John Hines knew his job. It was the 20th Century but he knew he was part of the hand off that began in 1886 when Walter Devereux formed the Glenwood Light & Water Company and electric power came to town. He worked in the power plant on the north bank of the Colorado River and understood the flow of knowledge and ideas that would come together at historic moments.

He wrote “Thomas Edison traveled through the mountains of Colorado during the summer of 1878, visiting mines and observing the hand-powered drilling techniques. Moved by the immense and difficult effort expended by hand in the mining industry, Edison reportedly turned to a traveling companion at a point above the Platte River and stated ‘Why cannot the power of yonder river be transmitted to these men by electricity?’ Returning home to New Jersey, he ceased work on the phonograph and put all of his laboratory’s energies into the development of electricity.”

The Glenwood Springs hydroelectric plant was the conduit of the future, the change agent that transformed the everyday lives of individuals and industry. That structure has been the home to the Center for the Arts for decades and we continue to be the conduit of change and transformation. We do it with a dedication to finding the creative spark in everyone and making sure it powers the imagination. Like lightning, the arts rebalance the universal energy.

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Now, we begin a new chapter. When a June flood changed the course of our world and the main gallery floor was damaged, we immediately got to the business of getting back on track. September 2 – 10, our new floor will be completed and we invite you to be our guest from 3:30 – 6:00 on September 16 for our Grand Reopening.

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New Dreams, New Ideas

Everything we do at the Center is about you. We never stop imaging the next step, the next opportunity. We also never stop focusing on the business of art that powers that process. Here are two easy ways to be part of that process:

Our biggest fundraiser of the year is right around the corner. The 17th Annual Culinary Arts, Wine & Brewfest will be held Saturday, October 15, 2016 at the historic Hotel Colorado.

Join us from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. for a delightful evening of music, wine, beer, food tasting, chef demos, and the best silent auction in town with incredible items donated from across the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond.

August is Membership Month and we invite you to become a member of the award-winning Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts. Individual, Family and Business 12-month memberships are $30, $45 and $100. You receive discounts on our growing variety of children and adults classes and on annual events like the Culinary Arts Wine and Brewfest. Your membership also includes an invitation to our elegant annual Membership and Sponsor Appreciation evening. Your new or renewed membership supports year-long arts experience for everyone in the extended community and says that ‘art matters’. Go online at glenwoodarts.org or give us a call at 945-2414.

Remember, our Fall/Spring classes start the week of September 6th and they are filling up fast so go online to glenwoodarts.org and register now!

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. – Albert Einstein

Christina Brusig is the executive director of the Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts. She can be reached at christina@glenwoodarts.org.