PUEBLO, Colo.—March 11, 2013—The Pueblo Creative Corridor, the newest recipient of the prestigious Governors Arts Award, will host nearly 350 arts visitors in Pueblo, April 11-12. The Summit is a convening of artist-entrepreneurs, owners of creative sector businesses, nonprofit and municipal cultural workers and emerging creative who will be here to explore “Mapping Creative Communities.” As part of this Summit, and to thank the community of Pueblo, the Creative Corridor will host a special 2nd Thursday Art Crawl on April 11, 5 to 8 p.m.

In January 2013, Gov. Hickenlooper announced that Pueblo and Aspen had each won the 2013 Governor’s Arts Award. Pueblo will receive recognition for effectively employing the arts and other creative activities as a strategy for community and economic development. Pueblo City Council President, Steve Nawrocki, will receive the award at the Awards Luncheon on April 12 at the Pueblo Convention Center. Those interested in attending ($40 per individual) can visit http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=1162051 for more information. Pueblo’s own The Haunted Windchimes will perform at this celebratory luncheon.    

The Creative Corridor’s three historic city centers of Pueblo – Downtown Main Street, Union Avenue Historic District and the Mesa Junction – will host special activities for guests, such as real estate tours and walking guides of the city and its art and culture. But, it’s the 2nd Thursday Art Crawl that is open to everyone in the community.

“During 2nd Thursday Art Crawl, galleries will host special activities on this night as a tribute to the community of Pueblo for helping making the Creative Corridor a success,” says Susan Fries, executive director, Pueblo Performing Arts Guild (PPAG). “There will be live art demonstrations, performances and speciality cuisine. We’ll run the gamut from Pueblo chilis on pizza to Newsies (from Steel City Theatre Company) informing everyone of the night’s activities.” Visitors and community alike can create their own free walking tour by starting at one gallery, and traveling on to another destination after mingling with the artists. Pueblo’s Creative Corridor Explorer Guide is available in all galleries and participating businesses. The guide includes a plan of activities and map.

Some Highlights

Mesa Junction’s Rawlings Library will host poetry readings and art shows. There will be ongoing musical performers at Broadway Cup ‘n Cork, such as Blue Pepper Trio, The Monsters of Analog, Desert Moon and Deep Shelter. Cup & Bowl Ceramic Art Studio and Gallery will showcase their “Yard Art," and have Raku firings, and Beta Desks will host Pueblo Community College Culinary cuisine.  Also participating: Open Yoga Studio, Tony and Joes and Taffy’s.

Union Avenue Historic District’s Steel City Art Works will host musical band Fireweed, as well as a variety of artists. Riverwalk boat rides will feature live entertainment; horse drawn carriages will fill the streets; local performers, including Dream Dancers, will play at Union and C Street. Also participating: Artcorps, Turf Exchange Visual Art Center, John Deaux Art Gallery, Prairie Rose Olde Tyme Photography, Books Again and Union Toy Stop.

Downtown Area/Main Street will have students painting throughout the Creative Corridor in an “Urban Plein Air” event. There will also be a Moving Wall project on the "Blue Sky" building across form SAGE Art Academy and the alley wall by Kadoya Gallery (with both galleries hosting shows). Also participating: Bingo Burger, 5th & Main Espresso Bar and Grill, Franco’s Restaurant, Legacy Bank and the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center.

PUEBLO, Colo.—February 15, 2013—The Pueblo Creative Corridor’s First Friday Art Walk begins 5 p.m. on March. 1. Many galleries, cafes and shops will be exhibiting newly hung shows, serving refreshments and hosting live music and entertainment. All activities associated with Pueblo’s First Friday Art Walk are free.

On First Friday Art Walk, visitors can create their own free walking tour of a variety of locations by starting at one gallery, picking up a guide, and traveling on to another destination after mingling with the artists. Pueblo’s First Friday Art Walk offers visitors more than paintings, photography, fiber arts, sculpture, glass and pottery. Many galleries and shops have special demonstrations of “live art activities.”

Pueblo’s First Friday Art Walk Guide is available in all galleries and participating businesses. The guide includes a plan of activities and a map. More information can be found by visiting www.PuebloPAG.org or follow on www.facebook.com/PuebloPAG. For information on the Pueblo Creative Corridor, call 855-543-2430 or find at www.facebook.com/PuebloCreativeCorridor.

Mesa Junction Area:

Alter Image Salon, 114 Colorado Ave., will be featuring artwork from Lisa Bailey and Brian Spillman, as well as other works from other artists.

Cup & Bowl Studio & Gallery, 116 Midway Ave. “Faces of Clay,” with potters Maria Hughes and Rick Morris.

Cycle of Life, 111 E. Abriendo Ave., Paintings using unique candy-based paints by Nancy Saathoff; artistic woodworks by Larry Viles; abstract paintings by Kaylani Polivka;  landscapes by Mike "Shrek" Sharek; pencil and ink drawings on linen by John O., along with eclectic artworks from bicycle parts assembled by Cycle of Life staff.

Union Avenue Historic District:

John Deaux Art Gallery, 221 S. Union Ave., hosting “Home Show,” abstract oil paintings by Megan Moffett.

Steel City Art Works Gallery, 216 S. Union Ave., with photographer John Box; mixed media artist Bebe Burns; wood artist Paul Barnett. Also, hosting Southern Colorado Watercolor Society’s “March Hair” show.

Downtown Area/Main Street:

Kadoya Gallery, 119 Central Plaza. Back by popular demand, the video art, “Ashes and Snow.” Featured artist Lisa Bailey, “Awakenings.”

Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., hosts a public opening reception for the 10th annual “Representing the West Exhibition & Sale” in the White Gallery. Includes live painting demonstration.

The sponsors for the 2013 First Friday Art Walk activities are Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, National Endowment for the Arts, Pueblo Community College and Pueblo Marriott.

The Pueblo Performing Arts Guild promotes the production, enjoyment and collaboration of the arts for the purposes of economic development and an enriched quality of life in Pueblo.

PUEBLO, Colo.—January 23, 2013—Gov. Hickenlooper announced that Pueblo has been selected as one of only two recipients for the 2013 Governor’s Arts Award. Pueblo will receive the award, with the other recipient, Aspen, at the Second Annual Creative Industries Summit on April 12, 2013, in the Pueblo Creative Corridor.  

Per the Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, which annually convenes a panel to review these selections, “The annual Governor’s Arts Award recognizes a Colorado town or city for their collective efforts to enhance their community and their economy through strategic use of the arts. Pueblo City Council President, Steve Nawrocki, will be presented with the award, which is an original three-dimensional works by artist Michael Clapper of Denver. The artwork will hang in a public location in Pueblo. The review panel commended Pueblo for leveraging the arts to revitalize their community.”

Sam Azad, Pueblo City Manager says, “The Pueblo community is mindful of the colors that make our city thrive. Our residents have histories from cultures around the world that have directed and enriched our lives. We are proud to be recognized with the 2013 Governor’s Arts Award. Our city, and the Pueblo Creative Corridor, pay homage to the many and varied influences in our lives. In Pueblo, art is the cord that ties us to our past and links us to our future."

“The Creative Corridor has been a tremendous joint effort of so many volunteers in ensuring Pueblo’s revitalization, both artistically and economically,” says Susan Fries, Executive Director of the Pueblo Performing Arts Guild (PPAG).  “We are pleased to be host to this year’s Creative Industries Summit and welcome all visitors to explore our energetic and creative community.”

John Batey, Executive Director of the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority (PURA) says, “The Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority is proud of the recognition afforded to our community by the Governor’s Arts Award. As a successful applicant to the state of Colorado’s Creative District program in 2012, PURA recognizes the important role that creative industries play in the redevelopment of our historic downtown. But most importantly, the Governor’s Award highlights the unique community partnerships that work to enhance and foster the creative arts in Pueblo. These partnerships not only include PURA, but the Pueblo Performing Arts Guild, the city of Pueblo, the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo and generous private citizens who have given of their own time and resources to support our community, the arts and our historic downtown.”

About Pueblo’s Art Community

Pueblo City and County government and agencies have an extended history of supporting arts and culture in Pueblo. The PURA and the City Planning and Development Department established a united vision for urban design standards in 1995 with unified aesthetic and arts centric elements evident in newly constructed municipal buildings and private developments. In 2012, Pueblo City Council passed a resolution supporting the formation of a Colorado Creative District. As a community, Pueblo is united in its belief that Pueblo’s history and diverse cultural influences combine to make our community culture unique. The arts are a focal point in the development of that cohesive culture, as well as a vital element in its continuing redevelopment efforts. For more information, please visit www.pueblopag.org or follow the Creative Corridor at www. facebook.com/PuebloCreativeCorridor.

About PURA

PURA was formed in 1959 to revitalize Pueblo and eliminate influences which serve to constrict market forces and prevent development. PURA is a governmental entity enabled by the Colorado State Statute and established by the Pueblo municipal government. PURA derives its primary source of revenue from Tax Increment Financing, which is then used to help stimulate development by using a wide variety of techniques. PURA currently participates in a multitude of projects, either by offering direct incentives to private developers, utilizing public/private partnerships, or by directly investing in public improvements.

About PPAG

PPAG's mission is to promote the production, enjoyment and collaboration of the arts for the purposes of economic development and an enriched quality of life in Pueblo. PPAG is a nonprofit organization that exists to provide support to its membership in the form of (1) collaborating for marketing, performances, and education opportunities, (2) raising awareness in the community as to the availability of local and regional arts productions and events and (3) promoting and providing sustainable infrastructure for the creative industries.  

About Colorado Creative Industries

The Colorado Creative Industries division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade combines state funds with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts to promote, support and expand the creative industries to drive Colorado’s economy, grow jobs and enhance our quality of life. For more information and to register for the Creative Industries Summit, visit www.coloradocreativeindustries.org.

###

PUEBLO, Colo.—January 16, 2013—The Pueblo Creative Corridor’s First Friday Art Walk begins at 5 p.m. on Feb. 1. Many galleries, cafes and shops will be exhibiting newly hung shows, serving refreshments and hosting live music and entertainment. All activities associated with Pueblo’s First Friday Art Walk are free.

On First Friday Art Walk, visitors can create their own free walking tour of a variety of locations by starting at one gallery, picking up a guide, and traveling on to another destination after mingling with the artists. Pueblo’s First Friday Art Walk offers visitors more than paintings, photography, fiber arts, sculpture, glass and pottery. Many galleries and shops have special demonstrations of “live art activities.”

Pueblo’s First Friday Art Walk Guide is available in all galleries and participating businesses. The guide includes a plan of activities and a map. More information can be found by visiting www.PuebloPAG.org or follow on www.facebook.com/PuebloPAG. For information on the Pueblo Creative Corridor, call 855-543-2430 or find at www.facebook.com/PuebloCreativeCorridor.

Mesa Junction Area:

Cup & Bowl Studio & Gallery, 116 Midway Ave. “Viva La Vases” with potters  Jennifer McGowan and Michele Rodas.

Cycle of Life, 111 E. Abriendo Ave., Artistic woodworks including Intarsia pieces of functional artwork by Larry Viles; abstract paintings by Kaylani Polivka;  landscapes by Mike "Shrek" Sharek; pencil and ink drawings on linen by John O., along with eclectic artworks from bicycle parts assembled by Cycle of Life staff.

Union Avenue Historic District:

Steel City Art Works Gallery, 216 S. Union Ave., Featured artists are Cheryl Scott, Irene Grissom and Diana LaMorris. They are also hosting their annual school shows: Heritage Elementary and Cesar Chavez Academy.

Downtown Area/Main Street:

Kadoya Gallery, 119 Central Plaza, featuring the work of photojournalist/artist Bristol Mac Donald in “Unbridled Souls: Portrait of the American Wild Horse.” Also, a one day screening of the video art “Ashes and Snow” in the lower level gallery by Gregory Colbert.

SAGE Art Academy, 203 N. Main St., showing work by Pueblo artist Kellie Cason O'Connor, a fine arts film photographer, in the exhibition "Nurture, Nurture, and Reclamation.”

The Third Place in the Hoag Studio, Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., hosts “Women Who Run With The Wood” with local potters Deb Hagar, Tracy Hartman Jensen and Vicky Hansen, who have been firing ceramic work together in wood burning kilns for years.

The sponsors for the 2013 First Friday Art Walk activities are Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, National Endowment for the Arts, Pueblo Community College and Pueblo Marriott.

The Pueblo Performing Arts Guild promotes the production, enjoyment, and collaboration of the arts for the purposes of economic development and an enriched quality of life in Pueblo.

###