Colorado Creative Industries, under the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, was appropriated approximately 20 million dollars for the Community Revitalization Grants. These grants provide funding to mixed use projects that include support for the arts, housing, healthcare, childcare, and economic development. Nearly five million of those funds has been set aside for five projects that benefit rural Colorado.
All of these projects are designed to strengthen ties between the arts and the local communities while also fostering the diversification and growth of their respective economies. In Ignacio, located in Southwestern Colorado, a new community arts center will be built responding to community efforts to revitalize downtown, provide community gathering spaces, support local artists and artisans, and create destinations to attract visitors. The center will provide a permanent home for Dancing Spirit, an organization that supports art and personal expression as catalysts for community engagement and the celebration of diverse ideas, lifestyles, and beliefs. To the east, restoration of the World’s Wonder View Tower in Genoa – a small town of 145 – will serve as a cultural center for the community as well as an economic driver for Colorado’s Eastern Plains. The museum and cafe will be reopened along with the establishment of a local artisan shop as part of this project.
There are also multiple projects slated for Southern Colorado. Renovation of the historic Center Theater will preserve a space for the cinematic, theatrical, and other performing arts. Located in the heart of the San Luis Valley, this space has historically served as an important place for the Mejicano community as well as a venue for the infusion of culture beyond Colorado's state lines. In Antonito, the Sociedad Protección Mutua de Trabajadores Unidos (SPMDTU) building will be restored to its 1925 style and appearance. The SPMDTU, founded in the year 1900 is the oldest active Hispanic organization in the United States. This renovation will allow for the continuation of community events including performances by Spanish troupes, art displays, workshops, among others. A museum and visitor center will also be created, allowing for additional space for art displays and other cultural exhibitions. In Walsenburg, the historic La Plaza Inn – recently rendered inoperable due to historic flooding – will be converted into a mixed use space that will include an artist loft, speakeasy, and restaurant. Programming will be coordinated with the Museum of Friends, Miner’s Plaza, and the Fox Theater.
Three of these projects will feature a housing aspect as well. Three workforce housing units will be restored in the Center Theater as well as another thirteen in the La Plaza Inn. Another 6 lodging rooms will be added to the World’s Wonder View tower for an artist-in-residency program.
Credit: Sarah Harrison - OEDIT