Blog
The Impact of Art on Community: Breckenridge’s Cultural Contributions
Explore how the arts enrich and contribute to the community spirit in Breckenridge, fostering creativity and connectivity.
Sustain • Heal • Engage • Learn • Create • Connect
These are Breck Create’s impact words, and they embody our commitment to using art and culture to make a positive difference in the community. We hope to be a driving force in Breckenridge that connects, inspires and uplifts through a diverse range of artistic initiatives.
The video above is a visual testament to our influence across Summit County. In 2023, the far-reaching effects of our programming touched almost 50,000 lives, including more than 6,000 youth, through close to 1,000 classes and workshops, more than 150 Riverwalk Center events and 14 school enrichment programs. Keep reading to learn more about Breck Create’s impact on culture and community in Breckenridge.
Youth Education + After-School Care
Annually, Breck Create serves more than 2,000 local youth, helping parents work a full day by filling the gaps with wrap-around care options. Through a series of summer camps, our after-school art club, field trips and in-school workshops, we address our workforce’s need for affordable childcare options. We imbued this programming with arts-based social and emotional learning. Visit our event calendar to learn more about our youth, tween and teen programs.
Mental Health + Wellness
Art becomes a conduit for mental well-being with meditative classes and workshops. Breck Create hosted almost 1,000 classes and workshops in 2023, including a complete ceramics curriculum as well as classes in the following mediums: drawing, painting, glassblowing, metalsmithing and photography. Winter classes are online now and open for registration.
In collaboration with Building Hope, events like Acoustic Flow yoga and Guided Mindfulness Hikes during the Breckenridge International Festival of Arts (BIFA) combine gentle activity, music, wellness and inspiring art installations in order to ease stress, anxiety and depression. These community-minded events also offer opportunities for social connection. BIFA 2024 will be held August 16 – 25. Learn more here.
Our Día de Muertos festival in the fall featured a candlelight vigil with a procession through downtown Breckenridge. Aztec dance collective Grupo Huitzilopochtli lead dozens of community members through town, ending with a ceremonial performance designed to honor loved ones who have passed away. Dates and programming for the 2024 festival will be announced later this year.
Sustainability + Plastic Pollution Reduction
Breck Create champions environmental health with initiatives like the Precious Plastic program, which diverted more than 4,000 pounds of plastic waste from Summit County’s landfill in 2023. The re-maker’s space in the Fuqua Livery Stable, the program’s home on the Arts District Campus, provides a place for locals and businesses to repurpose plastic items, transforming them into art and other usable creations. In 2024, we are thrilled to continue to host collection events and offer classes and workshops aimed at repurposing plastic waste.
Connection + Community
Connection and community are at the heart of Breck Create’s mission. In 2023, we offered 56 free, family-friendly opportunities for people to gather. Most recently, the Handmade Holiday artist market drew locals and visitors alike to the Arts District Campus during the Lighting of Breckenridge. This past summer featured the AirStage Aprés series, where the AirStage, our mobile stage inside an Airstream trailer, became a regular attraction on the Ridge Street Art Square on the Arts District Campus. Seasonally, we invite the community to explore the Arts District during Campus Crawl events, and every July Fourth includes a full day of art-infused festivities.
Art + Activism
Breck Create continuously strives to be at the forefront of contemporary art. Throughout the year, Breck Create programs the exhibition space at Old Masonic Hall with up-and-coming artists who offer thought-provoking perspectives on environmentalism, visibility, equality and more. As an organization, we aim to support local artists by offering studio space through our Open Door Program. We host artists-in-residence as well, to bring regional, national and international artists of all disciplines to Breckenridge.
Music + Entertainment
Breck Create programs the Riverwalk Center, a heated, indoor performance venue that features a diverse range of ticketed live events including concerts, lectures and performances showcasing local, national and international talent. The 2023 season featured a range of acts including The Lone Bellow, Second City, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Graham Nash, Fran Lebowitz, The Wallflowers, Tig Notaro and Circa Contemporary Circus. The winter 2024 season is on sale now.
Additionally, Breck Create partners with resident companies that produce their own events. The National Repertory Orchestra calls the Riverwalk Center home. The Breckenridge Backstage Theater Company produces theatrical performances and Breck Film programs the Eclipse Theater.
Community Impact
Breck Create’s initiatives have made a substantial impact on Breckenridge in 2023, including:
Engaging 50,000 people through 56 free events and 20 AirStage activations.
Hosting 167 Riverwalk Center events, 33 Breck Create events, and 111 community events, with 23 rentals.
Diverting 4,214 lbs of plastic (since 2021) from the landfill through 62 collection events and 5 programs inspired by environmentalism.
Conducting 973 classes and workshops, including 2 health and wellness-focused events, engaging 827 Acoustic Flow Yoga participants and 45 free guided mindfulness hike attendees.
Generating a total annual economic impact of $4.7 million, according to the Americans for the Arts Economic Prosperity Calculator.
Employing 57 local musicians and 30 local artists, contributing to the cultural and economic vitality of Breckenridge.
Our commitment to artistic expression transcends creativity, leaving an indelible mark on Breckenridge’s cultural landscape. Read more about our purpose and become a member today. Your generosity helps us apply the power of the arts to create solutions to our community’s critical issues including wrap-around care for youth, plastic-pollution landfill diversion and programs to provide mental health and wellness.
Become a Member
Discover the power of membership at Breck Create. Membership starts at just $50 annually. Member benefits include:
Early ticket buying and priority seating for Breck Create Presents concerts and performances + BIFA
25 percent discount on classes, open studios and workshops (restrictions may apply)
Service fee waived for all classes, open studios, and workshops
Join this transformative journey by becoming a member and contributing to the flourishing community spirit that art has cultivated in Breckenridge. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store for you in 2024.