Fine Arts Center

FAC Member Tour: The Insiders
2022-12-03 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Denver) | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Join us in the FAC’s Deco Lounge for a tour of the new exhibit The Insiders, a group show featuring none other than the FAC’s own patron experience staff and artistis! The artists will guide you through the exhibit, elaborating on their individual pieces and their own artistic practices. Get to know our staff a little better and learn about their art!
Not a member? Sign up now for as little as $5 a month!
RSVP for tour

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
2022-12-01 19:30 - 21:00, 2022-12-04 14:00 - 15:30, 2022-12-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
See this beloved American holiday classic come to life on stage as a captivating 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of a virtuosic, tight-knit ensemble that embodies a few dozen characters and live foley artistry, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve. This holiday season, join us for a story of hope, faith, and the power of community.

In Conversation: Alexis Pauline Gumbs
2022-12-05 16:00 - 19:00 | Cornerstone Arts Center, 825 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
“Made the World by Breathing:” An Oracle Ceremony | 4 p.m.
Alexis Pauline Gumbs in Conversation with Professor Heidi R. Lewis | 5 p.m.
Join this virtual talk and workshop with Queer Black Troublemaker, Feminist Love Evangelist, and aspirational cousin to all sentient beings, Alexis Pauline Gumbs.
Poetry reading by Desiree C. Bailey | 6 p.m.
Q&A with Desiree C. Bailey, Facilitated by Professor Lisa Marie Rollins | 6:30 p.m.

Sista Docta Alexis Pauline Gumbs is a Queer Black Feminist Love Evangelist and an aspirational cousin to all life. She is/they are the author of several books, most recently Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals and the co-founder of the Mobile Homecoming Trust, an intergenerational experiential living library of Black LBGTQ brilliance.
Desiree C. Bailey is the author of “What Noise Against the Cane” (Yale University Press, 2021), which won the 2020 Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize, was a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry and the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, and was longlisted for the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and the International Dylan Thomas Prize. Desiree is from Trinidad and Tobago, and Queens, New York. She is the Writer-in-Residence at Clemson University.

This event is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Breathe into the Past: Crosscurrents in the Caribbean.
Thanks to a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, this event is free and open to the public. Refreshments provided.

Member/Subscriber Holiday Shopping Night
2022-12-08 16:00 - 18:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Don’t miss this fun opportunity to finish up your holiday shopping at the FAC’s shop by Ladyfingers. Enjoy hot chocolate and cider while perusing the wide variety of handmade, locally sourced, and inclusive goods. In addition to the 10% member discount on all items (which subscribers will also receive during the event), you’ll receive a special 25% discount on any FAC apparel or merchandise.
RSVP for shopping night
Make an evening out of it and stay for the show. Make any purchase at the event and receive 50% off admission to It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play that evening

Naughty & NICE Holiday Cabaret with J. Chang-Tablada
2022-12-10 18:30 - 19:30 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Naughty & NICE Holiday Cabaret with J. Chang-Tablada debuts in the nick of time for the 2022 Holiday Season. This one-man 60-minute show features heart-warming holiday classics with a twist of spice that invites audiences to reminisce, raise a glass, laugh-out-loud, and sing along.
A storyteller at heart, world-class pianist and vocalist J. Chang-Tablada draws audience members in with fresh interpretations of timeless classics by celebrated artists like Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Donnie Hathaway interwoven with spirited, tongue-in-cheek numbers from Elvis and Jimmy Butler (to name a few).
Chang-Tablada’s memorable performance strikes a chord with seasonal favorites like “This Christmas” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” while adding unexpected and delightful holiday color with lesser known tunes like “Trim Your Tree.”
Chang-Tablada is one of Colorado Springs’ most beloved and prolific Music Directors, known for his work with the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, Theatreworks and Millibo Art Theatre. He also served as Music Director for the Colorado Theatre Guild’s 16th Annual Henry Awards in Denver, Colorado in July of 2022. An accomplished entertainer in his own right, J. frequently takes the stage himself, most recently in performances at 54 Below in New York City and in his “Sing-a-long with Jerry McCauley and Friends” concerts featured at the Green Box Arts Festival this summer.

Join us in Deco Lounge immediately following the 5 p.m. performance of It’s a Wonderful Life. The bar will be open.
$10 suggested donation

FAC Action Abstraction Artist Panel + First Friday
2023-01-06 17:00 - 20:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
As part of First Friday celebrations, you’re invited to a conversation about Action | Abstraction Redefined from 5-7 p.m. in the FAC Music Room. Don’t miss out on the chance to see the Action | Abstraction Redefined exhibition before it closes on Jan. 8!
The conversation features 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.
Free and open to the Public.
Please RSVP for Artist PAnel
Image at right: Lloyd Henri “Kiva” New (Cherokee, 1916–2002), Untitled (Squares), 1968, Acrylic on canvas, MoCNA Collection (CHE-23), Gift of the Artist

We encourage you to also join us 5–8 p.m.

First Friday attendees get FREE access to FAC Museum. See what’s on view
Drinks and snacks (credit card only) are available in Deco Lounge.
LOOK’EE HERE will be playing 5:30-7:30 p.m.
“Piedmont to Delta, to Chicago blues, ragtime, old-time jazz, guitar, kazoo, trumpet, washboard, slappin’ bass.”

FAC Executive Director presentations
2023-01-09 13:30 - 14:15 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Please join us to hear from the three finalists for the Fine Arts Center’s Executive Director. The sessions will include a 15-minute presentation from the candidate with time for questions at the end. All in attendance will be asked to complete an evaluation of the candidate at the conclusion.
Sessions will be in the Fine Arts Center’s the mainstage theater.
Monday, Jan. 9, 1:30-2:15 p.m. — Candidate 1
Monday, Jan. 16, 1:30-2:15 p.m. — Candidate 2
Thursday, Jan. 19, 1:30-2:15 p.m. — Candidate 3
We look forward to seeing you there!

Winter/Spring 2023 Art Classes
2023-01-23 - 2023-04-30 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Pursue new art skills or perfect old ones in 2023! We have art classes for all ages, interests, and skill levels

Cloth, Paper, Collage
2023-01-24 10:00 - 13:00 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Explore new and creative collage processes! Work with paint, pastels, inks sprays, and learn how to design with image transfers on a variety of surfaces such as tea bags, rice paper, glassine, deli papers, and more. With a variety of techniques, you will be able to create fabric paper and other prepared papers, either painted or printed. Additionally, you will discover the historic process of paste paper, a surface paper design with coloring paste. Then bring all your learnings together by making fabric fusion collages and adhering them to books and canvases. The possibilities are endless! There is a material fee of $63 due to the instructor on the first day of class.

Adults class. Instructor: Barbara Dimond

Black & White Film Photography
2023-01-25 18:00 - 21:00 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Step into the darkroom to explore silver-process black-and-white photography. You will learn how to process film and make handcrafted gelatin-silver prints from your negatives while gaining a better understanding of light, exposure, composition, and camera techniques. Expand your creativity and make each assignment a challenge to your artistic vision!

Ages 16-Adult. Instructor: Richard Rinker

Painting the Seasons: Winter
2023-01-28 10:00 - 14:00 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Nature is a gold mine of inspiration – what better way to explore its countless variations than by painting the seasons? The winter landscape lends itself to cool shadows and warm sunlit reflections. In this workshop, we will use a limited palette to simplify color mixing and create a harmonious painting. Attention will be given to creating shapes, values, and soft and hard edges for capturing the winter landscape.
Level II – This class is for those who have taken at least one class in the medium. Students should be comfortable with the basics of how to use and manipulate the medium.

Ages 16-Adult
