Mission: The durango arts center provides durango and surrounding communities opportunities to create, to promote, and to participate in diverse arts experiences. The dac brings people together to explore and engage in arts and culture by fostering creative expression through in-house exhibitions, performances, and educational programs for all ages and abilities.
Programs: Dac's community theater hosted an estimated 15,000 in dac productions, as well as events by other community organizations who rent the space. As part of the 2nd annual theatre season, dac collaborated with fort lewis college and another local theatre company to deliver arthur miller's all my sons, which allowed for 224 college students to view the show free of charge. Dac fulfilled 880 registrations in the applause! Program, a year-round curriculum celebrating musical and non-musical theatre, and distributed $7000 in scholarships.
dac visual arts education fulfilled a total of 983 registrations across the adult, youth and children's classes and camps serving ages 5 and up, and distributed $4400 in scholarship requests across. Key programs include after school art, a longstanding partnership with durango school district 9r; girls opportunities through arts and leadership (goal), which focuses on skill-building for middle school girls; and creativity festivity-a 20 year old celebration of art and artists of our local schools. Creativity festivity is a 2-week event spanning an exhibit and high school poetry slam at dac, an offsite exhibit at a local cafe and an outreach performance by the applause! Program to area schools. Total audience engagement is estimated at 4,000 for this event. Finally, the dac docents led 45 presentations, free of charge, to area schools, senior centers and community organizations.
dac exhibits encompass 10 curated shows per year in the main gallery, and six shows in the art library, showcasing an estimated 525 local, regional and national artists. Dac partners with several local organizations throughout the exhibit schedule, especially for the annual members' exhibit that always focuses on environmental themes. Dac typically coordinates a community educational offering to coincide with exhibits, such as a lecture, artist demonstration, workshop or critique. The annual holiday winter solstice artisans market features over 85 artists' artwork and crafts. In addition to sales made during this end-of-year event, exhibits was supported by $10,000 in corporate sponsorships.
auxiliary programs for docents, friends of the arts library, new face productions, and contra dance
i have had quite a few great experiences with the durango arts center in the past year. each month there is a great new exhibit of local and regional artists. there are classes for all age groups available on a very regular basis. the theatre productions included adorable "kid" plays and also the controversial "8-the reindeer monologues." the winter solstice fair provided a wonderful collection of local art work available for the holiday giving season. and i must add that i am crazy excited about seeing my all time favorite bluegrass performer here this year. i have seen him quite a few times in much larger venues, and i am tickled that he will be here in the cozy durango arts center theatre!!! the arts center is a real gift for this community!!!!!!
sandra
Professional with expertise in this field
01/27/2012
Rating: 5
01/27/2012
The Durango Arts Center is a vital non-profit for Durango with a beautiful gallery that offers local and national shows, an intimate theater for confrences, performances, and music, and an amazing education program that serves kids, teens, and adults. Durango is very lucky to have this place!
Class organization., pace and length all met my expectations. The facilities and studio area are great assets of the class. I vow to take more classes especially ones taught by this instructor
diane
Professional with expertise in this field
01/31/2011
Rating: 5
01/31/2011
24 Pounds of Bullets and Steel - A Cowgirl Opera
Written by local , produced by a local, this show offered a taste of melodrama mixed with burlesque. An opera? About cowgirls? it sure did work for me!!!!
Who"s New? Included 14 heretofore unknown artists , showing their works and hopefully make a name for themselves on the local arts scene. Subjects and styles of work ran the gamut-which made for a very interesting presentation
chester
Professional with expertise in this field
01/31/2011
Rating: 5
01/31/2011
Eurimpressions - 8 local women artists share their travel stories in paintings, monoprints, ceramics, photography, and writing. All inspired by each woman's individual travels to the continent over the last 3 years. Great local exhibit!
August Art Classes for Kids - offers visual arts classes for kids 6-11 and also 12 an older. Class offerings include screen painting, dream time dot painting, plaster casting and figure and perspective drawing.
some classes taught by Education Coordinator Sandra Butler, who has been teaching art classes and art appreciation for the last 15 years. a great experience for kids of all ages
2 exhibits at once at the Durango Arts Center presented quite the contrast in art. The 4 corners Commission opened to an overflow crowd. It offered an abundance of works that emphasize the beauty of light, vista or vegetation.
Jeff Madeem's show "I Wouldn't Believe It, Even If It Was True" is the opposite of the downstairs exhibit. Two objects dominate the space, and both signal distress and danger. Messages, texts, collage panels, sculptures and found object assemblages crawl over wall space and counters
Peter Rowan, who joined Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys in 1965, played along with Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements and David Grisman on "Old and in the Way", recorded dozens of records with his bands, gave a show at The Durango Arts Center to benefit the Tara Mandala Buddhist Retreat Center in Pagosa Springs. Rowan, a practicing Buddhist, has become a bluegrass standard at festivals and picking circles countrywide. The show was a solo show, and gave Rowan a chance to focus more on his songs , lyrics and beliefs than his hot bluegrass band. Great music that testified his belief in Buddahism and benefit a peace oriented organization
michaelteach
Professional with expertise in this field
01/26/2011
Rating: 5
01/26/2011
Over 80 people approached the workshop after the Durango Herald ran a story on the groups formation. After guidelines went out, 60 chose to apply and 18 were chosen. In the 4th week, the group is 12 strong. Some are promising beginners, some are journalists wishing to rekindle their writing of short stories and some have already published their work. Stories are brought in, read aloud and discussed for writing tips. the class is free. One of the writers in the class will be selected to publish a short story for ARTS PERSPECTIVE (summer issue) and this could turn into almost certain publication debut for the selected writer
Classes are well organized, appropriate in length with a pace that encouraged involvement and openness to the creative ideas of students. The instructor was very encouraging. The objectives of the class were well stated and matched the goals i had. The facility and studio space suited the class well. And it is affordable. The class was well worth my time. I was so into the class that i did not want to leave! I definitely learned a lot.
