CULTIVATING CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY IN SILVERTON & SAN JUAN COUNTY, COLORADO
Silverton is a quaint, historic mountain town of about 700 nestled in the heart of Southwest Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Once reliant on hard rock mining, our community is now blossoming into a vibrant arts destination with many talented creatives who call this place home. Founded in 2019, Silverton Creative District is a non-profit organization formed by local artists for local artists. We recognize the many ways that the arts enhance quality of life and serve as an economic driver in our community, and believe that developing a stronger arts presence in Silverton will create a more diversified economy in our mountain caldera.
SCD produces several annual events that bolster quality of life for residents and contribute to creative placemaking that puts Silverton on the map as an arts destination including: Silverton Summer Sounds, Silverton Creates! Arts Festival, First Friday Art Walk, and Mistletoe Market. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and volunteers, these programs are free to the public. In addition, SCD collaborates with a variety of partners, provides mentorship, expertise, and funding to realize creative projects in the community, and engages in destination marketing efforts that attract visitors to stay and play in Silverton and San Juan County.
SCD is currently working to attain certified Creative District Status through Colorado Creative Industries, a program of the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Silverton Creative District is dedicated to the mission of supporting the growth and sustainability of arts and culture in Silverton and San Juan County, Colorado, and providing economic prosperity for our artists and community.
Silverton Creative District (SCD) is a non-profit organization founded in 2019 dedicated to cultivating creativity and community in Silverton and San Juan County, Colorado.
Since its inception, SCD has played a vital role in celebrating, strengthening, and elevating the arts in San Juan County. We have promoted our local creatives through a digital artist directory, printed artist brochure, and online events calendar. We’ve collaborated with Silverton School on a youth ceramics program, participated in Rise Above Colorado’s youth mural project, partnered with The 9318 Collective and Silverton Powerhouse Collective on special events, served as a fiscal agent for Telluride Mountainfilm On Tour, and more.
SCD produces several signature events each year including: Mistletoe Market – a holiday arts and crafts fair featuring local artists and makers; First Friday Art Walk – celebrates local artists and galleries and encourages people to shop local on the first Friday of the month all summer long; Silverton Creates! – a week-long festival celebrating Silverton’s creative community; and Silverton Summer Sounds – a free, monthly, open-air concert series, produced in partnership with the Town of Silverton. We also host a quarterly Creatives Roundtable to convene the local arts community. These programs are free to the public, and bring accessible cultural experiences to more than 2,500 people annually.
With all our programs, SCD’s goal is twofold:
1) Enhance Quality of Life for Residents
SCD events contribute to community vitality and strengthen Silverton’s social fabric by providing opportunities for residents of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and walks of life to gather, connect, and enjoy experiences that otherwise would not be available in our remote mountain town.
2) Diversify and Strengthen the Economy
We recognize the value of the arts as an economic driver and believe that developing a stronger arts presence in Silverton will create a more diversified economy in our isolated frontier community. Creative placemaking is central to this goal. Our events bring downtown Silverton alive, and create appeal for visitors, encouraging them to enjoy Silverton’s many recreational and cultural offerings as they shop, dine, play, and stay. SCD also recirculates funds within the community, purchasing from local businesses and lodging establishments and hiring local musicians, event crews, photographers, and graphic designers.
Since its inception, SCD has become a thriving entity that is helping shape the future of our community. We have nurtured collaborative partnerships, produced professional events, established diverse funding streams, operated in a fiscally sound manner, and helped catalyze a cultural and artistic resurgence in Silverton. The next step in SCD’s evolution is attaining Creative District Certification through the State, which will open doors to funding, marketing and technical assistance that otherwise would not be available to our community.
Your support at this pivotal point in time will help elevate the arts in our community and build capacity for our organization that cements its stability, longevity and continued success into the future.
Organization name
Silverton Creative District
other names
SCD
2019
Tax id (EIN)
84-3229930
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
PO BOX 372San Juan County, CO, US
Silverton, CO, US, 81433