In an online program last month, Motus Theater collaborated with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Conference on World Affairs to present two monologues delivered by formerly incarcerated people. A third story, written by Colorado Springs CommunityWorks Vice President Juaquin Mobley, was read aloud by Dean Williams, executive director of Colorado’s Department of Corrections.
“It was an awesome opportunity for not only people at the Conference on World Affairs to learn about Mobley’s experience of the dehumanization and violence that he experienced in prison, but they had the pleasure of hearing Dean Williams who’s trying to do reform hold closely that experience and negotiate the grief of the gap between what his vision is and what continues to happen to people in our prison system,” says Motus artistic director Kirsten Wilson.
The Luna Mothra, a 300-pound mixed-media beast with LED illuminated eyes and twenty-foot-wide wings, will preside over the Mishawaka Amphitheatre beginning May 7. Commissioned by Dani Grant to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her co-ownership of the Bellvue venue with partner Matt Hoeven, the Luna Mothra will stand as a symbol of rebirth and regeneration.
“The Poudre Canyon’s been through a lot, says Grant. I really feel the strength of nature and the maternal vibe of Luna Mothra she’s got that mama-bear drive.
Before she assumed ownership of the Mishawaka, Grant ran an artist incubator nonprofit. In that role, she worked to bring musicians to venues like the Mishawaka. Nick LoFaro, who is a celebrated sculptor, happened to be a member of one of the bands Grant worked with. So when she began to think about a statement piece that could capture values of renewal and regrowth, she reached out to LoFaro to commission the piece.
At the beginning of this year, Colorado recording artist Matell felt disheartened by the pervasive violence and tragedy he witnessed. First, it was the insurrection at the Capitol. Then, it was a wave of hate crimes committed against Asian Americans. All of this was happening as coronavirus case counts continued to surge. Matell wanted to release a song with a clear and distinct message: one that could urge people out of their stupor and encourage change at an individual level.
“The pandemic we’re in people weren’t helping too many people,” Matell says. He wanted to remind people to “put away your hate, put away your selfishness, and reach out and help somebody.”
Music should be fun: That’s one of music educator Robby Schechter’s core beliefs. It sounds uncontroversial. But too many parents, Schechter says, drag their children to private lessons where kids practice boring drills and are asked to master sight-reading. Schechter, who is the founder of Musical Life Denver, comments, “That s really not a good recipe to get kids learning. It s impossible without the parent guiding them the whole way, and soon it becomes a frustration point.”
So when Schechter started Musical Life Denver a music school located on South Broadway in Englewood he vowed to teach lessons and classes in which the pulsating heartbeat of making music would be having fun. This May, Musical Life Denver is restarting KidzRock, group classes for students between the ages of four and seven, which have been put on pause since October.
“When I walked into the garage where the pieces were being stored, I thought, these are such beautiful pieces, says Kate Kaufman, operations director at the Denver Central Market. I was like, this isn’t right. It shouldn’t be stored in a garage. It should be out there where people can see it.
She was particularly taken with Lio Bumbakini’s mural “Still I Rise.” The black curvilinear shapes depict a person posing in water, one hand clasping a foot.
Kaufman reached out to Bumbakini and other local artists, who agreed that they wanted to auction their art and donate the proceeds to a local charity.