Fine Arts Center

Agents of Care Opening Celebration
2023-08-18 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Celebrate the opening of Agents of Care: A Collections Transparency Project with a (portrait of) Elsie Palmer inspired garden party. Located in newly transformed galleries at the FAC, Agents of Care highlights the often unseen, behind-the-scenes collections-based work of the museum.

Agents of Care kicks off with an investigation into the exciting and sometimes unexpected lives of artworks including the Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer, or A Lady in White by John Singer Sargent. Enjoy light refreshments, lawn games, create your own expressions of care to send to loved ones, and more at this free event.
Creative garden party looks are encouraged!
RSVP FOR THE GARDEN PARTY
Image: Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer, or A Lady In White (detail), John Singer Sargent (American [born Italy]), Oil on canvas, way lined. 1889-1890

Museum Free Day
2023-05-19 10:00 - 20:00, 2023-05-13 10:00 - 17:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Museum Free Days are offered the second Saturday and third Friday of each month. See what’s on view in the museum

Agents of Care: The Lives of Objects
2023-08-18 - 2023-10-20 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Agents of Care: A Collections Transparency Project kicks off with an exploration of the storied and sometimes complicated lives of objects. Included in our investigation are several works from the collection that will soon be loaned for exhibitions at other museums including Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer, or A Lady in White by John Singer Sargent and Dark Iris No.1 by Georgia O’Keeffe. We will also explore various textiles from our Southwest collection and many of our flat works of art.

Agents of Care: FAC member preview
2023-08-17 17:00 - 19:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
FAC Members are invited to a special preview of Agents of Care: A Collections Transparency Project. Located in newly transformed galleries at the FAC, Agents of Care highlights the often unseen, behind-the-scenes collections-based work of the Museum. Agents of Care kicks off with an investigation into the exciting and sometimes unexpected lives of artworks including the Portrait of Miss Elsie Palmer, or A Lady in White by John Singer Sargent.
This initiative, the first of its kind for the FAC, will radically increase access to the collection for Colorado College faculty, students, and our broader public. Through an ever-rotating series of presentations and programs — including hands-on workshops — Agents of Care provides a platform for critical conversations about museum practice while making transparent the Museum’s ongoing effort to enhance its stewardship of over 17,000 works.
Cash bar and light refreshments will be available. Brief remarks by Director of Visual Arts and Museum Michael Christiano at 5:45 p.m.
Please RSVP to the member preview
Not a member? Join today for as little as $5 a month!

Repujado: Mexican Tin Art
2023-08-14 14:00 - 17:00 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Please join us for a lesson on the history and tradition of Mexican metal embossing or “repujado.” “Repujado,” also known as embossing metal, is the art of working in metallic foil to give volume and relief to a decorative design. You will learn how to emboss and deboss on tooling aluminum and create your own design, engrave it into aluminum, and incorporate new techniques into your art. Supplies will be provided.

Ages 12–16

Just the FACts Trivia Night
2023-08-11 17:30 - 19:30 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Join us for a trivia night led by Bob Morsch 5:30–7:30 p.m. Be prepared for a multitude of surprises around the theme of art.
The ticket price includes dinner!
$21 (FAC members $19)
Trivia Tickets

Crafts + Cocktails: Macrame plant hanger
2023-08-11 17:30 - 19:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
A fun filled evening of crafting and cocktails awaits! We’ll be diving into the art of macrame, where you’ll learn to knot and weave your own macrame plant hanger! No prior experience is necessary – our expert instructor Megan Dulin will guide you through the process step-by-step. And as you work on your masterpiece, you can purchase a delicious drink to sip on while you craft. Space is limited so bring your friends or come solo, either way you’ll have a fantastic time socializing and creating something beautiful!
$30 (FAC members $20)
Drinks available for purchase. Credit card only. Bar will open at 5 p.m.
Purchase tickets

Repujado: Mexican Tin Art
2023-08-07 14:00 - 17:00 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Please join us for a lesson on the history and tradition of Mexican metal embossing or “repujado.” “Repujado,” also known as embossing metal, is the art of working in metallic foil to give volume and relief to a decorative design. You will learn how to emboss and deboss on tooling aluminum and create your own design, engrave it into aluminum, and incorporate new techniques into your art.
Level I – This class is for those with some familiarity with the medium, however, beginners are welcome. This could include informal use of the medium outside of the classroom.

Ages 16–Adult

FAC Member Tour: Krista Franklin
2023-08-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
August Member Tour | Saturday August 5, 12 p.m.
Join Katja Rivera, Curator of Contemporary Art, for a tour of the exhibition Solo(s): Krista Franklin, which draws on the artist’s vast range of materials and references, situated at the intersection of poetics, popular culture, and the dynamic histories of the African Diaspora. This exhibition brings together for the first time the artist’s “cover art” collages, made for books and vinyl records.
RSVP for tour

First Friday Art Party
2023-08-04 17:00 - 20:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Join us for our First Friday celebration from 5–8 p.m. Enjoy the stunning ambiance offered by this chic, historic venue.

FREE museum admission
New art in Deco Lounge by Ian Stewart
Music by Jevíon Íce and the Íce Cubes (Alternative and Neo soul — four piece band with guitar, bass, piano, and bango drums)
FREE downtown shuttle, THE ZEB, running along Tejon Street to downtown art galleries

Footloose: A Youth Rep Ensemble Production
2023-07-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the adjustment to his new high school. What he isn’t prepared for are the local laws — including a ban on dancing — an edict from the local preacher bent on exercising control over the town’s youth. When the Reverend’s rebellious daughter shows interest in the “new kid,” her boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren’s reputation and many of the locals are eager to believe the worst about him. With its Oscar-nominated hit score (as well as many a nod to Kevin Bacon’s legendary performance),this musical celebrates the exhilaration of youth, the wisdom found through communication, and the power of forgiveness.

Solo(s): Krista Franklin
2023-07-28 - 2023-12-16 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Krista Franklin (American, b. 1970) creates books, poetry, collages, handmade paper, installations, murals, performances, sound works, sculptures, and lectures. Solo(s): Krista Franklin draws on the artist’s vast range of materials and references, situated at the intersection of poetics, popular culture, and the dynamic histories of the African Diaspora. Often referring to the performance of a single musician, the exhibition’s title, ​Solo(s) is instead guided by the artist’s commitment to collaboration with fellow artists, writers, and musicians. As a political gesture, Franklin appropriates text and images from vintage magazine articles and other printed matter that she collects. The very act of collaging—cutting, pasting, and juxtaposing—puts Franklin’s works in direct conversation with the materials of other photographers and writers, transporting her to the time of their original publication.

Make a Garden Gnome
2023-07-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Once dried, gourd shells are hard and thick like wood and are easy to paint, decorate, and are weatherproof. All participants will create at least one indoor/outdoor art piece using a dried gourd. There is a material fee of $8 due to the instructor on the first day of class to purchase a gourd. All other supplies are provided.
Level A – All levels welcome.

Ages 16–Adult

Yoga at the FAC
2023-07-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Join us for a one-hour yoga class with instructor Rebecca Myers in our beautiful glass-walled Smith Family gallery. Participants are invited to stay and enjoy the museum for free after class. All experience levels welcome. Please bring your own mat. Water is allowed during class, but not in the museum galleries. Suggested donation of $10 to benefit the Fine Arts Center (you’ll also have the option to donate at class).
Sign up for class
Space is limited

After Hours at the FAC with Gray Duck Productions
2023-07-21 19:30 - 22:30 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Join us 7:30–10:30 p.m. for a set of three solo acts (Alex Koshak, Bryan Sespico, and Evan Courtland) performing in the FAC’s Smith Family Gallery. The bar in Deco Lounge will be open until 9:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public. Donations to support FAC programs are greatly appreciated.

FAC Members Downtown History Stroll: The Great Outdoors & AdAmAn Alley
2023-07-15 10:00 - 11:30 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
What does the “Great Outdoors” mean to you? Boasting over 300 days of sunshine a year, stunning scenery, and a mild climate, it is no surprise that spending time in nature is an important part of our past and present. From reverence, play, grit, and health, this tour examines our community’s unique relationship with our environment. A must-see stop is an exploration of the newly completed AdAmAn Alley, a creative placemaking project examining the storied history of the AdAmAn club, which since 1922 has climbed Pikes Peak and lit up the sky with a dramatic fireworks display at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve.
Join a knowledgeable guide from the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum for this 3/4 mile downtown stroll lasting approximately 1.5 hours.
Buy ticket

Surfaces, Surfaces, Surfaces
2023-07-13 18:00 - 21:00 | Bemis School of Art, 818 Pelham Pl, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Add some dimension, texture, and depth to your ceramic surfaces using these stylistic methods in slip, underglazes, and cone 5 glazes. In this workshop, you will learn to build some forms that will act as canvases to play with different surfaces and application techniques on a live wet clay form and later, a bisque form. Want to loosen up? This exciting workshop is for you!
Level A – All levels welcome.
Adults

FAC Happy Hour at The Carter Payne
2023-07-13 17:00 - 18:30 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Join us for our next FAC Happy Hour event of the year and celebrate the “liquid arts” with us anytime from 5–6:30 p.m. No formal programming involved, just a casual gathering of FAC supporters getting out to socialize in new and different venues across our beautiful city. We hope to see you at The Carter Payne downtown at 320 S Weber St.
Stop by the FAC table and enter to win two tickets to your choice performance in our 2023–2024 theatre season. We’ll also be handing out museum admission passes.
No RSVP needed.
FAC members and theatre subscribers will get one buy one get one free on beer, wine, or cocktails. Join today!

First Friday Art Party
2023-07-07 17:00 - 20:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
Join us for a special First Friday celebration from 5–8 p.m. featuring a live performance with Eiko Otake and David Harrington followed by an artist talk.
Evening includes:

FREE museum admission — see what’s on view
5:30–7:30 p.m. Eiko Otake and David Harrington performance followed by artist talk with Philip Bither, Senior Curator for the Performing Arts, Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis*
5:30–7:30 p.m. Roma Ransom will be playing in Deco Lounge
Art in Deco Lounge by Alan Baccarella
FREE downtown shuttle, THE ZEB, running along Tejon Street to downtown art galleries

*In celebration of Otake’s solo exhibition I Invited Myself, vol. II, the Department of Theater and Dance at Colorado College is posting a series of two-day events in the Colorado Springs community.
In this site-specific performance, Otake will perform a series of actions in different museum locations while leading audiences to her exhibition on the second floor. Audiences should be prepared to follow Otake and find places to sit or stand in each location. Please be mindful that site-specific performances do not always offer clear sightlines, leaving it to audiences to discover how to best arrange themselves in the moment. There will be limited seating available for audience members who need physical support during the performance. Audience members may request mobility/physical assistance at patron services.
Please RSVP for the performance and talk on July 7
All events are free and open to the public.

About Roma Ransom
Great music should do three things- connect you to the past, inspire you to envision the future, and find you wholly in the present moment. Roma Ransom does all three. Their repertoire includes old-time traditional ballads like Shady Grove and St.James Infirmary as well as sounds from European cultures, mainly that of Romania (hence the duo’s name) yet the music of Roma Ransom is distinctly their own. The sultry sweetness of Grace Easley on vocals paired with the couples’ vast instrumental array combine to form a style that can fit the mood for any setting. The couple was trained classically from an early age, (Grace on violin/viola, Gordon on guitar) making them an excellent choice for weddings and banquets in addition to their usual venues, namely restaurants, coffee shops and pubs.

David Harrington
The Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets do. —The New York Times
David Harrington is the artistic director, founder and violinist of the Kronos Quartet. For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has combined a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience.
In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our era, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 70 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, and collaborating with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers.
Through its nonprofit organization, Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), Kronos has commissioned more than 1,000 works and arrangements for string quartet —including the recently completed 50 for the Future library of free, educational repertoire. Kronos has received more than 40 awards, including three Grammy Awards and the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes—among the most prestigious awards given to musicians.
Eiko Otake Eiko
Otake dances with a stillness at once excruciating and exquisite. —Jill J. Tan for Guernica
Born and raised in Japan and a resident of New York since 1976, Eiko Otake is a movement-based, interdisciplinary artist. She worked for more than 40 years as Eiko & Koma, but since 2014 has been working on her own projects.
Eiko has performed her solo project, A Body in Places, at over 70 sites, including Danspace Project PLATFORM and three full-day performances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2017, she launched The Duet Project, a series of experiments with a diverse range of artists both living and dead. For the occasion of the 20-year anniversary of 9/11, Eiko presented her monologue Slow Turn.
Since 2014, Eiko and photographer historian William Johnston visited irradiated Fukushima several times to capture photographs of her dancing in Fukushima. A Body in Fukushima, the book, was published in 2021, and Eiko edited a film of the same name, which premiered at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight 2022.
Eiko is the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, Doris Duke Award, Scripps American Dance Festival Award, and a Bessie’s Awards and its special citation.

What’s David Listening To?
2023-07-07 12:00 - 14:00 | Colorado Springs Conservatory, 415 Sahwatch St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
At the Colorado Springs Conservatory
A collective listening session, David Harrington, founder & artistic director of the Kronos Quartet, shares a selection of recordings from the vast music collection he has built over his four decades of tours with the quartet. Together with Harrington, listeners explore some of the wide-ranging sounds that have inspired and intrigued this life-long artist.

David Harrington
The Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets do. —The New York Times
David Harrington is the artistic director, founder and violinist of the Kronos Quartet. For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has combined a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience.
In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our era, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 70 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, and collaborating with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers.
Through its nonprofit organization, Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), Kronos has commissioned more than 1,000 works and arrangements for string quartet —including the recently completed 50 for the Future library of free, educational repertoire. Kronos has received more than 40 awards, including three Grammy Awards and the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes—among the most prestigious awards given to musicians.

A Friendship in Motion
With the rich collaborative history between Kronos Quartet and Eiko & Koma, David continues to gift Eiko with his sound for her media works including the pieces shown currently at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. In February of this year, Eiko created eyes closed, a new piece she performed with Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall which was hailed by the New York Times as “spectacularly imaginative.” The coming collaboration marks David’s first time performing with Eiko as a solo violinist.
In celebration of Otake’s solo exhibition I Invited Myself, vol. II, the Department of Theater and Dance at Colorado College is posting a series of two-day events in the Colorado Springs community.
All events are free and open to the public.

Eiko Otake at the Historic Evergreen Cemetery
2023-07-06 18:00 - 21:00 | Evergreen Cemetery, 1005 Hancock Expy, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
A Conversation & Performance with Eiko Otake & David Harrington
6 p.m. Cemetery as a Place for Art and Reflection:
Public talk with Harry Weil, Vice-President of Education and Public Programs, Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
Preceding the With the Dead performance, this a public talk will draw attention to cemeteries as contemplative and complex sites in which history, memories, community, and artistry converge. Harry Weil will converse with Evergreen Cemetery Director Cheryl D. Godbout and Dianne Hartshorn representing Heritage Evergreen.
Cemeteries are places of memory and contemplation, where a community’s stories and histories lie, where we are reminded of our mortality. During the pandemic, Eiko performed in two cemeteries to reflect on and converse with the dead.
You can’t really come to the cemetery and not think about death or the people who have died. We know more about living. But we all die. I thought that performing was my practice of dying. But the practice of dying is not dying. We learn about death by attending to other people’s dying. But we also learn about death by missing the dead. —Eiko Otake
7 p.m. With the Dead
performance
As Eiko Otake’s six-month exhibition at the Fine Art Center at Colorado College nears its closing on July 30, Eiko will return to Colorado Springs with David Harrington, the artistic director and founder of the world-renowned Kronos Quartet. Their long-time friendship is matched by their international recognition as some of the most notable performing artists working today. With the Dead is an adaptation of Otake’s 2020 performance at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY. Colorado Springs community members and former students of Eiko will join these two distinguished artists in their performance at the historic Evergreen Cemetery so we can collectively reflect on dying and the dead.
I dance thinking about the recent dead, and the dead from the past centuries, including many whose graves were never built. —Eiko Otake
8 p.m. Reception
Eiko and David will talk with audience members and participants.

In celebration of Otake’s solo exhibition I Invited Myself, vol. II, the Department of Theater and Dance at Colorado College is hosting a series of two-day events in the Colorado Springs community.
All events are free and open to the public.

A Friendship in Motion
With the rich collaborative history between Kronos Quartet and Eiko & Koma, David continues to gift Eiko with his sound for her media works including the pieces shown currently at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. In February of this year, Eiko created eyes closed, a new piece she performed with Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall which was hailed by the New York Times as “spectacularly imaginative.” The coming collaboration marks David’s first time performing with Eiko as a solo violinist.

David Harrington
The Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets do. —The New York Times
David Harrington is the artistic director, founder and violinist of the Kronos Quartet. For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has combined a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience.
In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our era, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 70 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, and collaborating with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers.
Through its nonprofit organization, Kronos Performing Arts Association (KPAA), Kronos has commissioned more than 1,000 works and arrangements for string quartet —including the recently completed 50 for the Future library of free, educational repertoire. Kronos has received more than 40 awards, including three Grammy Awards and the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes—among the most prestigious awards given to musicians.
Eiko Otake
Otake dances with a stillness at once excruciating and exquisite. —Jill J. Tan for Guernica
Born and raised in Japan and a resident of New York since 1976, Eiko Otake is a movement-based, interdisciplinary artist. She worked for more than 40 years as Eiko & Koma, but since 2014 has been working on her own projects.
Eiko has performed her solo project, A Body in Places, at over 70 sites, including Danspace Project PLATFORM and three full-day performances at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2017, she launched The Duet Project, a series of experiments with a diverse range of artists both living and dead. For the occasion of the 20-year anniversary of 9/11, Eiko presented her monologue Slow Turn.
Since 2014, Eiko and photographer historian William Johnston visited irradiated Fukushima several times to capture photographs of her dancing in Fukushima. A Body in Fukushima, the book, was published in 2021, and Eiko edited a film of the same name, which premiered at MoMA’s Doc Fortnight 2022.
Eiko is the recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, Doris Duke Award, Scripps American Dance Festival Award, and a Bessie’s Awards and its special citation.

Crafts + Cocktails: Macrame keychain wristlet
2023-06-23 17:30 - 18:30 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
A fun filled evening of crafting and cocktails awaits! We’ll be diving into the art of macrame, where you’ll learn to knot and weave your own macrame keychain wristlet! No prior experience is necessary – our expert instructor Megan Dunlin will guide you through the process step by step. And as you work on your masterpiece, you can purchase a delicious drink to sip on while you craft. Space is limited so bring your friends or come solo, either way you’ll have a fantastic time socializing and creating something beautiful!
Register for Craft + Cocktail

Culture Pass Discount Days
2023-06-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
The Fine Arts Center has teamed up with Pikes Peak Library District for Culture Pass Discount Days this summer. PPLD cardholders will receive free admission to the FAC museum on Friday, June 23 by simply showing their library card or sharing their card number.
PPLD will be here with their mobile library from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with games and activities. You can even check out books or a get a library card for free admission. The FAC’s Bemis School of Art will also have a hands-on art activity.
Visit ppld.org to plan your summer of culture
