New work by Stephanie VonFange & Luke Cissel
Opens April 1, 5-8 p.m. with live poetry at 6:15 p.m.
Cultural Office & Arts Info Space, 121 S. Tejon St., Downtown Colorado Springs
In a community closely affected by wildfires, two local artists explore the creative energy that can ignite from the fuel of trees. Stephanie Von Fange’s ongoing Black Forest Series of wood block prints on handmade paper memorializes trees lost in the 2013 Black Forest Fire through haunting prints of the rings of the trees’ stumps, using their actual ashes. In collaboration with the Black Forest community, Von Fange’s series is reclaiming these lost trees for a compelling new life in art.
Luke Cissell’s new series of black and white photography depicts local poets “spitting fire” at the mic, fueled by “hot” poems crafted on paper made of trees. His images, set alongside photos of the Waldo and Hayman burn scars, invite the viewer to meditate on the circle of loss and creativity that unites trees, fire, and poetry in an ongoing cycle.
Part of First Fridays Downtown, Pollinate: Biennial Arts Festival, and the Pikes Peak region’s celebration of National Poetry Month.
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Our Annual Report to the Community
We’re proud to share our 2015 Annual Report to the Community, a colorful story of our impact and reach across the Pikes Peak region last year. Our sincere thanks to all of the inspiring partners, donors, sponsors and funders who make our unique work possible for the creative community throughout the year.
Click to read the Annual Report!
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Applause, please …
So many awards this month for local creatives! COPPeR shares exciting stories of success and impact from across the community on www.facebook.com/artsculturefun. Like us on Facebook and share YOUR success stories with us via e-mail at info at coppercolo.org.
- Local playwright Idris Goodwin premiered his newest play, “The Realness: A Break Beat Play” in Massachusetts.
- Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and Colorado College are exploring a merger that they call a “win-win-win”. The FAC was also named Best Gallery in Colorado among 25 in the United States!
- Meadowgrass Music Festival announced their 2016 headlining acts.
- Linda Weise was awarded the William Funk Award, the top state nonprofit award for Building Stronger Communities
- The HeidiTown travel blog visited Colorado Springs and dubbed it a “Land of Museums”!
- Colorado Creative Industries announced that David Cendon Garcia from Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs was named 2016 Poetry Out Loud Colorado State Champion at the state finals!
- The Colorado Springs Business Journal Rising Star Awards celebrated inspiring young leaders, including two from our creative sector : Abby Kreuser of Kreuser Gallery and Mundi Ross of Colorado Collective.
- Ent Federal Credit Union was honored as one of three finalists for the Philanthropy Award at the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts “Business for the Arts Awards” in Denver for their support of the UCCS Ent Center for the Performing Arts.
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The Lantern Glow: A Cultural Festival of Lights
Saturday, May 7 at Pikes Peak International Raceway
Gates open 3pm, Lantern Release at 8:30 pm
Join this stunning visual celebration of community at Pikes Peak International Raceway, and be entertained with performances and activities in partnership with My 99.9 FM and the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region. At nightfall, you and thousands of others will release your lanterns into the sky for the finale, creating a moment you’ll never forget! Live Entertainment featuring local talent will be on the My 99.9 Stage, and emcee’d by local iHeart Radio DJ’s. Participate in Glow Games, and interactive stations exploring lantern festivals around the world and our local arts & cultural community. Some proceeds from this event will benefit the Cultural Office.
Opportunities for arts groups & artists to participate:
- Free booth space at the event to promote your group and provide fun activities for a family audience. (You must provide your own tables, chairs, tents, etc.)
- Paid positions during the event: parking, registration, sales
- Volunteers before and after the event: building lantern kits, picking up lanterns
- Performers to be featured on the main stage, programmed in partnership with My 99.9 FM.
To learn more, contact Olivia Kirkpatrick at olivia@ppir.com!
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Colorado Creative Industries Summit
Colorado Creative Industries Summit May 5-6 in Carbondale, CO
The annual Creative Industries Summit is a two-day conference that targets creative entrepreneurs, emerging creatives, municipal and non-profit cultural workers, and creative district leaders. Topics address practical, nuts-and-bolts approaches to creative business and how-to’s for working collectively with creatives, municipalities and businesses. Click here to register!
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Arts Month Theme Weeks Announced
Arts Month 2016 is six months away, but we hope it’s already informing your creative planning for October. This year, the Cultural Office will again follow a themed-week approach for our regional marketing campaign, dividing the month into 4 weeks by artistic genre. While all events will be equally listed on PeakRadar.com and the Arts Month landing page, those that are scheduled within their genre week will have some extra opportunities for promotion.
Download the calendar here and consider it as you plan your October events and performances.
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Every day, the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR) energetically supports arts & culture by …
- Cultivating robust participation in arts & cultural experiences
- Advocating for investment in the region’s cultural vitality
- Leveraging arts & culture to help brand our community as an innovative and vibrant destination
- Fostering collaboration and cross-sector partnerships
Unlike most cultural offices across the country, we are also a nonprofit. Power our vision for “a thriving community united by creativity” by making a tax-deductible donation today! www.culturaloffice.org/donate