Welcome Letter

Artwork on display at the Depot Art Center, home of Steamboat Creates.

A Home for the Arts

Welcome to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the #2 most vibrant small town in the nation (according to the Arts Vibrancy Index by SMU DataArts). That means your visit to our beautiful community not only has an abundance of outdoor activities and access to nature, but can also be infused with a wide variety of arts and culture events, classes and productions. We have a plethora of creative opportunities to enrich your time in Routt County. Lots of Kim Keith, executive director of Steamboat Creates them. Steamboat is known as the land of Olympians, with worldwide accolades for sending 100 Olympians to the games, but it has also achieved national recognition for its arts community.

Depending on the time of year, visitors and locals enjoy offerings from cultural nonprofits like Piknik Theater, Steamboat Symphony Orchestra, Opera Steamboat and Strings Music Festival. There’s also an eclectic collection of bluegrass, rock, reggae and cover bands, as well as singer-songwriters performing at any of a number of intimate venues, including The Press and Schmiggity’s. In addition to a variety of fine art galleries, Steamboat is home to an energetic and diverse dance community offering everything from modern dance to aerial movement; tango to tap; West African to Western swing. The music scene is top notch, surprising for a town this size. The valley is also home to over 100 published writers devoted to mastering their craft and being inspired by Routt County’s sense of place and authenticity.

Steamboat Creates, the umbrella organization for the arts in rural Northwest Colorado, has been nurturing the arts since 1972. This small but mighty nonprofit is located in the historic Depot Art Center, giving back to the community through heritage stewardship, public art, advocacy with governmental agencies and providing enrichment through creativity classes. For a current listing of arts-related events occurring during your visit, see page 28.

In celebration of our 50 years serving Steamboat Springs visitors and residents, we are honoring our past, embracing our present and making BIG plans for the future. To quote my predecessor, poet Lawrence Block, “This cultural vitality, this soulful engagement between nature, artist and all those who call this land home has much to do with the Steamboat vibe – the sense that Steamboat Springs is much more than your typical ski town or master-planned resort.”

On behalf of the creative community, I’d like to offer you a warm welcome to this soulful, authentic and playful place in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Kim Keith | Executive Director | Steamboat Creates, Colorado Certified Creative District