years, including Peter Shaffer, Stephen Sondheim and many others. My friends and I still have rigorous debates about the Truth In Translation show, the ambitious musical performance about the translator who worked for South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commissions.

Congratulations to the CFWT for five glorious seasons. And a big warm thanks to the staff-- Tim, Bobbie, Patty, Suzy--you made it all happen.

We're very sorry to see a big player in our arts community disband because of the economy.

Blog about the Pioneers Museum!

2009-02-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

While virtually all City of Colorado Springs services are facing cuts, at COPPeR* we are particularly concerned about potential cuts facing Cultural Services. Facilities such as the beloved Starsmore Discovery Center and Helen Hunt Falls Visitor Center will close, and the Pioneers Museum will have to reduce hours by approximately 50%. The Pioneers Museum also will lose the curator, exhibit designer, and museum guard positions, in addition to two other positions that already are or will soon be vacant and frozen. This will significantly impact its ability to operate as it has for so many years.

The Pioneers Museum is a beloved linchpin of the cultural community. We invite you to share the memories and experiences you have had at the museum by posting a comment on a special Pioneers Museum blog. Click here to see the blog and post your thoughts.

We also invite you to attend the 2009 Colorado Springs City Budget Reductions Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, from 7 to 9 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 107 North Nevada. The meeting will be an e-town hall format, which allows citizens to participate by phone, fax, e-mail or in person. The 2009 city budget reductions will be discussed and City Council will take input and questions from the public. The meeting will be broadcast live on SpringsTV, cable Channel 18. It will also be simulcast live on the internet at www.springsgov.com.

* COPPeR, a non-profit organization, does not receive funding from the city's Cultural Services Department, although the City is among COPPeR's supporters.

Creative Energy: a Pleasant surprise

2009-02-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

We all know times are tough. They're tough for everyone. Initially when I heard the news about CCA's budget potentially being slashed, I was extremely disheartened. Then this week when the infestimal portion of President Obama's stimulus package for the National Endowment for the Arts came up on the chopping block, I became further discouraged. When, I thought to myself, will people begin to realize that arts jobs are real jobs that contribute to the economy? We are an industry, like any other. You wouldn't know it from reading the news, which featured slanderous tidbits like:

"The National Endowment for the Arts, for example, is in line for $50 million, increasing its total budget by a third. The unemployed can fill their days attending abstract-film festivals and sitar concerts." - National Review Editorial

"I just think putting people to work is more important than putting more art on the wall of some New York City gallery frequented by the elite art community." [U.S. Rep Jack] Kingston said. "Call me a sucker for the working man." - Congressional Quarterly report

So while I knew hosting a listening session to discuss the potential budet cuts to the CCA was the necessary thing to do, I was not sure what to expect. To be perfectly honest, I imagined the event was going to be, well, depressing.

For the first time in months, a conversation about a severe economic challenge became an inspiring, invigorating and motivating exchange of creative ideas. Thursday, it turns out, was a really good day. We started the day with a special session with representatives from Colorado Springs City Council, Manitou Springs City Council, the EDC, the Chamber, Colorado Springs Cultural Services and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Everyone there spoke eloquently and at length about the importance of embracing our arts and cultural community. Then about 50 people showed up for the lunch-time CCA listening session. Elaine Mariner and Maryo Ewell from the Colorado Council on the Arts were there to lead the discussion. Many CCA grantees were in the room, but there were also a number of concerned citizens.

As The Gazette accurately reported Friday, the session was energizing. I welcomed it, and the creative energy of all the people in the room.

Follow it up with Friday's night electrifying opening of Atomic Elroy's show, Hometown at the FAC Modern and COPPeR's open house, and this busy little bee was all abuzz with creativity. Here's hoping we can continue to carry that energy through the coming months.

We're going to need it.

CCA Budget Cuts--Listening Session Set

2009-01-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

Update on Friday's blog announcement:

Simply put: these cuts WILL impact our community in a MAJOR way. It's time to get involved.

In 2009, Colorado Council on the Arts awarded $197,690 to artists, arts organizations, youth at risk arts programs, and arts education in El Paso County. Statewide, they awarded $1,325,075.

CCA does more than award money. Their programs and expertise are visible in communities all around Colorado. They also conduct valuable research, like 2008's recent study on The Arts, Creative Learning & Student Achievement.

In response to the proposed cuts, which would dramatically reduce the CCA's impact across the state, a number of Listening Tours are being held. Artists, community groups, creative businesses, educators and municipal leaders are encouraged to attend a Listening Tour session and to invite their colleagues. CCA representatives will be in Colorado Springs on February 5, 2009.

CCA Listening Tour
Thursday, February 5, 2009
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
(brownbag lunch)
Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado
315 E. Costilla
RSVP to info@coppercolo.org or call 719.634.2204

Please come. Tell your friends. Let's work together to try to fix this.

Emergency: CCA Budget Cuts

2009-01-23T14:24:00.000-08:00

Just received the following in my inbox from the Colorado Council on the Arts.

Dear Colleagues,

The current proposal for the State’s budget balancing plan includes a 50% reduction for the Colorado Council on the Arts. Such a cut would seriously impact the agency’s ability to continue to provide the grants and services for artists, community organizations, schools, creative businesses, and government agencies at its current level. The agency has scheduled a Listening Tour from January 30 through February 10 to gather important public feedback regarding the critical areas in which state investment is essential to support our state’s creative economy. Public feedback is vital as the agency determines its future budget priorities.

Due to the budget uncertainty, the Council has also decided to postpone its March 12 grant deadline for the 2009-10 Grants to Artists and Organizations (GAO) and Success through Art (StART Schools) grants.

Artists, community groups, creative businesses, educators and municipal leaders are encouraged to attend a Listening Tour session and to invite their colleagues. The Listening Tour schedule is listed below and posted on the Council’s web site. Additional sessions may be added. If you have questions about the tour, email coloarts@state.co.us.

The Council has also posted an online survey on the web site, click here to access the link. This will only take a few minutes and will provide important input regarding the role of state funding for arts and cultural activities and creative enterprises in communities around the state.

While the budget process is underway during the current legislative session, Arts For Colorado, a volunteer advocacy organization, will be sending out legislative alerts, information, and suggestions on how to get involved and let your voice be heard. Be sure to opt-in to the Arts For Colorado mailing list. You may wish to speak directly to your state legislator as well. Click here to find out your state legislator.

We appreciate everything you do to help make the arts “Everywhere You Look” in Colorado.

Sincerely,

Elaine Mariner

Executive Director, Colorado Council on the Arts

Gerry Riggs Memorial site

2009-01-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

For 15 years, Gerry Riggs brought contemporary art to Colorado Springs. As director of the Gallery of Contemporary Art at UCCS and a champion of the local arts community, he was a lynchpin of the community.

In 2006 Gerry moved to Pagosa Springs to ski and play music. In 2009, he took his own life.

COPPeR sends out sincere condolences to all of his friends, family and colleagues. We are all extremely grateful for his passion and devotion to art and artists.

Please visit A Tribute to Gerry Riggs, where you can learn more about his legacy and share your own thoughts. A memorial service is planned for a week from today.

The Arts and National Economic Recovery

2009-01-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

We're all familiar with our no-coast, landlocked status--our plight here in Colorado is that it's easy to feel disconnected from what's going on a national level. And we certainly have had enough excitement in state and local government to keep our attention away from the upcoming presidential transition. But I have been reading a lot in the past few weeks about the presidential transition, and what is particularly compelling to me is the work that many national arts advocacy groups are doing to make sure that arts and culture are at the forefront of Obama's policy-making.

I'm reprinting this directly from the Americans for the Arts website, because I think it is so important:

Message from Bob Lynch, President and CEO, Americans for the Arts
"As our country embraces a new presidential administration, millions of people across the United States are hoping that this change in government can help usher in a new dawn for the arts. For years now, thousands of Americans alike - teachers, students, artists, community leaders, government officials, parents, and children - have felt a groundswell in creativity and in culture in our country. We can see and feel in our communities, schools, churches, and homes that the United States is on the verge of a new cultural renaissance. People in every community are working toward a new era of growth and expansion for the arts.

The recommendations of the policy brief can and will make a positive change for the more than 100,000 arts organizations in our country and the millions of Americans who value the arts in their day-to-day lives. It is our hope that by further empowering the arts we can bring our nation together in means both intellectual and spiritual, and economic and creative."

Please go their website and learn more about the incredibly valuable work they are doing.

A petition is also circulating that may be of interest to you readers out there: Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President-Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, The United States has never created such a position. Click here to sign the petition.

Personally, I'd rather sign a petition for the creation of an "Arts Czar." But then, I've always been partial to assonance.

Arts Summit Tag Cloud

2009-01-09T15:01:00.001-08:00

These are the common themes to emerge from the Arts Summit. I created this tag cloud using www.tagcrowd.com, which identifies common themes and words and shows their frequency and prominence. The list used to generate this tag cloud came from the lists submitted by each table at the October 18 Summit.

created at TagCrowd.com

COPPeR on Colorado Culture Cast

2009-01-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

Craig Richardson spoke with me and Kevin at the recent COPPeR Open house/FAC Modern opening. Click here to watch the entire segment.

Year-End Reflections

2008-12-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

It's December 29, 2008, and I'm staring down a pile of year-end work, getting a bit introspective about the past year. In COPPeR-specific terms, we had a banner year. While several of our formal programs launched in 2007 (The COPPeR Pages, PeakRadar), 2008 was really the year we became "real." We moved into our downtown office and arts information space (and then moved across the street in August!), we hired full-time staff and we dove into our work connecting people with arts and cultural opportunities in the Pikes Peak region. From our collaborative "Art Creates Community" bumper sticker advocacy campaign to the inauguaral Arts and Business Awards Lunch we co-hosted with the Chamber; from the release of the Sounds of the Pikes Peak Region CD to the launch of our cultural planning process, it truly was an exciting year. I am very proud of the ways in which we have been telling the story of our strong creative community, but the fact is, we here at COPPeR are storytellers, and without the numerous artists, arts organizations, cultural institutions and arts educators in our community, we would have no story to tell.

That's why I feel it would be disingenuous to ignore the turmoil that is taking place around us. The past few months have been filled with economic uncertainty, and I believe it's time to get real about what we may face in the coming months. The current recession is unlike anything our country has faced in many, many years, and the new global economy is shifting and changing in an unprecedented manner. Here in Colorado, we often feel the effects of such events later than our friends on the coasts. (I have a friend in New York who works for Morgan Stanley and is a big supporter of the arts who posts daily status updates on facebook: "___ still has a job." He's been doing this since October.) For example, we are extremely fortunate that the housing market in the metro Colorado Springs area has not been affected by the mortgage crisis nearly as badly as other communities around the country.

However, the budgets of the City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County are in serious condition. Voters struck down ballot initiatives that would have provided essential services to our community. Sales tax revenues are down. Businesses are closing. Unemployment is up.

And unfortunately, in our society, the arts are often the first thing to be eliminated when times get tough. Nonprofit arts organizations are especially vulnerable when charitable giving is down across the board. Food banks are experiencing extremely high demand for their services, while simultaneously suffering from fewer donations. We as a society are trained to think of the arts as an auxiliary function to basic human existence and not as a core part of who we are. Of course you out there who are reading this know that is patently untrue. Now, in fact, it is more important than ever to recognize the importance of creativity, innovation and imagination. Our future depends on it.

And guess what? Times will continue to be tough. I was especially saddened this fall to see the closing of WeUsOur in Manitou. And coming up this week, Edifice Gallery is also closing its doors. Both commercial galleries, they served as incubators for fresh, young, hip and wacky talent that just isn't seen in many other galleries. Their openings always had imaginative urban art, great music and incredibly quirky people. I'm unsure how their closing will affect some of the younger art community. Similarly, Smokebrush has trimmed down their exhibition space and staff (though with some exciting new educational programs planned for Woodland Park). Unfortunately, I have a feeling we'll see more of this in early 2009.

The good part? I feel confident that we will see great insight and action from our established arts leaders. The Dream City initiative is connecting and enriching people across sectors to engage in long-term planning for our region, with the power of the arts at the core of its message. We also have many new arts leaders in our community, among them Nathan Newbrough at the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Sam Gappmayer at the Fine Arts Center, Caitlin Green at the UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art and incoming executive director Amber Cote at Futureself. What I find most inspiring, however, is the hundreds of individual artists who have felt inspired and empowered to become part of the broader community. We can and must depend on their vision and leadership if we are to succeed in making this a community united by creativity.

On a national level, we have an incoming president who is looking to celebrate the arts. Thanks to the superior advocacy work of Americans for the Arts, Obama is able to talk about the importance of the arts in a meaningful way. After the bitter 2008 election, this is good news for arts supporters.

When times get tough, people start having difficult conversations. I'm optimistic that those conversations will generate positive change and worthwhile activity. I encourage you to visit Westaf's year-end prediction post by clicking here. Also, check out the blogroll on the right column of this blog to see what other arts bloggers are talking about around the nation.

I hope to see you at a concert, play, opening, festival, coffee shop, class, workshop or some other creative place soon. Happy 2009!

Happy Holidays from COPPeR

2008-12-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays!

Notes from Americans for the Arts' National Arts Marketing Conference

2008-12-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Kevin Johnson’s Americans for the Arts National Arts Marketing Project Conference (AFA NAMP) Summary

I don’t have a marketing background, I’m more of a techie. So when COPPeR's Executive Director Bettina Swigger encouraged me to apply for a scholarship to the AFA NAMP Conference, I saw a great opportunity to learn a ton. I was fortunate enough to receive a full-scholarship to the conference that paid for my round-trip airfare, hotel and conference fees. I felt like I was in way over my head at times, but I did my best to tread water and really enjoyed myself at the conference—and I learned a lot of valuable information from the presenters, other conference attendees, and from the experience itself. I’ll just briefly tell you about what I considered to be the highlights of the three-day event.

Day 1 Keynote - Word of Mouth with Ed Keller from Keller Fay Group
Everyone’s heard that “word of mouth” is among the most effective marketing tools any business can utilize. But Keller offered evidence that indicates that this isn’t just hooey: he claims that the small minority really does make a big impact. In his book The Influentials, Keller writes that one American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy—these people are the Influentials. So who are these folks? They’re the people who make society, culture and the marketplace run. They’re the people who are self-reliant, active and engaged with their communities, they’re connected socially and civically, and they act on their passions–whether it’s a passion for creating beauty, or for what they believe really matters—so what results is that these people motivate, inspire and influence others.

Although we are regularly bombarded by advertising that is assumed to have this phenomenal power over the consumer, Keller says people still overwhelmingly make their decisions about spending their time and money by talking to other people. Some of the research Keller cites indicates a substantial differential when comparing the measured effectiveness of advertising versus the consultation of friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers (and even in some cases, family!) The areas Keller identifies as most susceptible to the influence of word of mouth include the obvious—which restaurants to try, attractions to visit, and web sites to use—and some that surprised me, like which prescription drugs to try and what to do about retirement planning.

He talked a lot about utilizing social networking technologies like Myspace and Facebook. “Be where the information is,” Keller says.

The next session I’d like to outline was called Online Space: The Final Frontier
This session demonstrated how some cutting edge arts organizations utilize new media and Web 2.0 tools like streaming video, blogs, podcasting and web site interactivity to engage with and add value to the lives of their audiences.
The Science Museum of Minnesota’s Science Buzz web site showed how a museum, for instance, can integrate their exhibition components into interactive materials generated by both museum staff and site visitors. The innovative content associated with Science Buzz has changed the way visitors perceive the Science Museum and has spurred new partnerships and funding opportunities.

Then in a lunchtime session, Karen Brooks Hopkins from the Brooklyn Academy of Music spoke about the intersection of marketing and fundraising. I found this to be one of my favorite moments while at the conference—the food was pretty good, but the presentation about BAM’s operations was stunning. BAM both maximizes the use of their facilities (which are numerous and very impressive) and ensure that their marketing and fundraising efforts “speak with one voice” as she put it. I can’t really do justice to what she was able to deliver, so I’ll just say that I highly recommend checking out BAM’s web site to get more information. (www.bam.org)

Next: Advanced E-mail marketing – Eugene Carr from Patron Technology detailed strategies for creating compelling subject lines for mass email messages, design tips that can be the difference between a closed window or a click-through, some low cost/high impact list building techniques, and behavioral list segmentation.

If you don’t already, I would suggest using a service like Constant Contact or PatronMail for your mass-communications. These services can be relatively low cost (especially for nonprofits) and include vital tools like list management features, metrics for tracking your efforts, ready-made templates in a variety of styles to quickly build your emails, and survey technology to gather feedback from those that you serve.

Some tips: most of these are really simple things like send your e-blast out on a consistent basis so that readers learn to expect it, offer occasional low-cost giveaways to increase subscriber interest, always ask the people you’re in front of if they would like to subscribe and be judicious in the use of exclamation marks, all-caps and other potentially annoying text embellishments—rather, choose your words carefully so that you can more effectively communicate your excitement.

Learn how to interpret your email statistics so that you can determine when you need to make adjustments. You can also analyze the particular interests of portions of your database which you can then segment into smaller, more focused groups. By focusing on the preferences of a specific group, you can deliver a more compelling, and thus effective message to your audience.

Day Two’s keynote was delivered by Alan Brown from WolfBrown Consulting. Alan delivered an unexpectedly entertaining presentation on customer database segmentation. His work focuses on understanding consumer demand for cultural experiences and on helping cultural institutions, foundations, and agencies to see new opportunities, make informed decisions, and respond to changing conditions. By using values-based questions in the creation of audience participation surveys, he’s able to offer measurement tools that assess the intrinsic impact of performing arts experiences. By analyzing this information, arts presenters can make better informed choices about the programming they offer. None of this sounds terribly interesting, but I swear to you, he was a hoot and the techniques produce powerful results.

Neat stuff – I am a sucker for great design, and I picked up—literally--pounds of marketing collateral during my time in Houston. One particular campaign that I thought was really cool was “Get Your Art On” produced by the Austin Circle of Theaters. This two-week city-wide celebration of arts and culture coincided with the Americans for the Arts National Arts and Humanities month and the CreateAustin initiative, which is a community visioning project similar to the DreamCity 2020 endeavor that you’ve no doubt heard about. They produced a slew of cleverly executed marketing pieces including stickers, a series of whimsical postcards, posters and even coffee sleeves—all starring a very cultured Armadillo and all emphasizing how the arts truly matter in their community.

Finally, the coolest thing about the NAMP conference was discovering that thanks to the leadership and invaluable experience of people like Susan Edmondson and Bettina Swigger, COPPeR is already doing a lot of these things. For me, it was an affirmation that we’re heading down the right track and made me really excited to come home and get back to work.

YouTube Symphony Orchestra

2008-12-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

The latest in social media/arts intersection: Behold the YouTube Symphony Orchestra!

Any local musicians planning to participate?

Congratulations to the Chorale!

2008-12-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Congrats to Don Jenkins of the Colorado Springs Chorale for his well-deserved special recognition for making the Pikes Peak Region the best place to work and live through his work with the Chorale at the Chamber's Annual State of the Region Luncheon. Kudos to the Chamber for recognizing great music's ability to contribute to our quality of life. I love to see the arts celebrated in this fashion!

Don has been a true friend to the arts in this region for many, many years (I won't say how many). He's also been a real champion of the work COPPeR is doing to raise the profile of our arts community. And I'm proud to say he has been an inspiration - and instigator - to me personally and professionally. Congrats, Don. Bravo!

Dream City Video

2008-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Check out the new SpringsTV video about Dream City: Vision 2020.

Dream City Exhibit at the FAC Modern

2008-12-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Now through January 10, please come visit the Dream City exhibit at the FAC Modern. Opening reception (and an open house here at COPPeR) tonight, December 5 from 5-8 p.m.

The Dream City initiative has inspired community collaborations centered in artistic and creative production. The Fine Arts Center, in partnership with COPPeR, the Gazette, FutureSelf, and Pikes Peak Community College, present Dream City 2020: Through the Eyes of the Artist-Past, Present and Future. To represent the past, a selection of historic photographs by Harry L. Standley from the collection of the Pioneers Museum will be on view. These photographs capture the nostalgia of Colorado Springs’ past with views of Tejon St. and other familiar places. Our present and visions for the future are showcased through the works by artists with very different perspectives. New works by beloved local professional artists Jay Miller and Laura Ben-Amots will be on view alongside works from up-and-coming amateur student artists. All their works were inspired by one particular photograph by Standley as a point of departure, and the finished outcome gives the viewer a sense of pride and hope for our city--a “Dream City” that can be envisioned and become a reality.

Little London

2008-11-25T08:53:00.000-08:00

For a while now, we've been talking about the possibility of creating an Arts Pass--a ticket package to multiple venues in the Pikes Peak region. It looks like this instinct is right on. London's cultural plan includes a similar program, using technology that most everyone has--the Oyster card for the Underground. Click here to read more.

Happy Thanksgiving from COPPeR!

Cultural Planning Task Forces

2008-11-18T09:12:00.000-08:00

Another brilliant sketch from the Arts Summit on the left!

Based upon key areas of community need identified at the 2008 Arts Summit, our core cultural planning team has identified several task forces to take us into the next phase of our cultural planning process. If you would like to become involved in any of these areas, please e-mail me at culturalplan@coppercolo.org. And if we've completely missed something, please let us know!

In alphabetical order:

Arts Districts:
Across the board, this was one of the most popular ideas at the Summit. In addition to developing a strong downtown arts destination, we need to ensure that there are opportunities to engage in the arts in all the distinct neighborhoods and communities throughout the Pikes Peak region.

Branding:
There is a definite need to get some continuity around who we as a community are. The community conversations currently taking place through Dream City will inform our plan, as will different branding efforts being pursued by the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation and other entities.

Diversity:
The arts bridge ethnic and cultural divides, helping us to better understand people of different backgrounds and viewpoints. We must embrace and engage with our diverse populations and cultural backgrounds in order to move forward in to the increasingly diverse 21st century.

Education:
In addition to ensuring that arts and culture are an integral part of K-12 education throughout the Pikes Peak region, there is a need for enhanced authentic arts learning at all age levels. Of course, we are all aware of the benefits of an arts education, especially in light of the Colorado Council on the Arts' new study on the Arts , Creative Learning & Student Achievement.
Military Population:
In summer 2009 more than 8,000 soldiers from Fort Knox will be coming to Fort Carson. This represents a tremendous opportunity for us to engage these new residents and their families in our rich arts and culture community. We know that the arts build community identity, inclusion and pride. What better way to welcome these soldiers to our community?

Public Art:
Public art is a highly visible way to identify a community as arts-friendly. While working with existing public art efforts such as Art on the Streets, this task force could begin to explore how neighborhoods can develop a stake in developing community mural projects and other ways to integrate public art in an affordable way.

Transportation:
This task force will need to connect with existing efforts to determine arts-specific transportation issues. This is a great chance to connect with the Quality of Life Indicators project.

Venues:
A small task force has already been formed to address the research and development of an indoor/outdoor amphitheater. There is a need for small venues, as well as a mid-size venue (500-800 seats).

Quality of Life in the Pikes Peak region

2008-11-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

Much of the work we do here at COPPeR is dedicated to cultivating understanding about the intrinsic value of the arts. We understand that a robust, healthy arts and cultural community has the power to boost our region’s economic vitality, education and innovation, tourism, downtown and neighborhood development, cultural understanding and civic pride.

So naturally, we're interested in the quality of life of our region. A new community initiative, spearheaded by United Way, started in 2006 to try to track our current demographics and quality of life. The data, or indicators, are quantitative measures of the quality of community life. They reflect a combination of idealism (what we would like to measure) and pragmatism (what we are able to measure) in nine different categories, which reflect a comprehensive view of the community - from transportation to education, from teen pregnancy to child reading levels. It is clear that ignoring any one of these areas has a negative ripple effect on the others. In turn, when these areas are strong they positively influence our lives in a variety of ways.

In 2008, I had the honor of working the Arts, Culture, and Recreation portion of the 2008 Quality of Life Indicators Project. The report was published this Fall. Click here to read the report online.

In 2009, the report will be linked to the Dream City initiative. This is an exciting opportunity because now, as we have the tools and systems in place to determine where we are now, we can link key areas of performance to methods for producing a better quality of life in the future, and inspire decision-making and action.

I encourage you all to read the report. Planning for the 2009 report is underway.

Goals Identified at the National Performing Arts Convention, June 2008

2008-11-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Since the National Performing Arts Convention was held just up the road in Denver this summer, many representatives from arts organizations in the Pikes Peak region were able to attend. It was thrilling to see so many people represent our region at a national conference. One of the most ambitious components of the conference was to come together as a national performing arts community and identify goals to work on. They are below. Learn more about NPAC here.

On a National level, Establish Value/Advocacy for the Arts
1. Organize a national media campaign with celebrity spokespersons, catchy slogans (e.g. “Got Milk”), unified message, & compelling stories (27%) Watch Americans for the Arts TV spots and ad campaign here
2. Create a Department of Culture/Cabinet-level position which is responsible for implementing a national arts policy (23%)
3. Lobby elected political officials for pro-arts policy & funding; demand arts policy platform from candidates (14%)
4. Arts Education
5. Devise an advocacy campaign to promote the inclusion of performing arts in core curricula (36%)
6. Enlist artists as full partners in all aspects of arts

On a National level, Embrace and Cultivate Diversity
1. Charge national service organizations to create dialogue at convenings, create training programs, promote diverse art & artists, & partner with grassroots organizations who are already connected to diverse communities (43%)
2. Diversify boards, management, & staff in all national arts organizations (26%)
3. Create a media campaign with artists from diverse communities including celebrities to provide exposure to diverse art (15%)

On a State/Local level, Establish Value/Advocacy
1. Create an arts coalition to get involved in local decision-making, take leadership positions, & strengthen relationships with elected officials (21%)
2. Forge partnerships with other sectors to identify how the arts can serve community needs (21%)
3. Foster cross-disciplinary conversations to share data & best practices, develop common goals, & create joint activities/ performances (14%)

On a State/Local level, promote Arts Education
1. Mobilize and collaborate with K-12 & higher education institutions to strengthen arts education and arts participation as core curriculum (23%)
2. Strengthen relationship with school boards & policy makers through lobbying, electing “arts friendly officials”, involvement in local politics (17%)
3. Integrate arts teaching in educators’ professional development & integrate teaching programs in artist organizations (16%)

On a State/Local level, Embrace and Cultivate Diversity
1. Open an honest dialogue across community groups and sectors to share priorities & identify barriers to participation (31%)
2. Partner within the arts, as well as with community organizations, to build relationships (23%)
3. Expand beyond traditional venues to establish new points of access (17%)

On an Individual/Organizational level, Establish Value/Advocacy
1.Build relationships with non-arts groups, including governments, corporations, community development organizations, etc. (26%)
2. Create opportunities for active participation in the arts for all ages (including interactive websites, open rehearsals, etc.) (24%)
3. Expand relationships across the community to find & develop new leaders (e.g. through Board dev.) & local champions for the arts (12%)

On an Individual/Organizational, promote Arts Education
1. Lead lifelong education programs that actively involve people in multi-generational groups. “Make the arts part of a life long wellness plan.” (23%)
2. Directly engage teachers to integrate the arts into their teaching and create professional development programs to address their needs. (19%)

On an Individual/Organizational, embrace Diversity
1. Discover arts in your community offered by cultures other than your own and establish peer relationships (37%)
2. Set long term goal and plan to have staff, board, programming, and audiences reflect the demographics of your community (32%)
3. Create an internship / entry-level staff program that attracts and recruits diverse staff (15%)

How do you think the Pikes Peak region is doing with these goals?

Individual table results.

2008-11-03T08:48:00.000-08:00

Here are each table's thoughts:

Table 1
Collective Arts Marketing and Fundraising
Amphitheater/ venues/ com. Centers – Artists offer free shows
United way for arts; Co-op for artists
Utilize all available space
Need more public art, com. Centers, amenities, communication and collaboration amongst arts organizations
Arts in Colorado Springs is like gardening here- everything dies an you have to start over
Create investment, not just financially; create ownership
The arts need to be “branded”
Arts Districts: Old colo. city; mini arts districts
Partnerships: business, city, all the arts, collaboration, Chamber of Commerce, EDC
“We” not “Them”; investing yourself – be a part of it
Arts “WPA”
Art Angels
Branding Colo. Spgs. “Get high on art”
“The Scar” amphitheatre
Shop widow art and chalk art festival(sidewalks) (Fountain area)
Hillside Gardens Art Fest and Arts Center Space
Colo. Spgs. = Art Heaven

Table 2
Black box theaters in communities throughout the Pikes Peak Region
Use existing structures in parks and schools as new art spaces
Schools – arts into schools and schools reaching back to the arts (school newsletters to include arts calendars)
Outreach to military, parents and under-served audience groups
Art pass – low or no cast way to build audiences – to be used for x number at events (5,10,20 uses)

Table 7
Marketing Colorado Springs as an arts community
Educational experience/component at all arts events
More community arts centers throughout PP region
Was Tejon going two-way a mistake? It didn’t help vision for downtown which leads to an artistic destination and ultimately an arts center like NYC, Denver
Smaller theater and outdoor amphitheater next to Pikes Peak Center
Transportation to events; drive more traffic downtown; pedestrian mall
Continuing Education – building audiences through exciting, unique, series of educational programs that give people toe-hold into arts they might not know about.
Making downtown a destination
Giving people a reason to come downtown
Creating an arts district with walking mall, mixed-used residential, commercial
Transportation – bring back the trolley!
Give people a unique way to move from satellites to downtown- fun! Educational! Free!
Community centers- building interest in the arts in neighborhoods
Education in schools
PeakRadar – efficiency of communication
Drawing connections between different art forms - collaborations at events
Need more venues for all kinds of art within a mile or two of home
United Arts Fund – get all creative individuals together, collective fundraising
Artist Co-ops: central place for artists to create, collaborate, share equipment (BAC in Manitou?)
Communication through myspace and facebook

Table 13
Visibility – physical; hub or clearing house
Large event(s)
Community Centers- Networking to connect the happenings
Art Happenings
Hub does not have to be physical
Common Cents for the Arts; Art matters meters – pennies (united arts)
Use scar on mountain for amphitheater; Reclamation of Old Colo. City
Arts-dedicated transportation
All events have interactive component
Tejon – Pedestrian mall – arts district
Arts pass to events
Annual Arts event with a national draw
Connect art with outdoors
Arts community centers all over the city
Cultural Fund – COPPeR pot

Table 8
Audience development via concentric circles that begin small and grow to include all of Colorado Springs and surrounding areas by 2020
More types of art
Wings to fly on Soaring Funds; cultural fund – COPPeR pot
More community centers – including a 500-1000 venue
“Centers of Arts Excellence” Based in schools (based on excellent D11 Galileo School model)
ACCESS – marketing, COPPeR Card (pot fund)
Art Shuttles – Buses so people can come from outlying areas
Schools – to get students to art education and exhibits (schools are under-used for visiting arts and teachers)
Table ?
Use beautiful mountain backdrop to feature arts/culture, green, healthy, renewable energy
Strengthen communication for events
Get art in the Airport
On highways – billboards
Peak Radar, other electronic media
Implement arts bus
FREX/ Light Rail
Integrate populations – military, ranch, athletes, outdoors with arts/culture events
Additional community center for school events
Need a destination “themed event”
Embodies – history, music, visual arts, downtown, “Come to Colorado”
Table 11
Parade of homes – showcase different art venues at each home to communicate what available to newcomers and those in newer communities of Colo. Spgs.
Educate importance/value of art; reach parents, raise children to be “new” audience
Satellite art communities – spark interest locally and provide base for bigger venues
Alternate venues for presenting arts
Include Fort Carson, North East and East
Art League (like soccer leagues)
Communicate arts through media i.e. local news
Not just getting people to come to arts events, but be able to be critical (knowledge about the arts)
Educate, communicate, connect

Table 6
Vision
Connecting our community to arts/culture resources through transportation to community centers. Re-purposing public spaces, using outdoor spaces for amphitheater performances
Investing in arts venues to expand the economic benefit to the community to maintain life and vibrancy – sustainability
Example: KRCC – earthship
Fire station moved to Pikes Peak Ave and remodel for performance space
Connect the arts to our communities sustainability
Pedestrian art space
Revitalizing Acacia Park – tea garden
Table 4
Introduce film to the community
More visual – screenwriting class
Offer discounts – start youth program
Link galleries together
Pedestrian mall – Acacia Park
Use unused park space
Amphitheater in Amer. The Beautiful Park
Bring outside groups in
Art pass – earn ticket discount for filling out demographic marketing questionnaire and going to events
Focus on areas outside our region too
Table 10
Theme: connecting/ inclusivity/ mobility/ accessibility/ innovation/ challenge the status quo
Arts district with an arts center or using existing art center
Create satellites throughout
Innovation center – include beautiful and provocative art
Future self community art center – underserved community, art studio lofts with living and creative and exhibition space, Healing Arts Center
Arts Fund
Common Cents for the arts: donations – art matters meters that are physical representations of art
Van Gogh bus line
Include military communities
Amphitheater
Arts degree programs

Table 3
Public transportation specifically for arts
Arts districts with tax funding
Light rail
Several more art venues
Create mini art communities

Table 5
Community arts districts – more than one!
Outdoor amphitheater
Advertising co-op
Bullet train/ monorail – better trans. Linking all areas
Everyone should feel that they should and can be proud of their community
Theme based collaborative
Programming (for ex-PPLD “All PP Reads”
Show me the money! Gas or sales tax increase and be specific where the money goes
We need Tom Fleecs/Samantha Davis type people (art coordinators) in every school district
General expansion of the arts programs/ cross discipline education

Table 12
Cultural resource centers or schools
Art on the move
Connecting our history and trans. With the trolley
Multiple media paths
Utilize public school system in collaboration w/ non profits
Trolley from Manitou to downtown to north east areas

Arts Summit in the local media

2008-10-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

Art sSummit Draws Concepts for Change, October 23, The Gazette

Arts Summit Looks Ahead, October 23, Colorado Springs Independent (scroll down for article)

Full list of ideas generated at Summit coming soon!

Accomplishments in the past five years

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At the 2003 Arts Summit, arts organizations came together to identify needs in the community. In 2008, another summit was held to chart the future of the community. This slideshow shows accomplishments in the past years and identifies some of the goals set at the 2003 Summit.

Arts Summit Slideshow

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Your ideas

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Abby, COPPeR's intern, found this sketch left behind at the summit. Are these the renderings of Steve Wood? They are gorgeous!

At the Arts Summit, small groups created maps of the Pikes Peak region to graphically represent their visions for the future. Here are some of the big ideas the groups presented.
In no particular order:

Inclusiveness to reflect our community's diversity
Easy access to transportaton
An arts district (pedestrian-friendly, downtown)
Use trails and open spaces (an arts hike?)
insert arts in to community centers, build more community centers
A fund for the arts (tax or otherwise): Common Cents for the Arts
Include the military in our arts scene
Challenging and provocative artwork
More venues, both large and small
Every arts program should have an interactive/educational component
More arts in the schools
Brand our region as an arts destination
An arts season "pass" to multiple organizations
More public art

One of the more loudly expressed ideas was the invention of an arts bus to be called the Van Gogh. Hello, zeitgeist! click here to view the latest Americans for the Arts ad campaign, also featuring our friend Vincent.

Many in attendance were so fired up about the possibility of building an indoor/outdoor amphitheater (perhaps covering up the "scar" on the mountain) that they have started a task force of sorts. Check back here for more information.

2008 Arts Summit--What the heck was it?

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The 2008 Arts Summit was intended as an opportunity for our arts community --
artists, arts educators, arts administrators, and stakeholders. --to come
together to chart our vision as an arts community. Your participation
and energy was the first step in efforts to create a cultural plan for the region. Many additional conversations and feedback-gathering mechanisms will take place in the coming months with business leaders, regional/neighborhood representatives, arts patrons, and other civic leaders.

The cultural planning process is part of a community- wide visioning effort called Dream City: Vision 2020. Our core cultural planning team created the arts summit as THE FIRST STEP in the cultural planning process, but it will take the efforts of many to keep this process on track. If you would like to become involved in our cultural planning team, please contact us at info@coppercolo.org.

Our cultural planning process is part of the statewide Collaborative Community Planning Process.

Welcome!

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COPPeR already has a presence on MySpace and facebook, but I'm happy to relate that we are now proud members of the blogosphere!

Saturday's Arts Summit was a grand success, with more than 150 people in attendance. It is my hope to make this blog a continuation of the conversations that began there. Please add your comments and start the conversation!

(Photos from all of your Charrettes will be posted soon!)

Your fellow friend of the arts,

Bettina Swigger