Bliss Studio Custom Metalwork
Celebrate Arts Month with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Three concert weekends to choose from. One from each of our concert series curated to appeal to the music lover in you: El Pomar Masterworks presented by UCHealth, Philharmonic Pops sponsored by Centura, and the Signature Series sponsored by Al and Leigh Buettner.
Sat. Oct. 8, 7:30pm | Sun. Oct. 9, 2:30pm
Thomas Wilson conductor
Mozart and Schoenberg Schoenberg Chamber Symphony No. 1 Mozart Symphony No. 39
ROCKET MAN: THE Music of Elton John
Fri. Oct. 21, 7:30pm | Sat. Oct. 22, 7:30pm
Thomas Wilson conductor | Michael Cavanaugh piano/vocals
Showman Michael Cavanaugh fronts the Philharmonic for a look back at the Rocket Man’s cadre of hits including Tiny Dancer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Candle in the Wind.
Prokofiev and Shostakovich
Sat. Oct. 29, 7:30pm | Sun. Oct. 30, 2:30pm
Josep Caballé-Domenech conductor Alexander Sitkovetsky violin
Prokofiev Symphony No. 7 Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1
This October and beyond, experience for yourself the power of live orchestral music! Something for everyone, the Philharmonic presents some of the most passionate music ever composed including The Nutcracker, Black Panther, Mahler Symphony No. 9 and much more!
To learn more about our season and to buy tickets visit us at csphilharmonic.org or the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts and the Ent Center for the Arts at UCCS.
This October, arts & culture takes center stage throughout Colorado Springs and across the Pikes Peak region, as our creative community celebrates Arts Month 2022! I invite you and your family to join the celebration by reading this publication, and visiting ArtsOctober.com for more information!
Orchestrated annually by the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, Arts Month elevates the visibility of arts & culture across El Paso and Teller Counties by showcasing local talent, providing opportunities for arts advocacy, supporting innovative cross-sector collaborations, and creating new avenues for arts engagement and cultural enrichment.
Our local Arts Month initiative coincides with National Arts & Humanities Month, which was established in 1993 and is observed every October throughout the United States. This national program was initiated to encourage Americans to explore new facets of the arts and humanities in their lives, and to begin a lifelong habit of participation. Over the years, it has become the nation’s largest collective annual celebration of the arts.
October 2014 was the first time that Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region joined in this national effort. Under the leadership of the Cultural Office, our local Arts Month takes the form of a coordinated awareness, advocacy, and community engagement campaign. Working in close collaboration with individual artists, arts organizations, and community partners from across our region, existing cultural offerings are amplified with special Arts Month programming to create an October calendar that’s rich with amazing local art to see, hear, taste, and experience!
Although our local Arts Month celebration is embraced with equal energy and excitement throughout all thirty-one days of October, for planning and promotional purposes, the month is divided into four discipline-specific Theme Weeks:
WEEK 1: Visual & Culinary Arts (October 2-8)
WEEK 2: Theater & Film (October 9 15)
WEEK 3: Poetry, Prose & Comedy (October 16 22)
WEEK 4: Music & Dance (October 23 29)
Targeted marketing, a diverse offering of cultural events and activities, and special Arts Month programming curated by the Cultural Office and our partners, are all aligned around these four Theme Weeks to help sustain enthusiasm and generate robust community engagement throughout the entire month of October.
Our 9th annual Arts Month celebration is shaping-up to be one of our biggest and best ever! Throughout the entire month, I invite you to enjoy the amazing talent and diversity of our local creative community, and I encourage you to visit ArtsOctober.com and make plans to “have one new cultural experience with family or friends this October!”
Happy Arts Month 2022!
Andy Vick Executive Director Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region
We must empower a JUST, INCLUSIVE, AND EQUITABLE Pikes Peak region. We commit to holding doors open for one another, including all voices, and advancing historically underrepresented artists, creatives, and audiences in our communities.
We
creativity.
Artists, creatives, and arts entities deserve the opportunity to thrive and FUNDING AND RESOURCE strategies to fortify and embolden
The arts are critical to our region’s identity and authenticity. We commit to promoting our region as an ARTS DESTINATION for both experiencing art and making art.
We are powerful together and our voices matter. We commit to speaking CHAMPION CREATIVE INTERESTS in local and regional decisions.
Arts Vision 2030 is the regional community’s cultural plan. It was developed by, of, and for the community, under the stewardship of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region, the Bee Vradenburg Foundation, and a diverse steering committee of 24 local creative leaders. The process touched 4,500 people and 664 made direct contributions to the plan.
Leadership within our creative community is vital to our survival and growth. We commit to developing and advancing DIVERSE AND EMERGING ARTS LEADERS.
SPACES AND VENUES are critical for sharing our creative gifts. We commit to building, expanding, and maintaining accessible, thriving spaces for artistic expression.
The arts foster creativity, innovation, and life skills and are essential to being human. We commit to supporting HIGH-QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION and access to arts experiences for every student across the region.
Arts Vision 2030 builds upon the regional 2010 Cultural Plan, starting with an evaluation of our progress and cultural growth over the past decade.
To create a vision for the next decade of arts and culture development, key stakeholders were engaged and input gathered directly from our broad community. The result is a living document to galvanize, guide and inspire the arts and creative community toward common goals. Now, no one organization or person alone can fulfill it. Instead, it will take the entire regional arts and cultural community, along with cross-sector partners and local leaders, to make it happen. View the entire plan at CulturalOffice.org/ArtsVision2030
Andy Vick ON THE COVER: Ellie Levy performs in the 2018 Theatreworks production of “A Christmas Carol.” Costume designer: Pheobe Boynton. Photo by Isaiah Downing.and
The downtown scene is thriving in Colorado Springs, and you can easily spend an entire weekend exploring the central area. Hosted by Latinx mixed media artist Jasmine Dillavou, this three-day itinerary will introduce you to local arts, shopping, dining, drinking and entertainment. Follow along for an elevated yet accessible experience.
Creative Stays is a digital campaign to attract cultural tourists to the Colorado Springs area during Arts Month, and throughout the year. The series will eventually feature 13 weekend getaway itineraries curated by a diverse group of local creatives. Each of these local creatives will share a little about themselves, and recommend some of their favorite lodging accommodations, community attractions, restaurants, entertainment activities, hidden hangouts, and not-to-miss cultural destinations.
Perfect for out-of-town visitors and local residents, Creative Stays offers a whole new way to explore and enjoy some of the wonderful attractions and amenities that the Pikes Peak region has to offer! Check out all the Creative Stays itineraries at cosCreativeStays.com.
The Art of the Tart: Puff Pastry Workshop
October 3
Gather Food Studio
Sausagefest
October 8
Red Leg Brewing Company
Art & Seek
October 8
Throughout Colorado Springs & Manitou Springs
“Bardo”: Art by Nichole Montanez
October 2 – 17
Ephemera inside CO.A.T.I.
OCC Arts & Crafters Market
October 8 – 22
Old Colorado City History Center
“Esoo Tubewade Nummetu (This Land is Ours)” by Gregg Deal
October 1 – 29
Galleries of Contemporary Art at the Ent Center for the Arts
“Breathe into the Past: Crosscurrents in the Caribbean”
October 2 – 30
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College
Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-Off Feb. 18
Manitou Springs
Green Box Arts Festival
June 30 – July 15
Green Mountain Falls
Mountain Arts Festival August Woodland Park
Food Truck Tuesdays
May – October Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
Labor Day Weekend
Memorial Park, Manitou Springs
Additional details on these events and more can be found at ArtsOctober.com and PeakRadar.com.
Artist Jasmine Dillavou
On June 18, following five years of planning and construction, we were thrilled to open our highly anticipated Green Mountain Falls Skyspace by James Turrell during the opening day festivities of the 14th Annual Green Box Arts Festival.
Now a permanent feature of Green Mountain Falls and the entire Pikes Peak region, our Skyspace offers viewers a one-of-a-kind kinetic light experience, an experiential art installation that cannot be found anywhere else in the Rocky Mountain West.
But what exactly is a Skyspace? And what can you expect when you visit this astounding work and everything else that Green Box and Green Mountain Falls has to offer?
James Turrell is one of America’s most important visual artists, whose work was last seen in the region through a beautiful exhibition at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College a decade ago. His work utilizes light to create works of art, and his Skyspace series may be the most iconic part of his very large and diverse body of work.
A Turrell Skyspace is a specifically proportioned chamber with an aperture in the ceiling, the “oculus,” which is open to the sky. Each of the close to 100 Skyspaces around the world are either standalone structures or are integrated into existing architecture. The oculus and the chamber itself can be round, ovular or square.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 Exterior of James Turrell, Green Mountain Falls Skyspace. Photo by David Lauer Photography.Most of the Skyspaces throughout the world utilize the natural light of the sky in combination with artificial LED lighting, which bathes the rest of the ceiling to create dynamic and undulating experiences that occur during sunrise and sunset. Additionally, the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace is only one of a few Skyspaces in the world that features a retractable roof, allowing for mid-day closed roof experiences, where the closed oculus takes different colors than those projected on the rest of the ceiling. The end result is an astoundingly reflective, meditative and fiercely individualized experience no matter what time of day you view the Skyspace.
What sets the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace even further apart from the others is that it is the first in Colorado, and the first in the world to be built into the side of a mountain. As part of the new Red Butte Recreational Area in Green Mountain Falls, we invite you to take an invigorating hike from the center of town up to the Skyspace via a new trail system.
After taking in views of the town from above, you and up to 24 other people will enter the Skyspace and take a seat on the benches that surround all four sides of the chamber. Following the experience, you will then take the journey back down the butte, offering even more time to reflect on the artistic and soul-filling experience you just encountered. And for those who need support in accessing the Skyspace, we have an ATV available to drive people to and from the work.
Bringing Turrell’s work to Green Mountain Falls is a dream come true, not just for Green Box, but for the entire Pikes Peak region. In its first two months of operations, we have already welcomed over 2,000 visitors from over 30 states and 4 countries. Having this new cultural asset in the region helps recognize our entire thriving arts and cultural community. In fact, Town & Country magazine recently named us “this season’s starriest art mecca.”
Commissioned by the Historic Green Mountain Falls Foundation, and operated by Green Box, the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace is a prime example of how Green Box unites nature and art in this beautiful mountain community. Only 20 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs, planning a visit to the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace can become part of a full day enjoying all that Green Mountain Falls has to offer.
Green Box has a series of other art installations on display throughout the community, and you can learn about them along with the history and architecture of the town via our new audio walking tour, created by one of our recent artists-inresidence, Jessica Kahkoska.
While Green Box may best be known for our annual summer Arts Festival, the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace truly makes us a year-round organization. With sunrise, sunset and mid-day experiences offered throughout each week, reserve a spot and come visit us soon.
Tickets to the Green Mountain Falls Skyspace and information about all of Green Box’s programming can be found at greenboxarts.org.
Interior of James Turrell, Green Mountain Falls Skyspace. Photo by Jeff KearneyTDC Photography.
Skyspace CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
By Matt Mayberry, Director, Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum
Panorama Park is a 13.5-acre neighborhood park in southeast Colorado Springs that is the focus of the largest neighborhood park renovation project in the city’s history.
The effort features extensive community outreach and support from numerous partners and donors. Public art has been a deliberate project goal from the beginning. Improvements will include three new public art installations.
The first to get off the ground, thanks to the Pikes Peak Library District’s Maker Space staff, is
a community-led tile art mural. A sculptural piece, “Community Imagination,” by Colorado artist Joshua Wiener, grew from working with local children and community members. This concept is still in development.
Last but not least, a Youth Area plaza mural project is to be reenvisioned by the RISE Southeast Colorado Springs Youth Advisory Council led with the assistance of The Trust for Public Land. The park’s grand re-opening happened on August 20.
TOP LEFT: This is a few of the 7,000 individual tiles create by community members for the park’s murals. ABOVE: “Community Imagination” is planned to be an 8’ x 10’ x 40” metal sculpture based on a robust process that uses houses as a way to investigate ourselves and our community. The project is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Bee Vradenburg Foundation.
Poets have words, painters have paints, and musicians have sound. Culinary artists, however, have ingredients — the only consumable medium. While engaging all five senses, culinary art requires both creator and consumer to be active participants.
I believe that culinary art is one of the most powerful and expressive art forms. And here in Colorado Springs, I’ve seen the industry blossom into something truly wonderful over the past 12 years we’ve been leading food tours.
As a child, I remember watching the mechanical churns oscillate in the front window of Josh and John’s Ice Cream at their original location on Pikes Peak Avenue. My parents would take us to Giuseppe’s Depot Restaurant to watch the freight trains rumble past our window while we ate spaghetti and meatballs. And how could I forget eating pizza dotted with greasy pepperoni cups after our order number appeared on the mirror at Fargo’s Pizza? These memories and more helped shape my experience with the culinary arts at a young age.
Did I just say that pepperoni cups filled with grease were “culinary art?” Yes, because art is subjective. It can be humble. It can be grand. It can be approachable. It can be refined. It can be familiar. But it always evokes emotion, and it always creates a memory.
The food and beverage industry has changed drastically since we started leading food tours in 2010. Today, we work with 25 local restaurants, breweries, speakeasies and artisan food shops in downtown Colorado Springs, but that is a small percentage of the 100-plus we have worked with over the years. Many restaurants have come and gone, but they all played important roles to get us to where we are today.
The culinary arts are also a major economic generator in Colorado Springs, contributing roughly $635 million to our local community and employing more than 23,000 people. The industry took a huge hit during the shutdowns and still suffers from low staffing and inflationary
costs, but it is ever resilient and increasingly competitive. In fact, I believe that this is the most exciting time to be a culinary artist in Colorado Springs.
Why? Because I work with these artists every day, and I see their passion and creativity. I see them push boundaries, test new combinations, and refine their craft. I see them invite others into their world and expand their palate.
At Immerse Cuisine at The Carter Payne, chef Brent Beavers explains to our tour guests how the ingredients for his nostalgic fried green tomatoes were sourced from a hyper local farm. At Four by Brother Luck, guests are served a dish that perfectly encapsulates chef Brother Luck’s fusion of southwest cuisine and Japanese-style cooking. At Brooklyn’s on Boulder, the tasting room for Lee Spirits, professional mixologists demonstrate how to make a prohibition-style “The Aviation” cocktail using crème de violette. And at Josh and John’s, guests indulge in creamy purple-colored ice cream created in honor of Pikes Peak, our Purple Mountain Majesty. These are snippets of the culinary journey we offer during a food tour — the tastes that make up our community.
While some art stands untarnished for decades, even centuries, culinary art is consumed faster than the time it to took create it. The artists behind the plate work tirelessly to translate an emotion. As food tour guides, we are curators of memories. We tell the story of Colorado Springs through food. Care for a taste?
Jalapeño Poppers from Four by Brother Luck. Photo by Samantha Wood. Tour Guide Roger engaging tour group in downtown Colorado Springs. Photo by Brenna Skattebo Photograph.
• 1 ½ lbs. (2–3) pre-baked potatoes
• 1 T. oil
• 8 ounces bacon, diced
• 1 onion, diced very small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 T. butter
• 4 T. flour
• 1 C. chicken stock
• 3 C. milk
• ½ C. crema/or sour cream
• 2 green onions, sliced very thin, green parts only
• 1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1. Prebake (or use left-over) potatoes until cooked. Let cool, peel and medium-large dice (homestyle bite size) and set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven, add the 1 T. oil and the bacon and render out the fat from the bacon over medium low heat. When the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and leave the fat in the pan.
3. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Season.
4. Add the butter and let melt. Add the flour and stir in well, ensuring there are no clumps. Continue to cook the flour for 1–2 minutes, being sure NOT to let the flour burn to the bottom on the pot. (It’s going to want to — believe me.)
5. Add the stock slowly and let thicken slightly. Then add the milk and let thicken over a nice medium low simmer. Season with salt and pepper. When the soup has thickened, thin out with the crema/sour cream. Season. If the soup is too thin, add a little bit of shredded cheddar to re-thicken slightly
6. Add the potatoes and some of the reserved bacon and stir in. When the potatoes are hot, garnish the soup pot with some more reserved bacon, some green onions, and some shredded cheese. Leave a little bit of bacon, cheese, and green onion on the side for people to add more on top of their single servings of soup if desired.
VISUAL & CULINARY Courtesy of Gather Food StudioConnection to the outdoors is part of life in Colorado Springs, but you don’t have to be a rugged outdoor adventurer to experience and enjoy the natural beauty of the Springs. You can simply immerse yourself in and among it to find inspiration, says Jennifer DeDominici, a local singer, actor and performing arts teacher.
Creative Stays is a digital campaign to attract cultural tourists to the Colorado Springs area during Arts Month, and throughout the year. The series will eventually feature 13 weekend getaway itineraries curated by a diverse group of local creatives. Each of these local creatives will share a little about themselves, and recommend some of their favorite lodging accommodations, community attractions, restaurants, entertainment activities, hidden hangouts, and not-to-miss cultural destinations.
Perfect for out-of-town visitors and local residents, Creative Stays offers a whole new way to explore and enjoy some of the wonderful attractions and amenities that the Pikes Peak region has to offer! Check out all the Creative Stays itineraries at cosCreativeStays.com
Singer, actor and performing arts teacher Jennifer DeDominici
On view through Jan. 7, 2023
Co-curated by Dr. Lara Evans, Professor of Art History, IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts Director; Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer, curator of collections, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts; and Dr. Manuela Well-Off-Man, chief curator, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts.
Presenting modern Native American art from the 1940s through the 1970s, this exhibition features 55 artworks by leading artists such as Fritz Scholder (Mission/Luiseño), George Morrison (Chippewa), and T.C. Cannon (Kiowa).
Support for this
by Art Bridges
fac.coloradocollege.edu
Paintings:
Thursday, Oct. 20,
Dig deeper into Action/Abstraction Redefined in this gently interactive Libation Lecture with Jessica Hunter, Ph.D., Associate Director of Creativity & Innovation at Colorado College.
Drink: Tequila Sunrise
Ticket includes your first drink fac.coloradocollege.edu
Twelfth Night presented by Theatreworks. Sam Linda (Sir Andrew), Sammie Joe Kinnett (Feste) and Jenna Moll Reyes (Olivia) perform on the Ent Center lawn, backed by Pikes Peak. Directed by Kathryn Walsh, costume design by Stephanie Cluggish, set design by Dan Porten, lighting design by Viktoria Padilla and set dressing by Marie Verdu. Photo by Isaiah Downing.
Colorado Short Circuit Film Festival
October 7 & 8
Ivywild School Gym Auditorium
Funky Little Theatre Company’s Play Crawl
October 11
Midland Avenue in Woodland Park
“Ghost Fish: The Legend of the Lake”
October 22
Bear Creek Nature Center
Three Nights of Horror Film Festival
October 22 – 24
Cottonwood Center for the Arts
“Rocky Horror Picture Show”
October 21 – 29
Iron Springs Chateau
Oct 2 – 30
The Butte Theater
Theatreworks’ Shakespeare in the Park Summertime
El Paso County
Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival
November Colorado Springs
Dinner Theatre
Throughout the Year
Iron Springs Chateau
Throughout the Year
Kimball’s Peak Three Theater
Additional details on these events and more can be found at ArtsOctober.com and PeakRadar.com.
Fritz Scholder (Mission/Luiseño), New Mexico canvas, 55", MoCNA Collection MS-27
By Lily DiSilverio, Theatreworks Special Events and Content Coordinator
While design and technical work might not be the first image that springs to mind when someone says the word “theatre,” it’s almost certainly the first thing an audience notices when they arrive for a performance. From sets and costumes to lighting and audio, from props to projections, designers and technicians build the world of a play or musical from scratch.
Designers join a production process right at the beginning, in some cases before actors have even been cast. They collaborate for months to develop a cohesive look, sound and feel for a world that will live and breathe on stage for multiple hours every night.
Whether the audience sees a photo-realistic attic from the ’90s, or an abstracted representation of the main character’s mental landscape, everything on stage was conceptualized, built, sourced, or programmed by a theatre professional with years of experience and specialized skills.
At Theatreworks, the role of designers and technicians has always been central to our programming. Every season, we feature dozens of designers. We bring together local and national artists to collaborate on a single stage, and the results are evocative, innovative designs.
In a six-show season, every story has a distinct aesthetic signature, showcasing the work and vision of these brilliant artists.
The Bluest Eye presented by Theatreworks. Desiree Myers (Pecola), Faith Angelise Goins (Frieda), and Alex Campbell (Claudia) bring Toni Morrison’s essential novel, The Bluest Eye, to life. This production was performed against a tapestry of quilts, created by production staff and the Colorado Springs community. Directed by Lynne Hastings, set design by Michael Ruiz Del Vizo, lighting design by Taylor Lilly, costume design by Jordan Hermitt.
Photo by Isaiah Downing.
By Margie Arnold, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Volunteer
What began as a bold experiment by a handful of women in 1987 to create a film festival in Colorado Springs and show only films made by or about women became the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival. What a success it’s been!
It’s the longest running women’s film festival in the country, this year celebrating its 35th year. Our mission is to build community around film by elevating the stories of women and others who are often unheard or unseen.
Take, for example, Lucy Walker’s film “Waste Land,” about people who work in the world’s largest landfill in Brazil, and who took some of that garbage to create art that was the essence of a world premiere. Or Jamila Wignot’s “Ailey,” the story of trailblazing Alvin Ailey, who found salvation through dance and centers on the Black American experience with grace, strength and unparalleled beauty.
So many people, places, stories, and films. They can change our mood, bring up questions, show us a different angle and provoke a conversation. They entertain us and capture our
imaginations. They transport us to another world or shine a light on the issues plaguing ours.
Over the years, our annual film festival has evolved into Rocky Mountain Women’s Film, an organization that offers film programs throughout the year to diverse audiences in the Pikes Peak region. Here is a look at our current events.
This year our festival is Friday through Sunday, Nov. 11-13. Enjoy opening night festivities and a sensational film at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College to kick off the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, audiences will attend films at the Cornerstone Arts Center and Armstrong Hall on the campus of Colorado College.
Break out your lawn chair and bring a friend for an outdoor screening. If you’ve been fans of Rocky Mountain Women’s Film, you may recognize this event — it’s our reimagined Wheel to
Reel, minus the wheel. Presented at Monument Valley Park in a large field, enjoy food trucks, live music, and a film under the stars.
We encourage attendees to tailgate and socialize before the film program begins. Then either cozy up in your vehicle or set up camp chairs outside, and enjoy a great film on a big screen under the stars. DriveIn Cinema is located at the former Gazette building (off Prospect Street and East Colorado Avenue). Special thanks to Norwood Development Group, the program’s presenting sponsor, for providing this space where we can continue to build community around film.
In partnership with community organizations, RMWF provides free screenings of films from the Madelyn Osur Film Library and Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival programming to expose diverse and new audiences to entertaining and thought-provoking documentary films.
A film event for kids ages 1 to 100. Our first Rascal Cinema was held Aug. 27, on the lawn outside the film office. In addition to an authentic hot dog truck, popcorn, and a special birthday sweet treat, the event also offered an open gym at Flipshack, bike decorating and a family ride with Kids on Bikes, and ended with a selection of familyfriendly short films under the stars.
Held at Stargazers Theatre & Event Center, this one-night-only program presents a lineup of some of the most decorated short films of the year, including winners of the most prestigious awards and festivals from around the world. This is our annual fundraising event supporting the year-round programming of Rocky Mountain Women’s Film.
We look forward to having you join us. We’ll bring the popcorn! For more information, visit rmwfilm.org.
Studio West is a long-awaited addition to the Pikes Peak State College Downtown Campus.
Formerly the home of the Gowdy Printcraft Press, this 9,600-squarefoot building now houses the PPSC Art Gallery, the Kristine Kane Faricy Dance Studio, the Steve and Taffy Mulliken Black Box Theater, a workshop/maker’s space, a kitchenette/hang out room, office space, a brand new computer lab, and a classroom with a glorious view of our namesake, Pikes Peak.
Originally scheduled to open in April 2020, the pandemic put the party on a shelf for over two years. But even without the official fanfare, the building has been in constant use, with gallery openings, dance and theater classes, and performances.
The intimate and fluid space means that collaborations between departments happen frequently. We’re often a stop on the First Friday Art Walk, and within strolling distance from Weidner Field, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum, and the Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts.
The building itself is gorgeous inside and out, with the weird and wonderful mural of green and yellow faces, Mono Sourcil’s “The Crowd,” splashed across the front — a perfect metaphor for the diverse student community at PPSC.
“The first time I stepped into Studio West, I was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging that I had never experienced before,” says student Kirstyn Gatch. “Not only have I gained invaluable academic and artistic knowledge through the PPSC theatre program, but I also grew as a person, found a home, and made some of the best friendships and memories of my life.”
While the Centennial Auditorium at the southern campus provides a performance venue that can fit over 300 people, this new downtown venue allows for more intimate spaces and performances where the space is the right size for the work. Not only that, the Centennial Auditorium was a shared space between multiple departments and needs, so we were always in “guest mode.” Entire sets needed to be struck every weekend, events would be scheduled overlapping each other, and the lighting could not be customized or refocused.
This new space is a blank slate, a playground to create whatever we want — “a room of (our) own,” as Virginia Woolf so eloquently put it. The claustrophobia and cabin fever of the pandemic highlighted how important it is to have a space of one’s own. To be. To think. To create. Many of us can now relate to zooming from a corner of a laundry room or bathtub to just get a moment of quiet.
“I like Studio West because it is a centralized location to gather. It is more intimate and personal,” says former student Hazel Fleecs. “We are not one tiny person lost in a sea of humans, we get to be a community. Our shared experiences and feeling of ensemble help us build personal and professional relationships we want to keep for a lifetime.”
On the flipside, the pandemic took gathering with people away from us. Sharing the same air and space and time with each other, something that is a key ingredient in a communal art form such as theatrical performance, was impossible.
This is another thing that this space gave back to us: the ability to commune in an intimate and personal way with each other and this community through our performances. To ask hard questions about the haves and have-nots, explore unexpected or marginalized points of view, wrestle with the idea of justice vs. vengeance, and traverse the trials of mental health. To share in epic tales, fantasy, human ridiculousness, and sometimes a good belly laugh.
You can see Studio West for yourself at Big Arts Night — Oct. 7 from 5:30 8 p.m. — with live music, theatrical performances, a faculty art gallery opening, and more.
Mono Sourcil’s “The Crowd” covers the front entrance to Studio West downtown. Katie Strugalsky and Casey McMullen perform in “The Seagull,” a PPSC Theatre production in April 2022 at the new Studio West. Photo by Jeff Kearney.Want to tap into the local nerd culture in Colorado Springs? Then we’ve got your perfect guide. Michael Ferguson is a local poet, scholar and self-proclaimed nerd with interests that span what he calls multiple nerd buckets, including poetry, video games, comics, film and writing. “Whatever your nerdy proclivities are, there’s a space for them in Colorado Springs,” he says.
Creative Stays is a digital campaign to attract cultural tourists to the Colorado Springs area during Arts Month, and throughout the year. The series will eventually feature 13 weekend getaway itineraries curated by a diverse group of local creatives. Each of these local creatives will share a little about themselves, and recommend some of their favorite lodging accommodations, community attractions, restaurants, entertainment activities, hidden hangouts, and not-to-miss cultural destinations.
Perfect for out-of-town visitors and local residents, Creative Stays offers a whole new way to explore and enjoy some of the wonderful attractions and amenities that the Pikes Peak region has to offer! Check out all the Creative Stays itineraries at cosCreativeStays.com
Nate Bargatze:
The Raincheck Tour
October 7
Pikes Peak Center for the Performing Arts
“Sky Knot”
October 14
Garfield Gallery
Performance Series
October 15
G44 Gallery
Saturday Night Improv by Improv Colorado
October 15
Knights at Columbus Hall
John Mulaney
October 23
The Broadmoor World Arena
Pikes Punks Comedy Show: Mitch Jones
October 29
The Public House at the Alexander
Comedy and Improv Shows
Throughout the Year
Loonee’s Comedy Club
Literary and Community Events Throughout the Year
Pikes Peak Library District
Comedy and Improv Shows & Classes
Throughout the Year
3E’s Comedy Club
Poetry 719 at Various Locations
Additional details on these events and more can be found at ArtsOctober.com and PeakRadar.com.
Poet Michael Fergusonthis project, heard their stories, and was tasked with creating a poem that would speak to the deep roots of the park and communicate to the community the power of the park and its renovation. With the use of poetry, I was able to share that this project is more than a park; it is the realization of southeast Colorado Springs’ heart, soul, and value.
business, at a gala, or even at a poetry workshop for an organization.
Poetry in the Pikes Peak region acts as a bridge to the community. There are many ways communities communicate, and poetry is emerging as an incredible tool for entertainment, healing, connection, and recording history. As the poet laureate, I have had the honor and privilege of creating dozens of custom pieces and performing for organizations and events that might not conventionally be joined by a poet.
The re-opening of Panorama Park is an incredible example of the way poetry is a bridge to people. I worked with some of the leaders of
As the poet laureate, I often refer to myself as a translator — taking an experience, story, or business and translating it into a piece of art that connects and supports the original source material. The challenge of finding the right angle or concept to appropriately capture the need is an exciting aspect of the work.
Art is a huge economic driver, and the connection between business and arts, demonstrated at the Business & Arts Lunch, is being realized in a powerful way. Collaboration and partnership have uplifted poetry and made it possible to see a poet at the opening of a
Poetry has taken off and the role of the poet laureate is as busy as ever. It is incredible to see the way this community has supported and championed the return of the poet laureate project and the desire for art to be incorporated into so many amazing milestones, such as the recent inauguration of the 14th President of Colorado College, L. Song Richardson. As I shared the poem I wrote for President Richardson, I couldn’t help but be emotional. I realized poetry is absolutely a form of entertainment, but even more than that, it is a chronicle of history. I was part of a historic moment and was able to capture that on the page and in the performance.
The discovery and cultivation of new poets is what excites me most about poetry in our region. As we acclimate to the reintegration of being together in person, we are
seeing open mics and poetry spaces creating home for new artists to take to the scene. The isolation of the pandemic was difficult, but art spaces allowed many of us to be in relationship, whether on zoom or in person. Poetry became a safe haven amid uncertainty and unrest. Poems were also the soundtrack of activism. Poets were leading marches, providing calls to action, and marginalized community members were able to share their stories through poetry as they advocated for their rights.
Poetry is a limitless expression and the Pikes Peak region is doing the work to expand the ways poets can enhance and influence the community. The time for poetry is now, and there are many more bridges to build across the region. I am forever grateful for the way the region has welcomed and celebrated me as the 6th poet laureate, and I am elated for what poetry has to offer in the future.
Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Ashley Cornelius performs at Remembrance: George Floyd in Manitou Springs. Photo by Jenna Kempton.“Poetry has never been the language of barriers, it’s always been the language of bridges.”
— Amanda Gorman
Dancers experience the world through movement, so it’s no surprise that this Creative Stays itinerary will keep you moving in and around Colorado Springs. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of rejuvenation too. “My itinerary is meant to seek out some inspirational parts of Colorado Springs beyond the normal tourist destinations,” says Jordan McHenry, dancer, choreographer and local arts advocate.
Creative Stays is a digital campaign to attract cultural tourists to the Colorado Springs area during Arts Month, and throughout the year. The series will eventually feature 13 weekend getaway itineraries curated by a diverse group of local creatives. Each of these local creatives will share a little about themselves, and recommend some of their favorite lodging accommodations, community attractions, restaurants, entertainment activities, hidden hangouts, and not-to-miss cultural destinations.
Perfect for out-of-town visitors and local residents, Creative Stays offers a whole new way to explore and enjoy some of the wonderful attractions and amenities that the Pikes Peak region has to offer! Check out all the Creative Stays itineraries at cosCreativeStays.com
Fall Fest: “A Night in Italy”
October 7
Gold Hill Mesa Community Center
Chad Elliot
October 14
Black Forest Community Center
Micki Free
October 21
Stargazers Theatre & Event Center
Muscadine Bloodline and James Boland & The Stragglers
October 28
Sunshine Studios Live
SALT Contemporary Dance
October 28
Ent Center for the Arts
Terror & Tease
October 21 – 29
Lulu’s Downstairs & La Burla Bee
YEAR-ROUND
Meadowgrass Music Festival
May
La Foret Conference and Event Center
On Your Porch
July 4
The Colorado Springs Philharmonic
June and July
First & Main Town Center
Blues on the Mesa
October
Gold Hill Mesa
Live Music
Throughout the Year Blue at Red Gravy
Additional details on these events and more can be found at ArtsOctober.com and PeakRadar.com.
Dancer, choreographer and local arts advocate Jordan McHenry.
By Bernie Brink, Jazz 93.5 Program Director & On-Air Host
2022 marked a return to normal operations for many arts organizations throughout the Pikes Peak region. But it’s an especially momentous occasion for local radio station Jazz 93.5: during Arts Month 2022, Jazz 93.5 celebrates its fifth birthday.
For many years, Classical KCME 88.7 (Jazz 93.5’s sister station) was the only outlet for jazz music in the Pikes Peak region, heard regularly on evenings and weekends. When the station converted to a classicalonly format in 2006, jazz fell silent. Over the years, a growing chorus of listeners and community members made requests to reinstate jazz music on the airwaves, the din of which became deafening.
In 2017, Cheyenne Mountain Public Broadcast House made plans to not only reinstate jazz programming, but to launch a second station that would
be completely dedicated to the preservation and advancement of jazz music. Jazz 93.5 went on the air on October 29, 2017, beginning with a live broadcast from the Colorado Springs Jazz Party.
The term “jazz” encompasses an enormous swath of music and styles. Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Diana Krall, and Weather Report are all fair game, and in its first few years, the station made diversity the focus as it set about building a robust library of music for broadcast. That effort is reflected in the medley of special programs you can now find on Jazz 93.5, with offerings like “Hard Bop Morning Drop,” “Big Band Bash,” “Voices of Jazz,” and “Great Ladies of Jazz.” Beyond explicitly-titled shows like those, you can also hear “Off the Record,” a documentarystyle narrative program that couches
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Jazz 93.5 on-air host Chantil Dukart. Photo courtesy of Jazz 93.5.the music in rich musical and historical contexts; and “Lagniappe,” heard every weeknight, exploring the reaches and overlap of smooth jazz, R&B, and jazz fusion. Jazz 93.5 is also the only station in the region that broadcasts the nationally-syndicated “Jazz Night in America” with acclaimed bassist Christian McBride. This musical treasure trove has been developed over time by a crack team of on-air hosts. While many jazz stations will often employ one “ringer” host who is an established musician, Jazz 93.5 has taken it to the next level and placed active musicians at the heart of its broadcast team. Every host heard on Jazz 93.5 is an active musician or jazz educator (sometimes both), either in Colorado or nationally, performing at venues and festivals across the U.S.
Program Director Bernie Brink holds a master’s degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado, one of the most acclaimed jazz programs in the nation and is himself a working jazz musician and educator at UCCS and Colorado College. His
experience lends a certain rigor to the programming and music selection, and he has shaped the station’s sound to best leverage the expertise of the hosts. That translates to a unique and special listening experience.
On the air, every host has deeper insights to share with listeners borne of real experiences with the music
and its purveyors. Off the air, hosts play a major role in shaping the station’s library, selecting classic takes and unearthing hidden gems to share with their audience.
Not many markets enjoy regular jazz broadcasts, and fewer than 30 can claim a station that plays jazz music exclusively, ’round the clock. To have such a unique resource in
Colorado Springs has been a boon, and not only to listeners. As the audience for Jazz 93.5 has grown, so has the region’s appetite for live jazz music. Since the inauguration of Jazz 93.5, there has been a surge in performances all over town, yielding new opportunities for musicians, fans, and venues.
After five years, Colorado Springs and Jazz 93.5 have much to celebrate. The birthday festivities began in the summer with an exclusive “Jazz Cabaret,” fronted by local jazz fixture Lila Mori and her trio, along with the “Summer Swingin’ Sensation” held in tandem with the Community Cultural Collective, generating support for two great community organizations. This month’s birthday jubilee commenced with a wealth of performances, readings, and arts exhibitions at the Ent Center for the Arts on October 1, kicking off Arts Month and honoring the station’s fifth birthday.
As we celebrate a noteworthy five years, it is exciting to think of what possibilities lie ahead for the community and Jazz 93.5.
Mayor John Suthers speaks at the Colorado Springs Jazz Party to celebrate jazz music’s return to local airwaves. Photo courtesy of Jazz 93.5.Latisha Hardy Dance & Co., Ltd. is an innovative dance concept & brand, specializing in the promotion of injury prevention and correction, leadership, and confidence through the art of dance to adults 18 and up.
Owner and founder Latisha Hardy specializes in teaching dance with a focus in salsa, mambo, bachata, AfroCuban, son, and pachanga classes, all influenced by afro, Afro-Cuban, jazz, modern, and ballet.
Hardy utilized dance as a way to empower herself through a difficult time, learning salsa roughly 12 years ago. Her passion for the art form inspired her to seek out training in unconventional forms to increase
her skill set physically, emotionally, and socially in order to positively influence the dance community.
She saw an under-leveraged and under-supported community that had the potential to enhance a person’s quality of life into late adulthood. She began working with a personal trainer focusing on corrective exercising, enrolling in leadership conferences, and began a Master’s in Business Administration in hopes of making a foundational and lasting difference in the Latin dance community.
Through this developing period, there were a few coined statements that repetitively arose in reference to the dance community: “dancers
are broke,” “starving artist,” “uneducated,” and “if you didn’t start young, you can’t do it.” Hardy set out to both understand and transform this negative image the dance industry has in American culture. Through her education, she has made it a personal goal to do several things:
• develop a safe and high quality dance program and open access to adults
• give back to others while empowering the local community
• give access to any individual who may be interested in using dance as fitness or an artistic medium to express themselves
• teach others to empower
themselves in way that enhances their quality of life and confidence
Hardy has also incorporated a physical health program to run alongside her dance program. She has partnered with NEXUS Community Fitness and Training, Run Potential Physical Therapy, and META Performance to provide a holistic program to both treat and strengthen her dancers. Along with the development of an in-depth dance & leadership curriculum that is currently non-existent in the dance world, individuals can enter into the program with zero experience and emerge a professional and proficient dancer.
Ladies Team from Latisha Hardy Dance & Co., Ltd. Photo by Trang Le.Established in 2010, the company was founded based upon the principles of dance, fitness, success mindset, and overall wealth. The company was born out of a vision to provide a platform and environment to assist in enhancing an individual’s overall quality of life as well as give access to adults to dance well into their later years of life by addressing and preventing injury.
Currently, the studio facility is able to provide dance instruction, instructor training, strength training and conditioning, corrective training, leadership training, meditative services, community, and support. The company’s overall vision is to make available an accredited program to adults that produces well-rounded and empowered human beings in the dance industry in order to 1. transform the perception of dance as a respectable and lucrative industry, and 2. provide technical skills in
dance and leadership to enhance the overall wealth of the artist.
Through the medium of dance, clients achieve health & wellness both physically and mentally, leadership skills in considering and coaching others, as well as the confidence to approach their lives from a vulnerable and capable place. The company will be adding programs to include motivational classes, financial planning services, and life coaching services to add completeness to the program.
Latisha Hardy’s familiarity and passion for dance is contagious and becomes instilled in every individual that participates in a class or training session. This vision has produced a demand and community of dancers in Colorado Springs, touching a countless number of adults in Colorado and around the nation. She has every intention in taking this model in healing people through art and dance to a global scale.
Latisha Hardy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Latisha Hardy’s passion for dance is contagious. Photo by Trang Le.David Villafuerte, MBA
Jonathan D. Grant, MBA, CFP
Holly Flores, CRPCTM
Herman Tiemens II, MBA, CFP
Deron L. Hickman Sandra J. Tiemens, CFP
Bliss Studio Custom Metalwork
