Background Statement
For more than 50 years, Carbondale Arts has served as a conduit for creatives to engage with educators, commerce, tourism, and other non-profit organizations. It's an intrinsic part of the community fabric and instrumental in defining Carbondale as a thriving and vibrant community. Carbondale Arts started as an idea hatched by hippies in the early 1970's when a traveling chautauqua passed through town. This sparked inspiration and the start of the historic Carbondale Mountain Fair. The arts council grew out of that inspiration providing arts opportunities all year long.
Our home is The Launchpad, a shared space with Dance Initiative. It is a hub of activity where community members enjoy classes, gallery exhibitions, performances, edible garden spaces, and interact with creatives from across the valley.
Known for the annual Carbondale Mountain Fair, Fashion Show (Green is The New Black), and Día de los Muertos celebration, Carbondale Arts hosts gatherings that connect our community of many cultures and ages.
Arts education is an integral part of our mission to build community through art. Our year-round education offerings include the Creative Apprentice Program that pays teens to work with local artists to create community projects; ArtLab, a drop in after-school program for middle and high school students to explore new art making techniques and creative summer camps that immerse kids of all ages in week long opportunities that combine visual art with other experiences in music, dance or outdoors exploration.
In 2016, Carbondale Arts helped facilitate state certification as a Colorado Creative District, providing enormous benefit to the town. The Carbondale Creative District is a program that focuses on building the vitality of the local creative economy and Carbondale’s historic downtown through advocating for affordable living and working spaces, supporting businesses and the community through promotion and resources and activating civic spaces through events and public art.