21 for '21

21 Things the Arvada Center is Proud of from 2021

By Sarah Kolb and Leslie Simon

Over the last year we were proud to open our doors and welcome patrons to gather together for theatre, education, music, and arts once again. While our 2021 ended more abruptly than expected, it only makes us prouder and more grateful of what we were able to accomplish this year, and the many arts experiences we shared. Here are 21 things the Arvada Center is proud of from 2021. Which was your favorite?

1. Wood.Works and Carley Warren: Three Pieces

The first gallery exhibitions of 2021 transformed the center of our Main Gallery into a forest floor - literally! “Forest Floor” by Patrick Marold was one of many pieces that stretched the boundaries of what Colorado artists could do in woodworking.

 

"Forest Floor" by Patrick Marold, photo by Wes Magyar

2. Bringing theatre to you

In the spring, we explored the possibilities of digital theatre in many formats, with four productions audiences enjoyed wherever they were. This included the hysterical saga of one man working in Barbra Streisand’s basement shopping mall (Buyer and Cellar, performed by Jake Mendes) to a live virtual murder mystery with a twist (Christie Con written by Jessica Austgen), to an audio adaptation of the Great American Novel (The Great Gatsby, created and performed by Zachary Andrews).

We wrapped it up with the musical theatre retrospective “Our Favorite Things,” a musical revue celebrating 45 years of musical theatre at the Center!

3. A quiet return to live theatre

Our return to live theatre brought us full circle with the story that we were hours away from opening when we closed our doors in March. Bess Wohl’s play Small Mouth Sounds opened in April - and it felt right to come back around to this poignant story about loneliness and connection. 

The cast of Small Mouth Sounds

The cast of Small Mouth Sounds, photo by Leslie Simon

4. The return of in-person education performances

We missed live performance of all kinds in 2020 - especially the opportunity for students in our Front Range Youth Symphony and Dance Academy programs to present their hard work for families and friends. Early this spring, we were back in the theatre - and by the end of the year we were thrilled to present these concerts to full houses. 

We continued to livestream these events, so that families near and far could tune in to marvel at these performances.

Dance Academy students rehearse for a fall performance, photo by Rosee Photography

5. Rocking out to Million Dollar Quartet

Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley walked into a recording studio… and the rest is history. We took this rock ’n’ roll musical outside, where these incredible performers heated up the Outdoor Amphitheatre through July. "From the first "It's one for the money" I had tears in my eyes and goosebumps running up my arms,” said BroadwayWorld’s Jon Bee.

The cast of Million Dollar Quartet, photo by Leslie Simon

6. …and understanding how it’s only one side of the story.

The musicians, producers, and recording studio in Million Dollar Quartet developed from a long history of blues, gospel and rhythm-and-blues music that became rock 'n' roll. We hosted a virtual talk on Race and the Myth of Rock 'n' Roll with Dr. Shana Redmond, Professor of Musicology and African American Studies at UCLA, to explore the pivotal role of race in rock music, and how that history is ignored.

7. Exploring the impact of the pandemic through art.

In the midst of Colorado's stay-at-home order in early March 2020, local artists did what they do best: they continued to create. This outpouring of creativity inspired the call for entry that would become Viral Influence: Art in the Time of the Coronavirus.

8. A stunning summer concert series under the stars

Summer was in full swing at the Center with live music and performances! Hundreds of people relaxed under the stars to see acts like Asleep at the Wheel and Face Vocal Band, as well as performances by our friends Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, Colorado Ballet and more.

Colorado Symphony concertmaster Yumi Hwang-Williams performs at the Center, photo by Amanda Tipton Photography

9. FRYS students had the opportunity to work with CO Symphony musicians.

Rather than traveling out of town for their annual summer retreat, students in our Front Range Youth Symphony had the opportunity to work with musicians from the Colorado Symphony  - including concertmaster Yumi Hwang-Williams. We're grateful for partnerships like these, providing incredible experiences for our students!

Read More

10. And the return of the Front Porch, with Dazzle Presents

Alongside performances in our Outdoor Amphitheatre, we hung out on the Arvada Center’s Front Porch this summer with a series of intimate and unplugged concerts, presented with Dazzle Jazz. Concert-goers enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere and good weather on Wednesday events through the summer, with concerts that ranged from bluegrass to a Jerry Garcia tribute.

11. Chicago Teen Intensive

Students in our summer Teen Intensive painted the town… and all that jazz! Students in the Teen Intensive program presented the musical Chicago, working with our directors, choreographers and production staff to learn about the musical production process from beginning to end.

Photo by Matt Gale Photography

12. Amplify live!

Beginning as a series of digital performances curated by actor and director Betty Hart last year, AMPLIFY evolved into a live event series with the goal of amplifying voices that have not traditionally been heard - at the Center or beyond. In 2021, we were honored to host evenings of performance and conversation curated by Betty Hart, Colorado Poet Laureate Bobby LeFebre, the Denver American Indian Festival, Cleo Parker Robinson, and Idris Goodwin (with special guest Justice Miles).

Watch highlights from the evening of performance presented by the Denver American Indian Festival.

13. Shuttered Venue Operators Grant

Thanks to a collaborative effort that saw many Arvada Center staff members providing detailed information about their respective fields of expertise, we were awarded a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant of just over $2,400,000. This program saw the federal government awarding over $16 billion to performance venues affected by the spread of COVID-19. Thanks to this funding, we are able to cover the loss of revenue that is still presently occurring due to canceled performances. 

14. Our incredible Box Office and Front of House staff

It’s been a challenging year to be on the front lines of customer service. Our Box Office and Front of House staff have weathered canceled performances, angry phone calls, changing health and safety regulations, technical difficulties surrounding virtual theatre, and much more. We’re immensely grateful for the hard work and perseverance of our Patron Services staff, House Management team, ushers and more - we literally couldn’t do it without them.

15. Starting the theatre season with a wedding

Our 2021-2022 theatre season started off with a wedding. I Do! I Do! - a two-person musical starring two sets of real-life married couples - eased audiences back into our theatre season with sweetness and a little sass.

16. The Black Box Theatre went to the dogs

Sylvia, A.R. Gurney’s classic comedy about marriage and dog-ownership was the first production in this theatre since we closed our doors in March 2020. "What a compelling, compassionate and hysterical tour-de-force performance..." wrote Beki Pineda (Boulder Magazine) about Jessica Robblee’s turn as the title canine.

Jessica Robblee and Gareth Saxe in Sylvia, photo by Amanda Tipton Photography

17. Hosting new events in the ballrooms

A new partnership with Three Tomatoes Catering means new opportunities! From a refreshed catering menu for our summer concerts to elevated dining experiences before select theatre performances, we were excited to get this new partnership off the ground.

18. A record-breaking number of submissions for Art of the State 

This fall, we held a Call for Entry for Art of the State 2022 - a triannual celebratory survey of the incredible diversity and quality of Colorado art. This open call open to all Colorado artists garnered a record-breaking 2,067 submissions by 734 artists!  The jurors worked diligently to select a comprehensive overview of work that strives to capture a wide scope of art from across the state. From those entries, 149 artworks by 142 artists were selected.

The exhibition opens this upcoming January. 

Read More

19. Supporting local artists at our Holiday Art Markets

A holiday tradition, our Holiday Art Markets physically returned to the galleries this winter. The 35th Annual Fine Art Market featured over 1,200 affordable items of original art from 70+ Colorado artists, and the 45th annual Pottery Sale featured work by students and instructors in the Center’s ceramics program. A select number of items were also for sale online only.

20. Finding our inner Elf

After the great success of our 2018 production of Elf – The Musical, we decided to invite some of the cast back to have a real reunion for the holiday season. We were thrilled to end the year with a bigger and better production complete with new sets and updated costumes. While the run had to close a little early, we still loved ending the year with seeing so many familiar faces – both on the stage and in the audience.

The cast of Elf - The Musical, photo by Amanda Tipton

21. Our audiences - all of you

Finally and most importantly - we're thankful for you. Everyone who has supported the Arvada Center during these challenging times has made an impact on supporting art and artists in Colorado. The magic of sharing art with our audiences is hard to describe. So thank you - for coming to a performance, taking a class, exploring our galleries, attending a concert, and valuing art in your lives and in our community! 

We hope that you will join us in 2022 as we celebrate and elevate the human condition like we have for the past 45 years.

Home,Reignite the Arts,Art at Home,Support Arvada Center Artists,Virtual Auction,Donate Now,Donate Now,Corporate Giving,Art Circle,2023-2024 Theatre Season,Renew,Visit Us,COVID-19 Entry Policies,View All Events,Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express,I Do! I Do!,Sylvia,Roland Bernier: In Other Words,Word Play,Elf - The Musical,Amplify: A Breakbeat Testimony,Amplify: Museo de las Americas,Spring Pottery Sale,The Liar,Animal Farm,Kinky Boots,Stick Fly,Amplify: Japanese Arts Network,Cleo Parker Robinson Dance presents Summer Suite,Big Band Royalty,Jeffrey Siegel: American Pianistic Treasures,Lola Montejo: After Another After,Floyd D. Tunson: Ascent,Anthony Garcia Sr: Pigment,A Tribute to the Boston Pops,The CJRO presents A Night of Sizzling Soul with Larry Braggs,Pink Martini featuring China Forbes,Carlou D,Pamela Webb: Hand + Hammer,Lauri Lynnxe Murphy: Seeing the Trees For the Forest,Pink Progression: Collaborations,Imprint: Print Educators of Colorado,528.0 Regional Juried Printmaking Exhibition,Wood.Works,Carley Warren: Three Pieces,Viral Influence: Art in the Time of Coronavirus,Brady Smith: (Don’t be embarrassed by) Your Trouble with Living,Melody Epperson: 100 Years + 1,Blurring The Line,Dawes,Melissa Etheridge,Narkita Gold: Black In Denver,Australian Pink Floyd,José González,Art of the State 2022,Into The Woods,Rockley Instrument Sale,Elle King,Madeleine Peyroux In Concert,Jeffrey Siegel: Franz Liszt - Satan or Saint,One Sheet,The River Bride,Fine Art Market,Holiday Pottery Sale,The History of African American Music Part 3,Hazel Miller and the Collective: Christmas with Soul,Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,Amplify: Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theatre,Colorado Abstract +10: A Survey,Fairy Tale High Tea,Gary Staab: Second Nature,Wendy Kowynia: Following the Thread,Flora: Scientific Botanical Illustrations of Colorado Plants,Compared to What with Robert Johnson & Marion Powers,Denver Gay Men's Chorus: Divas, Icons and Justice Warriors,The Trumpet Greats,Charlotte's Web,Arts For All Gala,The Book Club Play Sooper Credit Union Community Foundation Fundraiser,Art + Science,The Book Club Play,Damn Yankees,Our Town,Bueno: Mark Bueno,Jeffco Schools Foundation High School Art Exhibition,Dining Partners,Amplify,Amplify Performers,Theatre,Upcoming Shows,2023-2024 Theatre Season,Performances for Students,Auditions,Million Dollar Quartet Auditions,Holiday Plays,Galleries,Current Exhibitions,Wood.Works Know Before You Go,Gallery Events,Upcoming Exhibitions,Art Sales,Art Submissions,Viral Influence Call for Entry,Big Draw Colorado,Sculpture Field,History Museum,Archive,Education,View All Classes,Summer Camps,Full Day,FAQ,Spring Break Camps,Classes for Kids,Classes for Adults,Ceramics,Late Fall Ceramics Workshops,Front Range Youth Symphony,Dance Academy,Arts Day,Arts Day Outreach,Ageless Adults,Scholarships,Yesterado,Teen Intensive 2021,Yesterado,Field Trips and Outreach,ECE Field Trips,K-5 Field Trips,Middle and High School Field Trips,Outreach Programs,Music and Dance,Jeffrey Siegel,Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra,Summer Concerts,Front Porch Series,AEDA Summer Concerts,Humanities,On Their Shoulders We Stand,Private Event Rentals,Straight Talk Series ,Straight Talk with Philip Sneed,COVID’s toll on Colorado theatre: 224 productions and counting ,Straight Talk with Lynne Collins,Straight Talk with Rod Lansberry,Straight Talk with Phamaly, Buntport, Colorado Shakes and Rocky Mountain Rep,Straight Talk with Creede Rep, Town Hall, Candlelight and Theatre Company of Lafayette,Straight Talk with Aurora Fox, BDT Stage, Cherry Creek Theatre and Misfits,Straight Talk with Su Teatro, Vintage, Backstage and Counterweight,Straight Talk with Local Theater Company, Theater 29, The Source and Equinox,Straight Talk with the Denver Center, Jesters Dinner Theatre, Glenwood Vaudeville Revue and Germinal Stage-Denver,Actors' union issues safety guidelines for re-opening,Straight Talk with square product, Forge Light, Springs Ensemble Theatre and Coal Creek Theatre of Louisville,Straight Talk with the Fine Arts Center, Miners Alley Playhouse, Dangerous Theatre and Lone Tree Arts Center ,Straight Talk with Lake Dillon Theatre Company, Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company and Northglenn Arts,Straight Talk with The Catamounts, Bas Bleu and Thingamajig,Straight Talk with Curious Theatre Company,Straight Talk with OpenStage, Firehouse and Adams Mystery Playhouse,Straight Talk with Platte Valley Players and Theatreworks,Straight Talk with Parker Arts, Stories on Stage and Thunder River ,Staight Talk 2 with Philip Sneed: This much is uncertain,Pivoting With,Pivoting with The Black Actors Guild,Pivoting with ... Emily Van Fleet and Nathan Jones,Pivoting With ... Tammy Franklin and the Curtain Playhouse,Pivoting With Nick Sugar and the Town Hall Arts Center,Pivoting With Helen Murray and the Aurora Fox,Pivoting with Edith Weiss and Christy Montour Larson,Pivoting With Scott RC Levy and the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company,Pivoting with Todd Debrecini for Halloween,Pivoting with Ashley Campbell,Pivoting with Meghan Anderson Doyle,Pivoting with Jenna Moll Reyes,Pivoting with Erik Fellenstein,Pivoting with Ray Bailey ,Pivoting with Tara Falk,Community News,Inside the Arvada Center,Director's Notes: A Midsummer Night's Dream,All About Printmaking Techniques,Humans of the Arvada Center: Meet Collin Parson ,Arvada Center Makes Masks,Christina Noel-Adcock,"Bright Star" cast unveils video as message of hope,Humans of the Arvada Center: Meet Christine Moore,Humans of the Arvada Center: Steven Cogswell,Humans of the Arvada Center: Ashi K. Smythe,City of Arvada to install new sculpture in Hoskinson Park,Humans of the Arvada Center Jessie Page,Here are the 2019-20 Henry Award nominations,Arvada Center to Offer Students World’s First Zoom Musical,Humans of the Arvada Center Cal Meakins,Humans of the Arvada Center: Adam Stolte,Supreme Court workplace ruling hits home for Lisa Leafgreen,'Time for talk is over': Arvada Center launch 'Amplify' series to raise black male voices,Humans of the Arvada Center Jon Olson ,New Arvada Center, Aurora Fox seasons reflect current complexities,It's virtually impossible not to have fun in our summer camps,News roundup: Who The Denver Actor's Fund DEAR Fund has helped,Humans of the Arvada Center: Abygail Rosales,Pink Progression Collaborations: Jina Brenneman and Margaret Kasahara,Pink Progression: Julia Rymer and Drew Austin,Revealing The Dialogue,Amplify Epiode 3 launches, series expanding to include black women,Photo Blog: Sweeney Todd Rehearsals,Humans of the Arvada Center: Gabriel Morales,Pink Progression: Sangeeta Reddy and Jodie Roth Cooper,Front Porch Series Kickoff,Cleo Parker Robinson dances back in the box with Arvada Center,Amplify turns the mic over to local Black women ,Beth Malone bringing 'joy bomb' to Arvada Center oon September 4,Theatre news: Live streaming panel Monday on a big new 'Idea',Humans of the Arvada Center: Meet Emily King,Amplify Women Episode 2,Special Book Honors Special Dance Teacher,Arvada Center pivots to radio-play series for fall ,amplify-series-comes-to-powerful-conclusion,How COVID is impacting individual artists,Take a stroll through 'Sculpture in the Field',Arts In Education Week,Colorado Theatre News: Miscast pivots to CAST ,Essay: Was the Aurora Fox a safe house on Opening Night? ,Lessons from a summer of outdoor theatre in the time of COVID ,Humans of the Arvada Center: John Hamilton,Theatre news of the week: DCPA launches Recovery Fund,Zachary Andrews take a one-man bite out of 'Dracula',Spotlight Manos Soap,Doreen Montalvo in Denver: Compassion and grit,What to do: Theatre happenings for October 23,Betty Hart's presidential promise: Build a bigger tent,Theatre happenings October 30,Virtual theatre sprouts a new branch with Arvada Center's 'The Family Tree',Humans of the Arvada Center: Brenna Clendaniel and Sophia Koop,Theatre happenings November 12,the barnstormers are back,On being Black in Denver and all the colors that it brings,Getting to Know: Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales,Theatre happenings November 19: Companies entering cancellation mode,2021 in live theatre: A look into the Crystal Ball,2020 True West Awards: Buntpivot ,2020 True West Awards: Lily Bradford,2020 True West Awards: The Scenesters,2020 True West Awards: Podcastic,2020 True West Awards: Phamaly takes 'Honk' to Japan,2020 True West Awards: Christine Moore,2020 True West Awards: Alive Inside,2020 True West Awards: Michael Ensminger,True West Awards: They Wrote the Book,True West Awards: Rent-A-Pals,True West Awards: Of Spacious Skies,True West Awards: Christopher Page-Sanders,2020 True West Awards: Suffer the little children,2020 True West Awards: Spirit of Giving,2020 True West Awards: Secret Gardeners,2020 True West Awards: Denis Berkfeldt,2020 True West Awards: Amplify,2020 True West Awards: Reclaiming One Star,2020 True West Awards: William Hahn and Jessica Robblee,2020 True West Awards: Lisa Wagner Erickson,'The Family Tree affords actors rare chance to work during pandemic,SCFD: New picture of COVID carnage on metro nonprofits,New Arvada Center video offers diverse slate of holiday stories,20 for 20,Meet the Frasers,Bev Newcomb-Madden: Colorado's feisty, ferocious fairy godmother passes away ,Lucy Roucis' final act is a gutpunch,Reunite the Arts Collin Parson,Jodie Steeves and Nancy Terry,Reunite the Arts Lisa Leafgreen,Remembering John Gratkins,Reunite the Arts: From our CEO,Adapting the Great Gatsby,Small Mouth Sounds returns,Danielle Johnson Q&A,Reunite the Arts Lynne Collins,The Show Must Go On,Diana and Mike Kinsey,Get to Know Kazu Oba,Meet Suzanna Champion,The Gear of Million Dollar Quartet,FRYS and the Symphony,Get to Know Carlou D,Stories From the Studio,Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Lares Feliciano,21 for 21,An interview with Geoffrey Kent: The Liar,Art of the State 2022 Awards,An interview with Jada Suzanne Dixon: Stick Fly,An interview with Jessica Robblee: Animal Farm,Fast Facts About Kinky Boots,Costume Department Boots Up,Rod A Lansberry Announces Retirement from Arvada Center,Lynne Collins Named Artistic Director of Arvada Center Theatre,Getting to Know José González,2022 Henry Award Nominations,Getting to Know Joan Osborne and Madeleine Peyroux,Sit Under the Stars at the Front Porch Series ,The Many Sounds of Carlou D,The Tunes of the Daniella Katzir Band,Setting the mood: Into the Woods Set Designer Brian Mallgrave,Into the Woods Directors Note,The River Bride Director's Note,What is Magical Realism?,Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet Ana María Hernando,The CJRO Sessions featuring Robert Johnson,Meet Ceramics Artist Luanne Burke,From student to teacher: Hadley’s story,Tackling the Beast,Be Like Belle on Colorado Gives Day,Things to Know About Our Town,Creating the Look of Our Town: A Q and A with Set Designer Brian Mallgrave,Whatever Lola Wants - A Deep Dive into the Damn Yankees Signature Song,The Book Club Play Reads,Arts Advocacy,Volunteer,About Us,Ticketing Policies,Group Tickets,Ticket Discounts,Contact Us,Accessibility,Health and Safety,Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access,IDEA Task Force,Careers,Know Before You Go,Tours,Adopt an Actor 2023,Adopt An Artwork,Temp,Virtual Theatre FAQ,New Website ,Pink Progression Events,On Demand Troubleshooting,Blog,Lorem ipsum,Lorem ipsum 2,Newk’s,Steuben’s Arvada,The Family Tree FAQ,Home for the Holidays,Land Acknowledgement,What To Expect at the Theatre,One Sheet Music,Gift Certificates,Gala,Errors,404,The Family Tree Dining Offers,Privacy Policy,Our Town Synopsis