Wherever the ARTery goes, soulful creation and connection follows.

Shaped like a butterfly, the mini pavilion was created during the pandemic as a way for local nonprofit VOICES to share and create art in even the most unexpected places. Now remobilized, the ARTery Tiny Stage is making its Rifle debut Friday with “HerStory – Strong Women in the Valley.”

“The idea is that we can find partners where we can take it to different communities, to Silt, New Castle, Parachute, to really utilize the mobility and a very intimate, sweet stage that’s not intimidating,” said MinTze Wu, VOICES executive and artistic director. “You step onto that stage, — it’s in the shape of a butterfly — (and) you feel this generosity of sharing stories. It’s not this big stage where you feel like you’re performing, but the essence is you sharing, and then us gathering around to listen to the stories.”

Since 2016, VOICES has amplified marginalized communitites through art with programming including theater projects highlighting the voices of the Spanish-speaking community, elderly, women and the queer community, a monthly VOICES Radio Hour and more.

“HerStory – Strong Women in the Valley” highlights the stories of four local women — Anni Litten, Bianca Godina, Ingrid Celeste Zuniga and Lorenza Tapia — while fostering community connections. Each will take the stage to share stories from their lives and how they move through the world as creators, community leaders and more.

“I really think this is going to inspire people to share their stories as well, and that they really matter,” Wu said. “These four women were so inspiring, and I think it’s going to be a very uplifting event for people to come and to know that these people are working tirelessly for the community.”

The 70-minute event will be accompanied by live music — Mateo Sandate on guitar with accompanying vocals and Wu on violin — and free pastries. The music will be inspired by “the origins of our storyteller,” according to Wu, and include original compositions.

The women each come from different backgrounds — a farmer, a single mother, a creative and a community leader — who are “making their name and their purpose in the valley,” Wu said.

“We have four women, all in different walks of life — we have one in the food production industry, realizing that that is the essence of growing a community is to have food security,” she later added. “They will each tell the stories of how they got here, their origins, their becoming, their journey and them finding their purpose in life.”

The event will be at the Bookcliffs Arts Center, which collaborated with VOICES to bring the ARTery Tiny Stage to Rifle. Bookcliffs aims to continue the collaboration and plans to host an ARTery Tiny stage event annually, according to Brenda Cox, president of the Bookcliffs Arts Center.

Cox said highlighting local voices matters because “they’re not going to have a voice otherwise, if you don’t start looking at people in your own backyard and what they are doing and how they are making the community better.”

“The essence of VOICES’ work is your stories. We want to amplify your stories,” Wu said. “We want people to really know how, by telling stories, by deeply listening to each other’s story, we could shape our community. We could get to know each other, we could really appreciate the true value of each other.

“In a time when it’s so divided — even within our valley, there’s the up valley, there’s the down valley — how we can shape our community is by showing up for each other and having the courage to share your story, because when that’s heard, then we meet you where you are,” she added. “It’s not by the news, it’s not by prejudice. We meet you where your stories are taking us.”