Girls Rock Denver 2018
Denver Arts & Venues, which has long been known for its support of public art, is also working to grow the city’s music scene. Today, October 8, it announced that it would be handing out $100,000 to people and groups advancing “the local music ecosystem” and building new audiences, specifically among younger fans.
The grants are funded through a public-private partnership between Arts & Venues, LivWell Enlightened Health and music champion Illegal Pete’s.
“Art, culture and music are vital parts of Denver’s community, economy, diversity and livability,” says Denver Mayor Michael Hancock in a statement announcing the grants. “We are dedicated to supporting and growing our cultural scene, and with these grants we can continue to sustain existing talent, as well as foster new programs and support emerging talent.”
Nearly 100 groups applied for the grant, and thirty were selected. In the mix is the DIY collective Seventh Circle Music Collective, ArtHyve, Girls Rock Denver, Black in Bluhm, the Denver Children’s Choir, Levitt Denver’s BandStart music education program and Youth on Record.
The full list of grantees:
7th Circle Collective: AV Club
Adam Baumeister: Colorado Audio Archive
Adrian H. Molina: Rap as Literature
Amber Blais: Zabiti – An Immersive Circus Adventure
Andre Carbonell: Insomniacs Live
ArtHyve: Escaping Erasure: A Musician’s Guide to Archiving
Birdseed Collective: Globeville Center “Visionary Music Program”
Black in Bluhm Project: The Black in Bluhm Project (BiBP)
Bring Music to Life: Instruments to Support Denver Public Schools
Catherine Beeson: Sensory Friendly Family Concerts
Denver Bass Squad: Double Bass Doubling
Denver Children’s Choir: Neighborhood Choir Program
Denver Public Library: United by Music / Unidos por la Musica
Denver Young Artists Orchestra Association: DYAO Cultural Exchange Central European Tour
DocuWest Film Festival: Film and Music Festival
El Sistema Colorado: Profressional Development for Teaching Artists
Girls Rock Denver: Girls Rock After School Program
Lauren Kashuk: shesaid.so Denver
Levitt Denver: BandStart – Inspiring, Teaching, Engaging in Music (ITEM) Performance Series
Nathan Hall: Active Music
Patrick Riley: Mutually Detrimental – Denver Artists Fund
Su Teatro: Inclusive or Derivative Workshops and Performances
The Black Box, LLC: Studio and Career Exploration
The HadaNou Collective: Vocal Coalition presents Universo Holografico con 2MX2
The Hollow, LLC: Mental Wellness Meetup
The Newman Center: Musical Explorers
Think 360 Arts for Learning: Colorado Song Laboratory: Where History Meets Tomorrow
Toluwanimi Obiwole: Rhyme and Rhythms
West Community Economic Development Corporation: Músicos de Westwood
Youth on Record: My Youth on Record Podcast: The Past, Present, Future of the Colorado Sound
By Kyle Harris
Kyle Harris quit making documentaries and started writing when he realized that he could tell hundreds of stories in the same amount of time it takes to make one movie. Now, hooked on the written word, he’s Westword’s Culture Editor and writes about music and the arts.
Photo: Girls Rock Denver