It is hard to believe that it has been a year since the pandemic hit. Like other arts organizations, the Arvada Center has dramatically shifted the way we deliver our education programs. I have worked at the Arvada Center for nearly 30 years, and I have never experienced a year like we’ve just had. I am continuously impressed with our resiliency and all we have been able to accomplish.

The last year has forced us to innovate and think of new ways to offer our programs. We learned to quickly shift from in-person painting classes to virtual. Our memoir writing class went to Zoom. Our ceramic studio was physically expanded to accommodate distancing between students. We now know that rewarding arts education experiences can be presented in a number of ways – in a virtual classroom with real-time instruction from inspiring and creative instructors or in-person and physically distanced.

Especially during trying times, humans need to connect and create. Our brains are wired for creating, whether to invent a solution that makes life easier or to simply brighten our spirits. Creativity fosters hope and offers us light at the end of a dark tunnel. It helps us stay connected. We need light in our lives. We know that children and adults find light in a variety of ways through educational experiences offered at the Arvada Center. Whether it’s the light in the eyes of a dancer that performs a perfect pirouette or the warm glow of a kiln as new ceramic creations come to life.

Your support makes these types of experiences possible. Through tumultuous times, your support means more to us than ever. Please consider making a contribution to the Arvada Center today and help safeguard the future of the arts for the students of today and tomorrow.

With gratitude,

Lisa Leafgreen

Director of Education

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