Give Thanks! Art Creates Community

I’ve decided to approach the question rolling through everyone’s minds this week. What am I thankful for? Well, this may be a lengthy blog post…
To start, I have this pretty sweet job. I manage the most comprehensive art and culture events calendar in the entire Pikes Peak Region (that’s PeakRadar.com, maybe you’ve heard of it.) I’m extremely thankful to work for the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region. This is an organization that can nurture creativity while also encouraging individual working professionals to achieve even more than they may have expected. As you may know, our Executive Director, Bettina Swigger has accepted the position of Executive Director of Festival Mozaic in San Luis Obispo, CA. I know she is sad to be leaving our community, but couldn’t pass up such a tremendous opportunity. COPPeR has seen so much growth lately, I can’t ignore the fact that someday I may have an opportunity just as grand as Bettina’s, all because I’ve started off with such a fabulous organization and group of supporters. And, though I expected I’d have more time to take notes, I am thankful for the short time I spent working with Bettina, learning from her example and words of wisdom. I’ll miss her every single day…but am excited to have a place to stay when I visit the California Central Coast!
COPPeR has been going strong for four years, working to unite our community by creativity. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s working! Just take a stroll through downtown Colorado Springs. You’ll find artwork on the medians, thanks to the Art on the Streets project. You’ll see masterpieces in shop windows from local vendors. Maybe you’ll hear a local musician on the street or playing onstage inside Studio Bee at the Pikes Peak Center or playing outdoors at one of our fabulous summer concerts in the park. Then, if watching or listening isn’t quite enough, we’re asked to engage in art as well. Audiences have become artists. Artists have become friends working together to bring more awareness and appreciation to all Pikes Peak Region citizens. Art really is everywhere, and I for one can’t imagine it any other way. Thank you Colorado Springs, COPPeR and all the individuals and organizations that make our creative lifestyles possible.

"Create is the new consume"

Having just returned from the National Arts Marketing Project Conference in San Jose, California, I'm pretty jazzed about all things art and culture in our area and their potential.
The day one of my trip was spent at the first-ever Artsopolis meeting for all cities and sister sites of our own PeakRadar.com! It was great to put faces with the names and emails I've grown to know so well. We shared best practices, ideas and a desire to build a learning community for site managers. This will help me keep up-to-date on what other cities are doing with their sites, so I can make ours best for you. Speaking of, be thinking of ideas or suggestions for the site...I'll be asking for them at the end of this post!
Then, the NAMP Conference started on Nov. 13. The speakers were phenomenal, and I went to some great breakout sessions and dine-arounds as well. With the help of all the presenters and other participants, I now have more knowledge about social media, fundraising and awareness campaigns, community partnerships and patron cultivation.
Overall, this trip was groundbreaking for me, the new PeakRadar Gal. I left Colorado knowing I would meet some awesome new people as well as learn more about arts marketing. I returned with a profound new passion for everything we can do for arts and culture in the Pikes Peak Region. I can't think of a better place to nurture creativity with some of the most intelligent and passionate people in the industry. I know this is where I belong and I can't wait to make awesome things happen!
That being said, as the title of this post suggests, PeakRadar.com recognizes that simply watching art and culture isn't enough for most of us. We want to take action! PeakRadar.com wants to help you do that--with more opportunities for interactivity, sharing, and connections. What do you want to see happening? How can PeakRadar.com help you create? I want to hear your thoughts and suggestions. So, keep me posted!

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Hello from Brett!

You might notice that the PeakRadar.com has changed managers. Well, that's because I'm Brett Garman, your new PeakRadar Gal and PeakRadar.com Manager at COPPeR!
I'm really excited to be here and can't wait to help you find any and all art and culture events in the Pikes Peak area! There is always something to do...so let's get to it!

Lookie here ...

Jeez ... it's been months since I've blogged. Is it because I'm an incredibly dull person and really have nothing to say? Maybe. I'd prefer to chalk it up to being so "on the go" that it's never convenient to take the time to find something to write about. Still a cruddy excuse.

I've been taking a lot of pictures since July, so what you see below is a small sampling of the shenanigans I've been enjoying since summer has turned to fall.

To the left, some Wet Mountains (in)action at a friend's yurt. We took a long weekend (and a yummy keg of Bristol Brewing Company's Compass IPA) to stretch our legs, laugh and enjoy the outdoors a little.

I was still recovering from a bicycle spill, so I remember being in a fair amount of pain on this trip, but I also remember some delicious food and companionship to make me feel better.

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The airborne gentleman in the photo to the right is my buddy Nate, who's a FutureSelf youth art student. He'd been helping us setup the big geodesic dome for Flaunt: Evolution, a fundraiser disguised as a heck of a party that occurred this past September. The event benefitted FutureSelf, and two organizations from UCCS: Theatreworks and the Gallery of Contemporary Art. Although the star of the evening was a torrential rainstorm, those in attendance seemed to be enjoying themselves.

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This is my good friend Melanie Grimes shooting pictures of attendees at this year's Pikes Peak Arts Council Awards. The 2009 PPAC Awards were a lot of fun, and people seemed to really enjoy Stargazers Theater and Event Center the venue for this year. Among the honorees were Blake Milteer from the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, UCCS Theaterworks and two of my favorite local musical acts: Edith Makes a Paper Chain, who won for best popular music ensemble, and Cahalen David Morrison, winning a PPAC award for best popular music/solo or duo.

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Finally (and most recently), I was asked to fill in behind the drums for a local group of musicians performing a Halloween-ish tribute to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. We played two shows this past "holiday" weekend and they seemed to be well received. Here are two shots from those shows, one of me as E St. Band drummer Max Weinberg playing my new drums (Yamaha Maple Custom Absolutes -- a birthday gift to myself), and the other photo is of Mike "The Boss" Stephens as Bruce. (These two photos were taken by Anthony Graham of Broken Glass Photography.)

Although I've been concentrating on ramping up our Twitter and Facebook endeavors, I won't keep avoiding updates to this blog. Look for more in the next week. And remember, there's always lots of great events at PeakRadar.com. We built the site so that it's much more difficult to say that there isn't anything to do in the Pikes Peak region.

Thanks for reading,
Kevin J.
PeakRadar.com
COPPeR

"World Piece" music project

So, the fantastic and talented Jim Bosse from the Colorado Springs Guitar Society posted an event listing for an upcoming concert with a brilliant young Argentinian guitarist/composer named Claudio Maldonado. As is the norm, I had to go search out an image to accompany the listing (you know, to give it a little 'zazz) and came across an image of Maldonado that was originally used in a blog that documents a fascinating three-month collaborative between young musicians from around the world. I thought that readers of this blog might be interested (regardless of the fact that the material is a year old), so here's a brief synopsis and link to the World Piece blog:

10 young composers have been brought together from across the entire world to California to work as a team writing a collaborative piece of music in a project called 'A Counterpoint of Tolerance'. Call it a world/modern music version of 'Feed the World' if you will!

Playing, wedding, working, success-ing

So, the big Independence Day holiday is nearly upon us. I love holidays, don't ya know? I'll be spending my fabulous fourth at a friend's party, where our band (who shall remain nameless) will be playing for the first time with yours truly. It'll actually be the first time I've ever played keyboards in front of anyone except these guys, but I'm not n-n-n-nervous or anything.

And then, a week after the 4th, I am getting married!!! !!!!!!!! Yup. I'm very excited. I'm marrying the beautiful and vivacious Amber Coté, who happens to be the Executive Director of FutureSelf, a fantastic youth arts organization here in Colorado Springs. She'll kill me*, but this is a nice picture of Amber wearing a babushka.

Anyway, things here at COPPeR are great, and seem to be moving at the speed of ... well, fast things. I come in to work on a Monday morning, accidentally blink and it's Friday afternoon. That's great if you like the weekends and stuff, but I myself really enjoy sitting behind my bad-ass dual-monitor iMac rocking out to the finest in adult-contemporary jazz while approving events. However, when I'm sometimes caught in the office on a weekend, I get a disapproving look from Bettina. It's probably the Kenny G.

Another terrific thing that occurred recently is that we reached our goal of raising $6,000 through the first ever PeakRadar online campaign. Through the month of June, using only electronic communications and word-of-mouth, we were able drum up support from arts aficionados across the Pikes Peak region who appreciate PeakRadar's contribution to our burgeoning arts scene. COPPeR's board of directors was instrumental in this effort as well, pledging to match every dollar donated up to $3,000. So, if you haven't heard it from me yet, I'd just like to say a huge "THANK YOU" to everyone who helped spread the word, donated in any capacity, or simply uses the site to find or promote arts info here in the 719. Y'all make me so happy. :)

This is overdue, but a big thank you to everyone who came out for 1440 Minutes at the FAC Modern gallery. Thanks to the artists: Philip, Tom, Lisa, Eldon, Will, Jocelyn and Melanie; thanks to Jessica and Daisy at CC's I.D.E.A. and Caitlin at UCCS GoCA for doing such a great job curating the event (and special thanks to the extremely helpful and courteous interns from GoCA and I.D.E.A.); thanks to Bristol Brewing's Laura Long, everyone at Nosh for being terrific (as always), and La'au's Taco Shop for having the best "fast food" in town; and, of course, thanks to Charlie, Sam, Blake and Aaron at the Fine Arts Center.

And since I'm in such a happy, bouncy mood (I feel like Tigger), I think I'll also take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and safe weekend. Whether you've got an extra day off or not, this is a great time to (re)connect with friends and family, drink some cool beverages, eat some delectable grillings, and generally avoid the police and fire departments who will insist that your Roman Candle war does not spill over into your neighbor's yard.

* Seriously, it could be bad for me. If you know her, don't tell.