DENVER — Art can be expensive, and creating it isn't always affordable. A couple of new projects in RiNo are looking to change that.
"So this 4,000 square feet is available to go wild and dream big in," Charity Von Guinness, executive director of the RiNo Art District, said. "It's really serving and empowering the entire community, creative residentially or otherwise."
Von Guinness and a number of other community members formally opened a new performing arts venue in the RiNo Art Park within Arkins Park last week. This venue was the final phase of RiNo's construction within the park. Previously, they opened up the Alto gallery, which includes affordable studio space for artists.
"Along with the eight affordable artist studios we have here, this is really meant to be used as a subsidized highly discounted performing art space," Von Guinness said as she stood in the new performing arts venue.
Artists have to go through an application process in order to use the space. Von Guinness said the performing art space was created to make sure underrepresented communities have a place to call home.
"There's a lot of stories that have not been told in many of these marginalized communities, and we want this to be a platform for those stories to really come to life and to be exemplified," she said. "So whether it's Five Points, Globeville, Elyria Swansea or Cole, we want to be stewarding these incredibly important histories and making sure these communities feel welcome and seen and represented."
Historic representation is something that means a lot to Romelia Carrillo. Carrillo has lived in the Globeville neighborhood for 49 years and just wrapped up an art show at the Alto art gallery within the RiNo Art Park. Alto is run by the BirdSeed Collective, a group that helps artists through visionary art, civic projects and programs.
"When I had this opportunity I was so happy because I hadn’t done it for a long time," Carrillo said. "It means a lot to me."
The executive director of Alto Gallery said they're looking to give artists in the neighboring communities opportunity to share their work.
With new luxury apartments changing the landscape of the neighborhood, Von Guinness said making sure the communities that have called this area home for decades are included in the new developments.
"It’s not just important, it's critical. I think you know we cannot do what we’re trying to do here without numerous perspectives, lived experiences, so much different representation," she said. "We are not blind to what is happening here, and I think it’s really important to maintain the diversity both socioeconomically, culturally and historically that has been such a key component to the district and all the neighborhoods that are inclusive and surrounding the district."
RiNo Art District will begin accepting applications for those interested in using the performing arts venue at the end of July.
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