Seven local artists and arts organizations have a chance to win big this March. The Peak Arts Prize is a new grant contest that supports the arts in three categories: individual artists, and small and large organizations. From January through February, 34 applicants sent in videos describing their projects, and a panel of judges narrowed these down to seven finalists. Who decides the winners? You and me. A public vote decides the outcome for each category, and the lucky three will receive 2018 funding to create their new work.
“We have incredibly talented individual artists in this region — at all levels in their careers, in really diverse media, with unique voices — and there are very few options for them to receive local funding for their work,” says Angela Seals, deputy director of the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region (COPPeR), the organization administering the Peak Arts Prize program alongside community partners. Funding comes through the Pikes Peak Community Foundations’ Fund for the Arts. “The goal of the funding is to grow the artists’ own audience, for them to reach new people, which ultimately has within it the possibility of increasing earned revenue and patrons too beyond the prize.”
The Cultural Office will document the winners’ projects throughout the year in order to keep the community engaged in the new work they have voted for. “That’s ultimately where the real magic happens – the art itself, as it impacts its audience and unfolds in our neighborhoods,” Seals says. “That is the prize we all win.”
Only three of the seven worthy finalists will win the Peak Arts Prize. Check out the video applications and then vote for your favorites at peakartsprize.org/vote until March 15. The Cultural Office will announce the winners on March 21.
Individual Artists
Prize: $2,500
100 Potions for Puerto Rico by Jasmine Dillavou
An installation of 100 bottles featuring potions and assemblages representing the artist’s Puerto Rican heritage, designed to bring awareness of the history of Puerto Rico and the impact of Hurricane Maria.
Peak Poets in Film by Jamey Hastings
A film project highlighting the work of 10 local poets through a series of short films
Reverie Array by Kailani Dobson, Robert Stokes and Bailey Wilde
A project using photographs, film and an art installation that explores different aspects of memory along the Front Range.
Small Organizations
Prize $5,000
Peak Artists Features by Bornespro Media
A series of videos exploring the work and stories of five diverse creatives living in the Pikes Peak Region, designed to connect the local art community.
Springs Murals by Colorado Street Art Company
An initiative to bring high-quality street art to Colorado Springs and support local street artists.
Stitching Community Together by Textiles West
Art installations featuring community-created fabric panels that tell stories through pogaji-style stitching.
Large Organizations
Prize $7,500
Judges only selected one finalist in this category, but are encouraging voting as a show of public support.
Destination: Space by the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs
A science and art event at the Space Foundation Discovery Center featuring sights and sounds related to space. The event will include a new composition by local composer Jonathan Peters performed by the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, along with NASA visuals and hands-on activities.
