Why did you become a member of the Fine Arts Center?
Linda and I joined the FAC for a couple of reasons: First, we wanted to support, in a small way, the arts and cultural activities in our community. Secondly, as an elected official, I believe it’s important to set an example for community members by supporting those organizations that help make our community a great place to live, work, and play.
When did your interest in the arts begin?
We’ve always been interested in the arts. We’ve been fortunate to visit some of the greatest museums in the world including the Hermitage and Louvre. We’ve attended plays on Broadway and other venues. Linda played the cello in the Colorado Springs youth orchestra and enjoys playing her piano at home. We are season ticket holders for the FAC plays and the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. This is my way of “repaying” Linda for attending many political functions with me!
What has been one of your favorite plays, classes or exhibits at the Fine Arts Center and why?
There have been many great plays at the FAC over the years that we have been attending. We are always impressed by the quality of the acting and the professional sets. Our FAC plays rival anything we’ve seen on Broadway. It’s difficult to pick out a favorite play, but for Linda, her favorite is A Year with Frog and Toad (2011) because it was a “sweet” story. I’ve always been a fan of John Steinbeck and the FAC performance of Of Mice and Men (2012) was excellent.
What is your favorite work of art at the FAC?
I think our favorite exhibition was the art of Fernando Botero (The Baroque World of Fernando Botero, 2009) featuring “larger” subjects, as we could identify with them! We also enjoyed the current exhibit of John James Audubon and Kevin Sloan. We are looking forward to the Georgia O’Keeffe exhibition this summer.
What else do you like to do for fun in Colorado Springs?
We enjoy attending the Colorado Springs Philharmonic performances. We also enjoy the “Art on the Street” displays around town. Linda’s favorite is the dancing couple at Colorado and Tejon. We also enjoy visiting downtown restaurants. Speaking of restaurants, we’ve always enjoyed our pre-play dinners in Café 36 and look forward to the new restaurant (Taste).