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Streetmosphere Stats
Because we’re so thrilled about starting the 2013 season just one week from tomorrow, we would like to take a moment to look back and see how the program has grown since its inaugural season in 2010.
- Over 1,100 performances have taken place!
- This year, there will be 17% youth acts, with a special Poudre School District Elementary School Showcase and a Little Kids Rock Showcase.
- Public attendance of street performances grew from 60,000 in 2010 to nearly 150,000 in 2012.
- Approximately 55% of visitors to Old Town come specifically to see Streetmosphere artists and performers (based on in-person surveys)
- More than 50 local businesses and organizations have provided financial support of the program.
- The number of qualified applications received grew from 90 the first year to 125 this year.
We look forward to seeing you as a part of this year’s crowd!
Celebrate the Arts This Holiday Season
One of the greatest qualities of art is that it creates shared experiences that brings people together especially during the holiday season where families and friends are visiting from near and far.
Fort Collins showcases a wonderful array of artistic performances and experiences that are enjoyable for all ages and that make wonderful gifts. There is theatre, music, dance, art exhibitions, and so much more. This holiday season, where there is so much for us to celebrate, why not take your family or friends to a live performance, buy locally crafted arts, or make a donation to an organization that you care about.
If you’d like to share a holiday performance with your family and friends, we’ve highlighted a few of these wonderful shows, but there is so much more that you can find at www.artbeetfc.com:
- Almost, Maine, presented by Bas Bleu Theatre Company, opens your heart to things unseen in humorous yet compelling stories of life and love in a small Maine town. Performances run through December 30th.
- A Musical Christmas Carol by la-de-da, an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic tale “A Christmas Carol” with Scrooge and the Spirits that haunt him, plays at Lincoln Center December 21st-23rd.
- Colorado Bach Ensemble Presents Handel’s Messiah will be performed on December 21st at 7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church.
For those of you who love to shop, locally crafted gifts can be found throughout the City including the following:
- Poudre Studio Artists will host its Miniature Art Show of handmade, original, and thoughtful gifts by artists from around the Front Range
- Trimble Court Artisans shares its tradition of creating ornaments and gifts for the holidays, and
If holiday lights are what excite you about this festive season, the trees throughout downtown are decorated with thousands of LED lights to help brighten the dark skies and the Gardens on Spring Creek hosts it’s Garden of Lights through December 31st with a host of activities for the entire family!
Key to the Future
Creativity is one of those traits everyone wants a little more of and you can never have enough of. It is a characteristic pursued in both the art and the business world. According to the Americans for the Arts, “… creativity is among the top 5 applied skills sought by business leaders…the arts—music, creative writing, drawing, dance—provide skills sought by employers of the 3rd millennium.”
Innovation becomes more important as we experience current challenges and attempt to predict problems of subsequent years. It is important to examine creativity as an entity in our lives and the role it plays in shaping our future.
To look at how we can encourage it in our children, inspire it in our daily lives, enhance it in our workplace, and take the steps necessary to grow creativity in our communities.
Resources to expand knowledge on the nature of creativity are abundant. Local creatives and artists, books, magazines, and especially the Internet, – information on creativity is everywhere. A great place to search for them online is our AIR (Arts Incubator of the Rockies) website. The Knowledge Center is full of videos, articles, and more on creative topics.
Celebrating Freedom
Post election, we should be proud that we performed our duty as citizens, exercising our right to vote. We voted for national leaders, local leaders, judges, referendums, amendments, statutes, ordinances, and more—but the important thing is that we were able to vote.
The ability to vote reminds us of the freedoms that we enjoy everyday in this wonderful country, that of which were preserved through the sacrifice of our people. Our current servicemen/servicewomen and veterans are true heroes.
The experiences and thoughts of a soldier are difficult to describe in words. Art offers an opportunity to express opinions in a universal language. Poudre Studio Artists & Galleries is featuring art by veterans and about our military and country in their exhibition, “Freedom Isn’t Free.”
The show honors those who serve or have served, and gives tribute to the very ideal they fought for. Veterans day is on November 11th, but we must not limit our appreciation and memorial to a single day. Remember our veterans and celebrate them in every way possible.
Jazzin’ It Up
MDT3, with a special guest (right center), in front of Mo's Bar-B-Que on Friday night.
This past Friday, I began my internship with Beet Street. What a fun night to start out!There were performances and artists to pique anyone’s interest. My favorite, however, had to be MDT3.
MDT3 is a jazz trio made up of Ron Holleman (trumpet), Chuck Landgraf (drums), and Tim Gauthier (guitar). These gentlemen have been involved in the Colorado jazz scene for quite some time now and they each belong to multiple bands besides MDT3. They name their group after Ron’s marquis instrument: the Morrison Digital Trumpet (MDT). Though Ron is a very talented trumpeter, he played the MDT just about as often as he did his traditional instruments on Friday.
The Dog Days of Summer
Ike poses for a photo at College and Mountain
Not all Streetmosphere fans come out on two legs. Usually, there’s more than one furry, four-legged friend in the crowd, and the last weekend of June was no exception. One of our most dedicated fan-dogs is a little grey terrier named Ike.
Ike, along with his owner, loves to experience the sights and sounds of Downtown. Whether it’s a visual artist painting, such as the lovely Ren Burke, or the whimsical sounds of Fiddle Whamdiddle, Ike is always more than happy to visit. His owner mentioned that he loves to be downtown, and that coming out for Streetmosphere has become a weekly ritual.
Only in Fort Collins
One of many musicians unique to the Fort Collins scene: dACCORDion.
Only in Fort Collins can you expect to find a surprise around every corner. That’s Streetmosphere’s slogan, and we’re sticking to it!
The program just completed its seventh weekend of performances in Old Town, Fort Collins. Despite some bad weather and some smoky air, we couldn’t be more pleased with the performances, the artists, and the crowds that have come out to support Streetmosphere every weekend.
All these feelings of nostalgia prompted the “street team” to dig deeper—to uncover the things about Streetmosphere and Fort Collins that are truly different than anywhere else in the world. It wasn’t difficult to find these things; in fact, the list had grown exponentially after just one day of observation.
Weekend Spotlight: Half Moon Arts
Alicia Randall, 17, works on painting her piece entitled 'Dragon'
Bright colors, towering animal faces, and wood chips lined College Avenue this weekend, while as many as 4 artists worked away with Half Moon Arts. The local non-profit, run by Rose Moon, works with at-risk youth, ages 13-21, to create an environment both artistic and imaginative.
The program utilizes the process of making totem poles to inspire the participants. From a log of wood, they carve out a unique world, followed by a heaping amount of colorful paint. Creativity is highly encouraged, helping to promote self-esteem and healing. The work produced by these amazing young people sells through local events, allowing for feelings of accomplishment and success. The organization has been commissioned to make totem poles for many organizations in town as well, such as the Fort Collins Cat Rescue.
Weekend Spotlight: Carolyn Lauttenbach
Ukulele strums could be heard throughout Old Town Square Saturday afternoon, followed by a smooth voice singing the words to Paramore’s “The Only Exception”. This unlikely combination resulted in a unique cover by Florida native, Carolyn Lauttenbach, which had crowd members of all ages nodding, clapping and dancing along. Throughout the rest of the set, Carolyn did a mix of classic and popular covers, as well as original material, occasionally trading the ukulele for an acoustic guitar.
The Sweet Songs of Elyse Miller
Elyse Miller
Have you had the chance to check out Elyse Miller performing for Streetmosphere yet? If your answer is no, you’re missing out.
Elyse Miller is one of Streetmosphere’s toughest and most dedicated musical artists. Back in May, she would play her guitar through the night despite icy fingers and the risk of frostbite. Now, seven weeks later, Elyse Miller is still braving the elements. This past weekend she conquered the heat; she tucked herself subtly into the shady space between Moe’s Barbeque and Pueblo Viejo, plugged in her fan, and played for hours.
But Elyse Miller is anything but subtle. On Saturday, her voice drifted through the hot air and attracted the attention of many a passerby. (Fellow Streetmosphere musicians, Peter and the Wolves, even stopped by to listen!) Elyse sang many of her own original songs, including titles like “New Life” and “Paper Doll” but also covered some songs by a wide range of artists, such as Green Day and Tom Petty.
