Fine Arts Center

World of WearableArt™
2019-06-22 10:00 - 2019-09-22 17:00 (America/Denver) | Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, United States
This year marks the 31st anniversary of the World of WearableArt™ (known as WOW®), New Zealand’s largest arts show. WOW® is an international design competition that attracts hundreds of entries, with an annual awards show that presents the finalist garments in a theatrical extravaganza that collides at the intersection of fashion and art. The rules of the competition encourage anything that is in any way wearable, as long as it is original, beautifully designed, and well-made, resulting in garments that are constructed from an extraordinary array of traditional and unconventional materials. The challenge: take art off the wall and adorn onto the human form. The 32 award-winning garments presented in this exhibition represent some of the most original, provocative, and unorthodox objects in the WOW Museum collection, demonstrating what designers from a wide variety of occupations can imagine when they are released from the constraints of “fashion” and are encouraged to see the human body as a blank canvas. “Think of an Alexander McQueen show meets the Nutcracker on crack and then take it up a notch.” –Huffington Post

Melanie Yazzie: Finding Oneself Again and Again
2019-08-24 - 2020-02-23
Melanie Yazzie is informed by the Diné philosophy of hozho — translated as blessings, beauty, and harmony. After experiencing illness, she challenged herself to create artworks that find ways to heal from and to balance the negative effects of settler colonialism that Indigenous people live with on a daily basis. Her earlier works focused on calling attention to the harsh realities of racism, poverty, and loss of home territories. She continues to acknowledge these struggles, but now layers her artworks with recuperative images. As a Mellon Foundation Artist in Residence at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College in 2018, Yazzie began using printing plates recovered from a 1939 book project about Diné healing practices. By layering the fractional images of the color-separation plates with her own iconography formed from memories of people and places, Yazzie asserts the ongoing significance of Indigenous knowledge. This exhibition presents recent works created during the Mellon Foundation residency and over the course of a very productive time following her experience at Colorado Springs.

Figure Drawing & Painting at the FAC
2019-09-20 11:00 - 13:00
In celebration of the Broadmoor Art Academy’s 100th anniversary join local artist Erin Gillespie in the courtyard or sculpture garden of the Fine Arts Center for drawing and painting the figure directly from a live model through long and short poses, as well as demonstrations and examples of contemporary and classical figure drawing. Demonstrations will be done in graphite, charcoal, and paint from gestures to finished works. Minimal art supplies and easels will be provided for participants. Bring your own box of tools if you wish. Free and all ages welcome!
Please check in at the Fine Arts Center’s front desk for event location.

Detour
2019-09-21 - 2019-12-08
Thomas Evans (aka Detour) is a Denver-based painter, muralist, and installation artist, internationally renowned for his brightly colored portraits and large-scale artworks. Inspired by breakdancing and hip hop, Evans often exists at the intersection of art and music, notably with his innovative use of technology to create touch sensitive surfaces that respond with sound. For years, the artist dreamed of creating touchable, interactive paintings that would stimulate multiple senses at once, breaking down barriers and assumptions surrounding fine art. That vision was finally brought to fruition with a major public debut during Evans’ stint as a Creative in Residence at the Denver Art Museum in the fall of 2017. As he mixes new media with traditionally accepted modes of representation, Evans challenges expectations of static artworks that are positioned literally (and figuratively) beyond the viewer’s reach. Through physical engagement with the work, museum visitors become active participants in the creative process as collaborators with the artist and fellow guests, resulting in a unique, memorable experience. For Evans, art should be “a part of your life, rather than just in it.”
Now a Colorado icon, Evans dedicated himself to a full-time studio practice a mere half dozen years ago, and quickly exploded into the Denver arts scene. His 2012 MBA degree from the University of Colorado Denver has served him well, implementing marketing savvy to build his artistic spirit of social activism and passion for community into a professional career. National acclaim came in 2016 with acknowledgement from the Huffington Post about They Still Live, a series combining photography, DNA mapping, and African objects, sponsored by Ancestry.com. The artist and his work have been featured by CNN, numerous digital and print publications, radio and television outlets, and most recently, on the Netflix show My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, for which Evans painted two portraits, one of the eponymous host and one of guest artist Jay-Z.
Evans adopted the moniker of Detour as a break dancer living in Germany, and has since traveled to locations across the globe, from Tanzania to Argentina and France. For Evans, experimentation is essential to growth, and the willingness to explore a different path—taking an actual detour—is what helped him to make a dramatic professional shift and begin to find his artistic voice. Yet, Denver remains home for the artist, who celebrates its distinct cultures, relaxed style, and supportive art scene with growth that parallels his own development as a creative force. In his artist statement, he says that his work “consists of channeling concepts and issues about the urban arts culture through portraits of minority and urban subjects,” hoping to raise awareness of certain communities with artistic interventions as a “building block between the viewer and the message,” leading to greater understanding.
For more about Thomas “Detour” Evans, visit: www.iamdetour.com

Busytown: The Musical
2019-09-14 10:00 - 11:00, 2019-09-21 13:00 - 14:00, 2019-09-15 13:00 - 14:00
Busytown is always buzzing with activity, but what do people do all day? That’s where Huckle Cat comes in – he’ll take us on a tour of his great neighborhood, and there is so much to see and do, and so many wonderful friends to visit. Huckle shows us how Farmer Pig and Grocer Cat work together to bring food to the town. Construction Worker and his crew build new houses, and Firechief and the gang keep them safe. Isn’t it wonderful how everyone works together to keep Busytown busy?

Painting Florals & Landscapes in Alcohol Inks
2019-09-21 10:00 - 16:00
Paint vividly colored landscapes and florals using alcohol inks on a slick painting surface with little to no drawing necessary. The instructor will present and demonstrate a painting of florals in the morning and a painting of a landscape/seascape in the afternoon. You’ll have ample time both before and after lunch to complete several small paintings using the techniques presented while working one-on-one with the instructor. All skill levels are welcome.

In celebration of the Broadmoor Art Academy’s 100th anniversary this opportunity reminiscent of the experiences visitors would’ve had at the BAA.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
2019-09-26 19:30 - 21:30, 2019-09-29 14:00 - 16:00, 2019-10-02 19:00 - 21:00
Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain. He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched, and he distrusts strangers. It’s seven minutes after midnight and Christopher stands beside his neighbor’s dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a garden fork. Finding himself under suspicion, Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington, and he carefully records each fact of the crime. His detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a thrilling journey that upturns his world.

Artist Talk with Becky Wareing Steele
2019-09-27 17:30 - 18:30
Join artist Becky Wareing Steele for a conversation centered on community as it relates to her ongoing exploration of the concept of a Utopia. Utopia: A New Society for All brings virtual reality into the real world, looking into what it takes to build a successful society as diorama based installation art. Wareing Steele will discuss what brought her into her role as Founder and Facilitator of Utopia and how she’s continued to build a sense of community with citizens around the world through this community-based project.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Backstage Tour
2019-10-10 22:00 - 23:00
Join us for a FREE guided backstage tour following the third Thursday performance.

Celebrate 100 Years with the FAC
2019-10-12
Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (galleries open until 7:30 p.m.)
Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903
FREE and open to the public
Join us as we celebrate the Broadmoor Art Academy’s official birthday and the opening of The Broadmoor Art Academy and Its Legacy, 1919-1970, an FAC Legacy Series exhibition that brings together hundreds of works from dozens of local, national, private, and public collections, interpreted by some of the finest regional art historians.
This community celebration will include FREE museum admission, artist demonstrations, informal gallery discussions in various exhibitions throughout the day, a special film screening, hands-on art activities from the Bemis School of Art, food trucks, sweet birthday treats and more!
Additional ticketed theatre events for the day include:
10 a.m. Busytown performance in Music Room
1 p.m. Busytown performance in Music Room
7:30 p.m. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time performance on the Mainstage
Pre-theatre dining:
Taste restaurant at the FAC features vibrant flavors, sustainable ingredients, and incredible mountain views. Executive chef Edward Salazar creates special menus themed to each Main Stage theatre production. Full menu available online; call (719) 634-5583 for reservations. Details
Special Membership Offer:
For a limited time only, the FAC will offer a special 100th Anniversary Medallion Club family membership for $100, which includes a special FAC branded gift! Details
Special Theatre Subscription Offer:
The FAC is offering a special 100th anniversary theatre subscription for first-time subscribers for only $100 which includes one ticket to each of the five Mainstage productions: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Sound of Music, The Bridges of Madison County, Silent Sky and In the Heights. Details
Further details on anniversary related events and happenings can be found here

The Broadmoor Art Academy and Its Legacy, 1919–1970
2019-10-12 - 2020-01-12
On October 15, 1919, the Broadmoor Art Academy (BAA) was born. Through the generosity of Julie and Spencer Penrose, the art school was housed in their former residence at 30 West Dale Street. Drawn to the idea of exploring the Wild West, artists came to Colorado Springs to experience its clear blue skies, dramatic lighting, and rugged landscape. Countless influential artists came to the school through 1935, contributing to its inspiring and creative environment. From great American Impressionists and Post-Impressionists to celebrated muralists, Regionalists, and Social Realists, the Academy was concurrently rooted in tradition and responsive to the zeitgeist of the first half of the 20th century. Built on the foundation of the prestigious Broadmoor Art Academy, the Fine Arts Center opened in 1936 with a new name and new building on the same site, perpetuating the legacy of the BAA. Elevating techniques in printmaking and embracing the language of abstraction, the mid-century was a period of innovation that progressed toward the establishment of a unique regional artistic identity. In 2019, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College continues to celebrate and embody the vision of our predecessors. We honor Colorado’s arts and cultural heritage through vibrant programming in our non-profit art museum, performing arts theatre, and arts education center. Proudly looking back on 100 years, we are inspired to continue progressing boldly toward tomorrow, creating an institution in service to our local and global communities. The FAC of 2019 is testament to our storied past, and the future will be what we dream of today. This FAC Legacy Series exhibition is a confluence of hundreds of works from dozens of local, national, private, and public collections, and interpreted by some of the finest regional art historians.
