The Grand Lake Creative District invites the community to join in celebrating seven years of success endorsing Grand Lake as a coveted destination for the arts at an open house event taking place this Saturday. Guided by an advisory board comprising members from six nonprofit organizations specializing in artistic and cultural pursuits, the creative district collaborated on several projects since becoming a state-recognized creative district in 2018.
In just a few years it established the Rocky Mountain Folk School, the only traditional arts institution of its kind in the region and invested more than $130,000 in audio-visual technology improvements in the historic Grand Lake Community House. It also obtained a dedicated, centrally-located studio space from the town of Grand Lake to hold pottery classes and other unique artisan workshops year-round.
The organization is also close to constructing a new marquee to be installed in Town Park, which will serve as signage for the district’s sponsored events and activities. A Native American artist was commissioned for the sculpture’s design, which features a stone and metal archway depicting various wildlife to represent the connection between nature and the arts. The highly anticipated Space to Create live/work development is also expected to break ground in downtown Grand Lake in the spring, providing the creative community with affordable housing and studio workspace.
The Grand Lake Creative District invested $130,000 in audio-visual upgrades to the historic Grand Lake Community House.Grand Lake Creative District/Courtesy photo
In 2024 alone, the creative district supported six cultural events with funding and marketing. Most of the events occurred in Grand Lake’s winter and spring seasons to encourage visitation and economic activity during historically slower months, like an ice sculpting class in February, the Grand Arts Council’s Moors & McCumber concert in March and Colorado Children’s Choir in April.
The upcoming open house event will showcase the district’s recent accomplishments, as well as feature partner information booths and artistic creations of a few of its instructors. The organization will also provide updates on future initiatives to expand experiences for makers and emerging artists alike. It is especially excited to announce the recent acquisition of space for a new creative hub/workshop in collaboration with the town of Grand Lake. This addition would allow the district’s partner organizations to greatly expand makerspace offerings.
A model of the new marquee that will be installed at Grand Lake Town Park, which will serve as signage for Grand Lake Creative District’s sponsored events and activities.Grand Lake Creative District/Courtesy photo
Grand Lake Mayor Steve Kudron explained, “The Town continues to invest resources to not only support the efforts of the creative district, but also enhance the community and provide local residents with places to gather and things to do year-round, and especially in the wintertime.”
With each new creative project and development, the creative district aims to boost the local economy by enhancing visitor experience, specifically to boost sales tax revenue from September through June. It also hopes its efforts will lead to a more diverse population by attracting creative entrepreneurs to the community, and create more permanent employment opportunities with higher wages, thus enriching the local quality of life.
Join the Grand Lake Creative District at the Grand Lake Community House on Saturday, Oct. 12, from 5-7 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be served, and inspiration, creativity and collaboration will be celebrated. Learn more at GrandLakeCreativeDistrict.org.
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