Fine Arts Center

Now. Here. This.
2020-11-20 - 2020-11-26 | Virtual
FAC Theatre School Benefit Performance.
11 Students. Guest Appearances. 60 Minute Virtual Musical Performance.
The show follows the evolution and adventures of a group of friends as they journey through time — from the present to the past and back again. They share their stories about friendship, hoarding, hiding, laughing, living, dying and middle school in an attempt to step directly into that elusive “present moment.”

Of Spacious Skies: An Audio Play Anthology Series
2020-09-17 | FAC Digital, CO, United States
Using the Golden Age of Radio Plays as the jumping off point, our intrepid team of artists, has created 12 weekly episodes of a series which highlights the past, present and future of Colorado Springs, with Pikes Peak as our center point. While it is best to experience the series as released, and recognized as a complete omnibus, each 15-minute episode can be listened to individually and in any order.

The Arts & Social Action | S̵t̵o̵p̵RESIST(ing)/Start RECLAIMIMG: Eight Minutes and Forty-Six Seconds of JuJu
2020-10-29 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Virtual
Mountain Time
StopRESIST(ing)/Start RECLAIMIMG: Eight Minutes and Forty-Six Seconds of JuJu is a powerful collaboration between Colorado College Professor Michael Sawyer and Grammy Award-winning musician Nicholas Payton that layers actual recorded interactions between Black citizens and law enforcement with an original musical score. The resulting experience is one of beauty, pain, critical importance, and most importantly, reclamation.
The FAC will present a live stream of the piece, followed by a panel discussion.

Register for the experience & discussion

Michael Sawyer
Michael Sawyer is Assistant Professor of Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies and the Department of English at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was recently appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor of English and the Fine Arts at the United States Air Force Academy and is the Founder and Director of the Africana Intellectual Project at Colorado College.
The Africana Intellectual Project spent the last three years exploring the sonic realm with the series curated by Sawyer, “Black Art(s): Radical Potentialities” featuring artists like Pharoah Sanders, Talib Kweli and the first US performance of Nicholas Payton’s Black American Symphony with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. His sonic installation, (Stop)Resist(ing): Eight Minutes Forty Six seconds, continues the exploration of the radical potential of sound by interrogating the sensory space of police violence.
Sawyer has published two monographs. The first, An Africana Philosophy of Temporality: Homo Liminalis (Palgrave Press: 2018) was nominated for the American Philosophical Association’s 2019 First Book Prize. He recently published Black Minded: The Political Philosophy of Malcolm X (Pluto Press: 2020) that theorist/poet Fred Moten endorsed by saying: “In its careful analysis of his radical and exemplary practice in word and deed, Black Minded doesn’t give Malcolm X his rightful place in the canon of political philosophy so much as raise political philosophy to a height it never dared to reach by requiring and allowing it to ground with our brother. Michael Sawyer has written a powerful and necessary book”.
Professor Sawyer holds a B.S. in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy and Master’s degrees in International Relations from the University of Chicago’s Committee on International Relations and in Comparative Literature (African American, French, and German) from Brown University. He completed his PhD in Africana Studies at Brown University in 2015.
Nicholas Payton
Grammy Award Winning Multi-instrumentalist, composer and trumpet master, Nicholas Payton is one of the most important artists working and recording today. A virtuoso before he was out of high school, his talent and skills have earned him praise and accolades and ensured his place in musical history. Spanning a multitude of musical genres, Payton has composed and arranged, performed and recorded with his own groups in many settings, including solo, duo, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, 21-piece big band, as well as his 2012 full orchestral work The Black American Symphony.
Payton is the president of his own successful independent label Paytone Records. The latest project is the Afro-Caribbean Mixtape where he seamlessly merges contemporary music, African rhythms, and the voices of historical figures with a performance and execution that is unmatched.
Payton was born into a musical family in New Orleans, Louisiana. He showed talent for music at a very early age. He received his first trumpet at age 4 and by age 9 was sitting in with local bands including the Young Tuxedo Brass Band. By the age of 12, he was a member of the All-Star Brass Band that performed and toured extensively. As he developed and studied, Nicholas successfully learned how to play several instruments. In addition to being an accomplished trumpeter, Nicholas plays piano, bass, drums, tuba, trombone, clarinet and saxophone, et al. During his high school years, Payton attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts to study with Clyde Kerr Jr. and after graduation attended the University of New Orleans where he studied with Harold Battiste and Ellis Marsalis, among others.
Payton has toured the world with Ray Brown, Elvin Jones and lists significant collaborations including Trey Anastasio, Ray Charles, Daniel Lanois, Dr. John, Stanley Jordan, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes, Joe Henderson, Zigaboo Modeliste, Marcus Roberts, Jill Scott, Clark Terry, Allen Toussaint, Chucho Valdes, Dr. Michael White, Nancy Wilson, and many more. He recently produced a brilliant Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald for the gifted singer Jane Monheit. He is credited on over 140 recordings as a composer, arranger, special guest or sideman.

Virtual: Beyond Reality
2020-09-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
Are you feeling a little tired of strict realism in your paintings, but just don’t know how to break away? In this virtual course, you will be lead through exercises designed to bring more abstraction, excitement, & passion to your work. This course includes live Zoom class sessions & pre-recorded content. Adults

The Grasshoppers | Buntport Theatre
2020-10-17 - 2020-10-18 | Legacy loop, 1800 Recreation Way, Colorado Springs, CO, 80907, United States
As a companion to their recent 3×3 Project Rocky Mountain Locusts, the Denver-based Buntport Theatre Company has created a live, socially distanced accompaniment called The Grasshoppers. It is a mini drive-in, live theater experience (a.k.a a short play performed outdoors while the audience remains in the safety of their cars).
Performances take place 5 times each day on Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 17 & 18. 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m.
Venue: Legacy loop
1800 Recreation Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80907 United States
The Grasshoppers is a short, funny twist on a nature documentary, featuring four giant grasshoppers (spaced safely apart from each other). It’s not too much of a spoiler to divulge that ensemble members Erin Rollman, Erik Edborg, Brian Colonna and Hannah Duggan all will be wearing green grasshopper costumes sewn by Rollman, who is also a Buntport co-founder.
Audiences will be given a small sanitized speaker for their car (like an old timey drive-in!). It will be a no contact hand off.

Please do not come to the show more than 15 minutes before it starts.
Do not come in a car with people that you have not already been quarantining with. One person per car is also fine.
Remember: you’ll be sitting in your car and it might be hot out. Bring something to drink!
Masks will be needed if you plan to roll down your windows during the show because cars will not be six feet from each other.
Can I ride my bike? Yes, you are welcome to ride your bike to the performance! Because we are set up for a drive-in experience, no seats are provided (though you are welcome to bring a lawn chair or blanket). If there are multiple people in your party, please reserve enough parking spaces to accommodate your entire group (no more than four people per parking space). We also ask that you wear a mask.

The show runs 36 minutes and contains some strong language.
TICKETS ARE REQUIRED and donation-based. Donate what you can, based on the number of audience members in your car. If you are suffering financially right now, as so many people are, then come for free! There are very limited spots, so reservations are necessary.

Reserve your Tickets here
Photo by Ellen K. Graham

Libation Creations: Fall Edition
2020-10-14 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
New artmaking happy hour series!
Jasmine Dillavou photo by Adam Williams
Usher in the new season with artist Jasmine Dillavou and bartender Ric Bascobert whose autumn-inspired creations will help bring the cozy sense of fall into your home.
Step 1: Ric will walk you through mixing your own craft cocktail/mocktail, The Fallen Apple, in a live step by-step demonstration
Step 2: Yummy drink in hand, follow along with Jasmine as you create an original, textural fall landscape using ink, leaves, and paper
Step 3: Incorporate your new works into DIY home décor. Sit back, sip and admire.
This is a live event and participants are encouraged to ask questions along the way.

Register for Libation Creations: Fall Edition
FAC Members $5; Non-members $10
List of drink ingredients and art supplies provided upon registration. We’re keeping it as simple as possible.
For questions about accessibility or to request accommodations, please contact Kim Sweeney at ksweeney@coloradocollege.edu. Requests should be made at least one week in advance of the event.

Arts Month Theatre Showcase
2020-10-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
In celebration of Arts Month 2020, the Colorado Springs theatre community has come together as the Theatrical Response Team to present a Virtual Theatre Showcase on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. — streamed live on YouTube — to officially kick off Theater & Film Week! This free, community event will feature great local talent from:

Fine Arts Center Theatre Company
Dragon Theatre Productions
Craft Production Resources
Springs Ensemble Theatre
Theatreworks
The Millibo Art Theatre
Theatre ‘d Art
Theatre Across Borders

We are excited to partner with the Theatrical Response Team, who is making it possible to stream this from Zoom to Facebook in a live performance setting!
Learn more about the Arts Month Theatre Showcase

The Glorias Conversation
2020-10-07 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
A discussion about the new film and the role of theatre in education and activism.
What are the intersections of theatre, education, and activism—both over time and in this present moment? How might we view these intersections through the lens of feminist, journalist, and social political activist Gloria Steinem?
This virtual conversation coincides with the release of the new biographical film on the life and career of Gloria Steinem: The Glorias (2020). Join Director Julie Taymor, Colorado College Professor Monica Sanchez (playing Dolores Huerta in the film), UC Riverside Professor Kimberly Guerreo (playing Wilma Mankiller in the film), and moderator Professor Micha Espinosa (Arizona State University) for a conversation about the new film.

FAC Theatre School Live Q&A
2020-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Learn more about the Fine Arts Center Theatre School’s NEW Fall session.

Innovative and comprehensive professional theatre training programs for students ages 5-adult starting soon!

Fall classes include popular favorites like Budding Thespians, Emerging Artists, Youth Rep Ensemble, and our Adult Dance Class, alongside unique new offerings like Play Club! and Yoga for the Creative Spirit.

Q&A for interested students and parents with FAC Theater School Director Nathan Halvorson and teaching artist staff.

Ask A Curator Day
2020-09-16 | Virtual
#AskaCurator is an international social media event that gives the public access to the passionate experts who work in museums, galleries, and heritage sites around the world. Queries from years past include:

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve seen on the back of a painting/artwork?
If you could add any object to your collection, what would it be?
Do art curators secretly wish they had dinosaurs?

Blair Huff, Michael Lorusso, and Katja Rivera will be representing the FAC. They’ll be taking over our Instagram for the day and doing a short Facebook/YouTube live during lunch.
JOIN THE FUN
Tag the FAC and use the hashtag #AskaCurator to submit a question. Like and share your favorite questions!

Virtual: Japanese Calligraphy, Brush Mark-Making & Sumi-Ink Drawing
2020-09-12 13:30 - 16:00 | Virtual
In this virtual workshop, you’ll be introduced to the basic Japanese calligraphy strokes as well as some free-style variations. Learn to practice words in Japanese letters and Kanji (Chinese characters) and be encouraged to explore ways to use the strokes of calligraphy and ink-drawing in your own unique way. This class includes live Zoom sessions and studio hours with the instructors. This course is in collaboration with the Colorado College Art Department. Ages 16-Adult

The Santos Story: A First Friday Conversation
2020-09-04 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College is home to a nationally-renowned collection of Hispanic and Native American art, including a collection of santos (religious representations of saints) from New Mexico and southern Colorado. Join FAC staff and the creative team behind a recent 3×3 Project focused on the history of the collection as they reassess the preservation, curation, and the display (or non-display of) sacred objects. Together they will explore possibilities for recontextualizing the past and reimagining future care for the collection of santos, centering its creators and their descendants as makers and negotiators of its meaning. Panelists include Miguel Gandert, Robyn Haynie, Jessica Kahkoska, Polly Nordstrand, Anita Rodriguez, and Rebecca Tucker.

FAC Theatre Live Stream
2020-08-14 18:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Join us for a live stream conversation with the FAC Theatre Company, featuring the writers for our upcoming audio play series, Of Spacious Skies.

The Arts & Social Action
2020-07-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Join us for an online community discussion on the arts and social action. The panel will be moderated by FAC director Idris Goodwin, and we’ll converse with local artists and arts administrators.

Virtual: Zine Making
2020-06-23 17:00 - 19:00, 2020-06-16 17:00 - 19:00 | Virtual
Get creative while expressing yourself in a cool and unique way. In this virtual class, learn the history of zine making from 80s punk culture to fashion and poetry. Explore basic zine building skills and create your own works to share and distribute. After class, take advantage of additional open studio time to work on your project. Ages 12-16

Indigenous Futurities: Dancing Earth in CyberSpace
2020-06-18 19:30 - 20:30 | Virtual
One of our 3×3 Projects teams is live streaming a virtual performance Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 pm MDT. Indigenous Futurities: Dancing Earth in Cyberspace is presented by a team of visionary artists who reveal cyberspace as a realm of ritual to reimagine the future. This collaboration includes contemporary Indigenous dance from the artists of Dancing Earth and music from gifted multi-instrumentalist QVLN. They explore themes of ritual, recreation, and human connection, looking to ancestral stories of creation after destruction to guide us forward.

Sketchbook in Quarantine: Virtual Zoom Studio
2020-04-27 14:00 - 15:00 | FAC Digital, CO, United States
Throughout history, artists have always kept visual diaries of their ideas and surroundings. In this online class, we will explore what that means to us during this challenging time of COVID-19. Using basic art supplies and items at hand, you will learn some techniques for exploring, playing and recording your environment in a sketchbook. We will cover mark making, pattern generating and meditative techniques for making art during this stressful time. We will meet virtually but also have opportunities to view a variety of instructor-created videos with plenty of time to create and share your work. At this time of isolation, we encourage families to work together. Ages 6-Adult
