Reviews: Sunday in the Park with George

Cast, set paint artful play
By Mark Arnest, The Gazette (Feb. 1)

• “The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company’s production of “Sunday in the Park with George” ranks with the center’s best productions.”
• “It’s the most beautiful show I’ve seen on that stage…”
• “The orchestra, conducted by Sandi Shroads, has never sounded mellower or more delicate, shimmering colors matching the visual splendor.”
• “And the cast members — especially leads Brian Hutchinson and Carmen Mock — make Stephen Sondheim’s challenging music and lyrics sound as effortless as a walk in the park.”
• “Hutchinson’s voice combines beauty and power, and he’s equally convincing as the obsessive Georges and the vaguely dissatisfied George. Mock delivers Sondheim’s intricate patter with a bright, buoyant voice.”
• “You’ll be intrigued by this courageous and intelligent production of a courageous and thought-provoking piece — and the ticket prices ($26-$31) are cheap for a production of this quality.”

Sunday in the Park with George review
By John Moore, Denver Post (Feb. 1)

• “Director Alan Osburn's elaborate staging is capably performed to standards few area companies can match. The eight-member orchestra is as always a strength, and, for a show built on the concept of this being a canvas come to life, set designer Christopher L. Sheley has outdone himself, particularly in how he, like Seurat, toys with perspective and dimension in creating living stage paintings like "Bathing at Asnieres."
• “This all builds to a magical stage moment in which a fevered Seurat, employing all his artistic hallmarks of design, tension, balance and light, finally sees just how to place all of his pieces on canvas. Suddenly these real people (well, a few are pop-up boards) morph into clay models that Seurat manipulates into their final positions. It's a stirring, act-ending moment … “

Altered Space media previews from Gazette, Westword

Bold art alters space
FAC curators take on unpredictable exhibit
By Mark Arnest, The Gazette (Feb. 1)

• “Altered Space: 21st Century Installation Art” is the riskiest exhibition the Fine Arts Center has hosted in years, say curators Blake Milteer and Tariana Navas-Nieves. “We’re committed to balancing our traditional role as an anchor for the community and going out on a limb,” Milteer said. “Part of what a curator does is create a beautiful, cohesive exhibit,” he said. “This is different.”

Rooms with a View
FAC MODERN dedicates a show to installation art
By Susan Froyd, Westword (Jan. 31)

• “(Matt Barton) says, ‘I want the overall sense of the work to be positive, fantastic and wonderful while being woven with what can, on the surface, be thought of as dark.’ That means his room might be haunted by stuffed animals and found animated video clips or, somehow, a tornado. Hi-tech and lo-tech, heaven and hell.”

Denver Post: Special art in our midst

Special art in our midst
Springs show whets the appetite for big Impressionists exhibit
By Kyle MacMillan, Denver Post (Jan. 31)

• “Lovers of impressionism should not overlook a notable group of such works that are part of a broader exhibition continuing through March 9 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.”
• “it is a solid, engaging show with enough strong selections to make the drive worthwhile. Perhaps best of all, there are examples by artists rarely seen in Colorado”
• “this exhibition shows off the wonderfully accommodating special-exhibition galleries”
• “the old-master works are exquisitely showcased. One of the most successful aspects of the addition, this huge room — about 38 by 100 feet with a 19-foot ceiling — allows for sweeping vistas and ample dialogue among the selections.”
• "Impressionist and Old Masters" is a perfect excuse for a road trip and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.”

Over the River ... The Rocky covers Christo and Jean Claude visit to the Springs

Christo’s river project is still flowing
By Mary Voetz Chandler, Rocky Mountain News (Jan. 26)

“An exhibition on Over the River, including drawings, anchors, fabric and other objects related to the project, will open in October at the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C. The show will travel, including a visit to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in 2011.”

Roberta Jacyshyn wins 2007 Denver Post Ovation Award

On Dec. 30, the FAC Theatre Company’s Musical Director Roberta Jacyshyn earned a 2007 Denver Post Ovation Award for “Best Orchestra” for Into the Woods; the production garnered nine nominations, including “Best Musical,” “Best Ensemble,” and “Best Director.” In 2006, the Company earned the Ovation Award for “Best Musical” with Pirates of Penzance.

Jacyshyn, the Musical Director or musician or both for every single FAC musical since 1984’s Bye Bye Birdie – about 80 productions – is saying goodbye to Colorado Springs. Jacyshyn will be playing keyboards for Sunday in the Park; it will be her farewell performance as she and her husband, Mark Rose, will be moving to Florida. Rose has been the primary reeds player for the Theatre Company for a number of years.

“Roberta and Mark will be greatly missed,” said Alan Osburn, Producing Artistic Director of the FAC Theatre Company. “Both have played integral roles in the legacy of our musical success and we wish them well in their future endeavors.”

FAC website stats impressive for December, 2007

December was the second-best month ever for traffic to csfineartscenter.org for visits and visitors, doubling the totals from December 2006.

December
Page Views
2007 ... 46,486
2006 ... 22,162
Increase ... 109 percent

Visits
2007 ... 13,485
2006 ... 6,567
Increase ... 105 percent

Unique Visitors
2007 ... 11,751
2006 ... 5,046
Increase ... 133 percent

Year-End

Page Views
2007 ... 492,953
2006 ... 287,350
Increase ... 71.5 percent

Visits
2007 ... 138,581
2006 ... 92,543
Increase ... 49.7 percent

Visitors
2007 ... 117,738
2006 ... 74,163
Increase ... 58.7 percent

Bemis: Nurturing Kids' Appetites for Art

We got three-and-a-half pages of Bemis School of Art coverage in the January/February issue of Colorado Springs Style magazine, including five photos, telling the story of how the Bemis School of Art contributes to this community by writer Linda DuVal. Congratulations to Director of Education Tara Thomas, her teachers and staff for all the good work they do for the FAC and our community.

2007 Fine Arts Center highlight reel

Check out our 2007 Year-in-Review video, featuring all the highlights of the past year ... the grand opening of our new building, award-winning theatre productions, groundbreaking exhibitions, special guests and more!

Denver Post: Center's treasures revealed

The Fine Arts Center was featured on the front page of the Denver Post A&E section Sunday, complete with four articles and eight photos. About the FAC Permanent Collection, art critic Kyle MacMillan wrote, "The return of a little more than 200 permanent works to public view is among the most exciting aspects of the arts center's newly opened addition ... No comprehensive story of Colorado art, which for much of the 20th century was centered in Colorado Springs, can be told without including selections from the arts center's extensive collection."

"A major boost to those holdings came with the July announcement that 67 paintings from the extraordinary Colorado Springs collection of Katherine and the late Dusty Loo would be given to the institution. A selection of 27 pieces is on view.

"The Loos were highly discriminating in their purchases, managing to find a, if not the, definitive example of virtually every artist represented in their collection."

Center's treasures revealed: Rediscovering the Collection
Curating the Future: What's next for the Fine Arts Center
Miro and Monet: Impressionist and Modern Masters

Cheyenne Edition: 'Exhibit ... will make your heart swell'

On Dec. 14, Cheyenne/Woodmen Editon columnist Lisa Matthews wrote of the Impressionist and Modern Masters exhibition:

"The newest exhibit at the Fine Arts Center will make your heart swell with pride. In a word, it is simply, “Wow!” Even the FAC security guards concur, “This is our finest exhibition bar none.” And they should know, it is their job to keep these million-dollar masterpieces safe.

"A painting by Claude Monet first greets you at the entrance. From there, you’ll find works by many of the major artists from the past 300 years including Picasso, Degas, Renoir, Gauguin, Matisse, Pollock and even Georgia O’Keeffe and Wassily Kandinsky. An oversized painting of Marie Antoinette – in its original frame and once hung in the Palace of Versailles – will virtually blow you away.

“I’d expect to be in Paris or New York, okay even Denver to see such works of art,” said one proud attendee. Truly something Colorado Springs has worked hard to achieve. “We’ve transitioned from a place with dust in the corners to something as elegant as this,” said Ann Winslow, a past FAC board of trustee member.

Nine Denver Post Ovation Award nominations for Into the Woods

The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company's production of 'Into the Woods' was nominated for nine 2007 Denver Post Ovation Awards, including "Best Musical," "Best Ensemble" and "Best Director."

In a May 25, 2007, review entitled, "Colorado Springs troupe's Broadway-worthy musical," Denver Post critic John Moore wrote: "(W)ith its latest big-bang, big-bucks to-do, the FAC again proves that nobody, but nobody, does musicals like they do musicals to our south.”

Out of 154 productions reviewed or observed by Denver Post critics, 'Into the Woods' was the second-most nominated production in the state.

The nominations included:

Best Musical
FAC Theatre Company's Into the Woods

Actor, Musical
Kelly Walters, (The Baker)

Director, Musical
Alan Osburn

Supporting Actress, Musical
Mercedes Perez, (The Witch)
Sally Lewis Hybl, (Cinderella)

Ensemble
FAC Theatre Company's Into the Woods

Best Band
Roberta Jacyshyn

Musical Number
“Opening," Mary Ripper Baker and Roberta Jacyshyn

Set Design
Christopher L. Sheley

Finalists were culled from Colorado productions opening after Jan. 1, 2007, that were either reviewed or observed by Denver Post critics. Winners have been selected by theater critic John Moore and will be published Dec. 30. Readers can go online now and vote for their favorite in major categories for "Readers Choice" selections at denverpost.com/theater.

Gazette: New FAC exhibition is 'jaw-dropping'

Fine Arts Center masters the masters
Gazette // Mark Arnest (Dec. 6)

If the sheer size of the Fine Arts Center expansion and its first post-expansion exhibit made a good impression, get ready to be really impressed.

Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso, Claude Lorrain: With its jaw-dropping, masterpiece-packed new exhibit “Impressionist and Modern Masters,” the Fine Arts Center solidifies its new position as a major player in the state’s art scene.

RMN: Eclectic exhibit benefits from center's expansion

Rocky Mountain News art and architecture columnist Mary Voelz Chandler reviewed "The Eclectic Eye: Pop and Illusion" in today's paper.

"In short, the addition that opened in August, designed by David Owen Tryba Architects, offers beautiful spaces to view art, whether the more traditional Western pieces in "Colorado Sublime," or the numerous glass sculptures (and bright orange chandelier) the center acquired from artist Dale Chihuly, or the adventurous and provocative pieces from Weisman. It helps that the detailing is pristine, and the flow simple and direct."

"In "Eclectic," organized with a fair amount of wit by the late collector's wife, Billie Milam Weisman, the overall effect is, fittingly, a little bit of everything."

Read the complete review here.

'Into the Woods,' 'Katrina' earn PPAC awards

The Pikes Peak Arts Council honored the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company's production of 'Into the Woods' and the FAC MODERN exhibition, 'Katrina: Catastrophe and Catharsis,' on Sunday night at the SaGaJi Theatre, during its 7th Annual Awards for Excellence in the Arts ceremony.

'Into the Woods' earned two awards, including Sally Hybl for "Best Actress" for her portrayal of Cinderella and director Alan Osburn for "Traditional Production." The FAC's Roy Ballard also won for "Behind the Scenes: Set Design" for his work on '1940's Radio Hour' and 'The Last Night of Ballyhoo.'

"For someone who was raised on the FAC stage, to be recognized by the arts community in such a meaningful way is an incredible honor," said Sally. "Truly, being a part of 'Into the Woods' was an honor in itself, and the award is really a testimony to all of those involved in this amazing production."

The 2007-2008 FAC Theatre Season opens on Oct. 12 with a production of Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”

“Katrina: Catastrophe and Catharsis” earned an award in the Visual Arts category of "Out of Town." The exhibition was the first in the nation dedicated to the works of internationally respected artists responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, debuting at the FAC MODERN in March.

The current exhibition, “Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray,” closes on Sept. 30 and is followed by “Faces in the Crowd: Portraiture from the FAC Permanent Collection” on Oct. 12.

Tell us what you think in our online poll

On Wednesday we included a short online poll in our weekly email newsletter. We've been getting such great response that we decided open it up to our web visitors as well. So take 15 seconds to share your opinion with the Fine Arts Center! Here are some the comments with FAC responses.

Want to add your two cents? ... click here to participate

An interview with John Waters

For their 5oth segment, Springs Culture Cast covered the Fine Arts Center's Extremely Grand Opening; touring our inaugural traveling exhibition, The Eclectic Eye: Pop and Illusion - Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, as well as interviewing filmmaker John Waters:

Gazette: FAC opens with a bang

The Gazette's Emily Voigt reviewed the 14th annual Masterpiece Gala.

“I was more excited about this than my prom,” said Bettina Swigger, who manages the Summer Arts Festival at Colorado College.

Swigger gushed about the intimacy of the building and the high quality of the exhibitions. “It feels like you’re going over to a ritzy friend’s house and they happen to have a lot of art,” she said.

In fact, Billie Milam Weisman, the director and curator of the Weisman Collection of pop and illusionist art, said she had been overseeing the hanging of the traveling exhibition in the second-floor galleries herself.

A gray-haired woman stood studying the results in the cavernous El Pomar Gallery. It was Nancy Wirth, the daughter of the building’s original architect, John Gaw Meem.

“It’s so fabulous,” said Wirth, explaining that she’s emotionally attached to her father’s work and had only now come to see the new wing. “I think he’s up there smiling,” she said.

'Colorado & Company' features the FAC

On August 3, a segment of 'Colorado & Company' on Denver's 9 News featured the Fine Arts Center's expansion and renovation. Dr. Michael De Marsche discusses the building's history and future, as well as this weekend's grand opening events.
Click here to watch.

The FAC hits Times Square!

It's like MOMA in the mountains.
The newly expanded Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.
csfineartscenter.org

Mark Arnest, The Gazette: "Amazing"

The Gazette gave the FAC unprecedented coverage with a 1A story, online interactives and a first-ever "State of the Arts" special section.

· As opening nears, backers predict ‘wow’ moments
· Local artists give nod of approval to new wing
· Director made dramatic changes, and quickly
· Interactive Map of new FAC galleries
· State of the Arts overview
· Thomas Hoving: The man behind the big art show
· Alan Osburn: City offers plenty of variety
· Schedule of Events

More Denver media reviews of FAC expansion

>> Mary Chandler, Rocky Mountain News: “Superb” "A Harmonious expansion"

>> Cheryl Meyers, 5280 Magazine: “A perfect centerpiece to a day trip in Colorado Springs”

· Springing to Life: The renovated Fine Arts Center makes Colorado Springs worth another visit (full-page article with five photos not available online)

>> Denver Post, Colorado Sunday: “If it's true that nothing succeeds like excess, the three Dale Chihuly chandeliers practically guarantee that the new two-story wing of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, opening this week, will be a contender for a future round of world wonders.”

· Lighten up! The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

Michael Paglia of Westword: "Magical"

“During construction, Tryba also oversaw various improvements and restorations to the Meem, such as the careful and excellently carried out refurbishing of the spectacular theater and the removal of the offensive and ugly wheelchair ramps that had been added to the El Pomar Corridor. The elegant space, restored to its original splendor, hierarchically descends in stages, lending the area a ceremonial presence while also following the contours of the hillside on which the building sits. The ramps are now tucked away in what had been a set of galleries on the south side of the El Pomar, where new restrooms and a bar, the Deco Lounge, have been also located. For the first time in memory, the windows in these spaces, with their stunning aluminum elements, have been opened up, and the effect, in the Deco Lounge in particular, is magical.”

Well Done: The new Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center expansion gives plenty of reasons to applaud.

Denver Post: Running Lines with Joel Grey

Denver Post theater critic John Moore interviews theater legend (Cabaret, Chicago, Wicked) Joel Grey, who will be a special guest on Aug. 4 at the Fine Arts Center’s Extremely Grand Opening. Dr. Michael De Marsche will talk with Joel Grey on stage about everything from Cabaret and Wicked to his latest career as a photographer.

Tickets are still available for all of our special guest appearances! Buy tickets online or call 719.634.5583.

Listen to the Denver Post podcast here.

Gazette: The man behind the big art show

Michael De Marsche has introduced Colorado Springs to the big honking art exhibition: Chihuly, Warhol, Peter Max — shows with mass appeal. It’s appropriate that in choosing his first speaker for the Fine Arts Center’s reopening, the center’s president and CEO went for the guy who invented the blockbuster art show: Thomas Hoving. Read the complete article here.

Bruce Guenther praises FAC expansion: "Masterful and exciting"

Bruce Guenther, the nationally-renowned Chief Curator of the Portland Art Museum, recently lectured at the Fine Arts Center and had this to say about the new addition:

“The Fine Arts Center expansion is one of the most masterful and exciting remodeling projects I have seen in recent years. The new gallery spaces are beautifully proportioned and elegantly restrained in their detailing…a perfect setting for the collections.

"The sensitivity with which the Center and its important historic rooms have been restored and extended with the new addition speaks volumes to me about the value placed on heritage and the future for the arts in Colorado Springs.

"I congratulate the leadership of the Center and their architect, David Tryba, for bringing this venerable institution and its magnificent collections into the new century in such grand style.”

More Early Reviews
John Hazlehurst of the Colorado Springs Business Journal wrote on his blog: "Tryba's addition is … both a subtle, perfectly rendered, and utterly sympathetic addition to John Gaw Meem's great masterpiece and, amazingly, a transcendent piece of architecture in its own right."

"Conclusion: a triumph that few of us could have imagined before Mike DeMarsche arrived almost exactly four years ago. Better still, it should cure the local arts community of Denver envy. The new FAC is an infinitely better, more user-friendly, and more beautiful building than the renovated Denver Art Museum … " The full article can be found here.

The front page banner headline of the Woodmen/Cheyenne Edition (July 20) was "In a word, spectacular!" Written by Dave Vickers, it begins with "Colorado Springs should get ready to be amazed." The full article can be found here.

John Waters' Hairspray comes full circle

Hairspray was a successful movie for director John Waters in 1988; and then was adapted into a very successful Broadway musical in 2002. Now another incarnation, starring John Travolta in the role originated by Waters’ regular, Divine, and featuring Mr. Waters in a memorable cameo, will be released, as a musical movie, on July 20. And Waters' film, Cry-Baby, is being reworked into a musical for the stage, debuting at the La Jolla Playhouse in November. John Waters is one of many very special guests attending the FAC Extremely Grand Opening Aug. 2-5.

Alexander Calder in Focus at MCA Chicago

Alexander Calder, an influential artist credited for inventing the mobile, and who designed and built set pieces for stage productions at the original 1936 Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center grand opening, will be featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in "Alexander Calder in Focus" from July 28, 2007 – April 2008. Calder is one of many fascinating and talented personalities who have shaped FAC history.

Watch the Chihuly Chandelier time lapse

On May 30, the Dale Chihuly team began installing the Orange Hornet Chandelier, the third Chihuly chandelier in the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center collection. Two full days later, 384 pieces, each resembling a hornet’s nest and ranging in length of 6 inches to 3 feet, were hung. The entire chandelier measures nine feet tall, weighs just over 1,200 pounds, and resides permanently on the first floor of your FAC.

Hoving pens Picasso article for L.A. Times

Thomas Hoving, a very special guest at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center's Extremely Grand Opening, Aug. 2-5, penned a story in the Los Angeles Times recently entitled, "Nothing Like This Picasso."

"PABLO PICASSO's great "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" is 100 years old this spring," writes Hoving. "Starting Wednesday, New York's Museum of Modern Art will show it after a painstaking cleaning, along with nine rarely seen pre-studies.

"I remember my first thought on seeing it for the first time. "Ugly!" The painting exploded in my eyes like some kind of pink, blue and beige bomb. I was shocked by its teeth-shattering primitiveness and downright brutality."

Read the whole story here. | Buy Thomas Hoving tickets here.

Local arts & culture online calendar launches

A brand new web site, PeakRadar.com, launched today. Thesite will serve as the Pikes Peak region's ultimate guide to art, culture and fun and will feature the region's most comprehensive calendar of events, arts organizations, venue and individual artist directories, classified listings and more!

Downtown80903.com launches

Our friends at the Downtown Partnership has launched a new website, called Downtown80903.com, which highlights the benefits of working, living and playing in downtown Colorado Springs. Naturally, visiting the FAC MODERN and Fine Arts Center at 30 W. Dale St. are listed under “Play.”

Independent: Looking Forward

A&E Editor Pete Freedman discusses the state of visual arts in Colorado Springs in an Independent cover story (April 26-May 2). “The Springs' newest visual arts advocates are optimistic about the future,” he writes. “Are they on to something?” FAC’s Dr. Michael De Marsche is quoted and says that with a little vision and confidence Colorado Springs could one day be on par with Seattle or Portland, Ore., when it comes to arts culture.

CSBJ: Separate and nowhere close to equal

The Colorado Springs Business Journal’s John Hazlehurst looks at public funding for the arts in Colorado Springs compared to Denver in this April 27 column. Dave White of the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp., said that arts & culture plays a major role in attracting new business to the area. “Executives who are coming from L.A. or New York are used to a big, diverse cultural scene — we can’t just sell rock climbing and fly fishing,” he said.

Gazette: New state cash expected to lift Springs tourism

The FAC was mentioned prominently in Bill Radford’s April 18th look at the new money, $19 million, being invested in Colorado tourism. Terry Sullivan, Experience Colorado Springs’ CEO said, “The Fine Arts Center will become a world-class asset to this community.”

Independent: FAC is best cultural attraction

In the 2007 Independent’s Annual Manual: A Guide to Living in the Springs, the FAC is listed in the “Best of Attractions” section as the Cultural Attraction or Museum to visit. Did you know that the Indy has named FAC this city’s “Best Cultural Attraction” in 2005 and 2006?

Gazette: Building Blocks

The local chapter of the American Institute of Architects has named the FAC as one of the 20 greatest structures in the Pikes Peak Region. "This building won architect John Gaw Meem the coveted Pan American Prize of Architecture in 1940 by fusing art deco and traditional New Mexican Pueblo architecture. "

Success of the Springs video

Klayton Kendall from Springs Culture Cast interviews some of the talented people behind the Colorado Springs Dance Theatre's Success of the Springs, held right here at our very own Fine Arts Center's SaGāJi Theatre.

KRCC: Springs art scene at a tipping point

The FAC’s Tariana Navas-Nieves participated in a panel for the “Incubator” series at the UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art on April 12. KRCC’s Noel Black was there, and he filed this report. Has Colorado Springs reached a tipping point? The FAC and the Extremely Grand Opening in August were mentioned as catalysts to move the arts scene forward in the right direction. “That’s what I’m hoping that the Fine Arts Center will really become a synonym or symbolic of a new era, a new renaissance in the arts in the Colorado Springs area,” said Navas-Nieves.
Download (5:51) | Listen:

KRCC is having their annual open house this Saturday and Sunday from 1-3 p.m. at the station at 912 N. Weber. They’ll have BBQ, bands and a bounce-house and it’s all free.

Tariana Raises a Ruckus

Mark Arnest of the Gazette recently profiled four new curators in Colorado Springs, including the FAC’s own Tariana Navas-Nieves. Mark quotes Tariana in his blog, Colorado Springs Artsblog, “I’m hoping to cause some ruckus and reaction,” she said. “Colorado Springs is kind of a traditionalist city. I want to celebrate that but also to expand it. This city is ready to be challenged and pushed in new directions … Art is not for curators or scholars or a small group. It is for you — it is for the public.” Read the entire piece here.

2005 Chihuly TV Commercial

View the television commercial from our blockbuster exhibition, Chihuly at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center from 2005. This historic exhibit of paint and glass caused an explosion of art interest in the Rocky Mountain region with nearly 80,000 visitors atte