Through the planned programs below, the new Center will become a hub for a multitude of art-related activities, with programs and opportunities for children, adults, and families.

Artists Workshops and Education

A range of local and regional artists will offer year-round programming based on existing successful models. Programming, serving children through late adult life, will provide arts training in various media, using workshop approaches for hands-on experience with all students.

Community Programs

The Center will serve as a space to support the existing and growing need for multipurpose facilities in a community as active as Creede. Designed to be a flexible resource for the town's many arts, history, and public health organizations, it will provide a high-quality setting for shared initiatives, presentations, festivals, and gatherings.

One can easily envision the gallery bustling with the Creede Arts Council’s annual Small Print Exhibition, beautifully complemented by a quartet or soloist performance from the Santa Fe Opera—artists who are the founders of the emerging Creede Musical Arts Collective.

Envision a year-round series of slide show presentations and film screenings where local experts and museum professionals bring the fascinating stories of Creede’s past and landscape to life.

Or how about a mid-February gathering in the library, just after Senior Lunch being served next door – a time for knitting, chatting, and enjoying the sunlight streaming through the big windows.

By integrating wellness and professional resources with artistic and historical programming, the Center will evolve beyond a traditional museum into a vibrant cornerstone of our community’s future.

Event Spaces

In service to Quiller’s vision of “A Center for Creede,” plans include ample space for various community events, dinners, lectures, films, meetings, and more.

Temporary Exhibition Space

Throughout the building and up and down the halls, you will find rotating exhibitions featuring works by local and regional artists..

Library and Archive

This room will invite visitors to explore a digital archive of Quiller’s and other’s works, organized by date, subject matter, and medium or media and offer viewing of digital artifacts related to the history of Creede and the region. An analog file will store physical slides, 4x5 transparencies, and DVDs for future reproduction.

Education Programming

While awaiting the rennovations on our permanent space, educational programming is offered in spaces throughout the community.

Learn about Current Programming

Ideas for Future Education Programming

Youth Programming - Summer

Summer Day Camps (5-8 week-long camps/summer): These ‘Day Camps’ will provide a range of arts opportunities for various age groups. Day camps will be hosted by professionals in each field. A selection of summer programming might be as follows:

• Artistic Expression (ages 4-8)
• Puppet Building (ages 4-8)
• Introduction to Painting (ages 8-12)
• Introduction to Sculpture (ages 8-12)
• Photography (ages 14-18)
• Creative Non-Fiction (ages 14-18)
• Songwriting Workshop (ages 12-18)
• Podcast Production (ages 12-18)

Nature Excursions (1 per week): A day excursion exploring Creede’s wilderness and historic sites. Each outing involves transport to a destination in Creede’s surrounding area, a short hike, and an activity focusing on art, science, or history. For example, participants might spend the afternoon sketching a mountain vista, participating in a scavenger hunt to identify local flora and fauna or matching and re-creating historical photographs from their origin. This is a potential collaboration with the Recreation Center, who hosts “Fun Fridays”- a free program for students ages 3 and up.

Internships (Late High School/ College): CCA will offer internships for selected high school or college students in Colorado. Students will work alongside staff to learn the inner world of museum management, help hang shows and assist in programming. Interns will also receive a set amount of studio time each week and will work with a mentor to develop a body of work by the end of the summer.

Practical Filmmaking Immersion (ages 14-18, Spring - Summer): Practical Filmmaking Immersion has the potential to be a flagship program for Creede Center for the Arts. Students can choose to participate in all or part of the program, which walks participants through the entire process of making a film, from writing a screenplay to the final cut in editing.

Part I: Screenwriting (6- 8 weeks, 1 hour/week). This class can happen during the school year and be an online course. Participants will learn screenwriting foundations and best practices for working in a workshop environment. Each participant will finish the class with a production-ready, low-budget short screenplay. Class leaders will choose 1-2 scripts for summer production.

Part II: Pre-Production/ Production (3-4 weeks, immersion). Students will be taught the roles and dynamics of a professional film set and assigned “jobs” according to interest. The Creede Repertory Theatre can partner to work with students who will act in the production. Participants on the production team will do in-depth preparation according to their roles, then spend up to two weeks in production shooting the film.

Part III: Editing (2 weeks, immersion): This will be a small group invested in the editing process. Students will be assigned roles on an editing team and walked through the process of editing the finished film.

Practical Filmmaking Immersion will culminate with a film premiere event at the end of the summer. In addition, students can answer questions on a panel, and the event can be a fundraising opportunity.

Youth Programming - Winter

Work Study/ Independent Study (High School): The Creede Consolidated School District has worked with local businesses for many years to allow students to gain experience in their fields of interest. CCA will be an excellent addition to this program. Students can either work with staff to gain museum management and curation skills or take advantage of the facilities for approved independent study courses.

After-School Clubs: CCA can host a variety of arts or science-based after-school clubs. CCA will host a study within the school to see where interests lie and curate after-school programming to fit those needs.

Winter Nature Excursions (1 per month): Explore Creede in the wintertime. Winter nature excursions might include a cross-country ski to the destination of an open-fire weenie roast. Participants may write a poem about the experience.

Annual Youth Art Show (All Ages): CCA will host an annual youth art competition, with categories for both Elementary and High School students. CCA will partner with schools and their art programs throughout the San Luis Valley to gather submissions. Local artists will judge the show.

School Tours: CCA will be an attractive education opportunity for schools throughout the San Luis Valley and beyond. Students will participate in an art activity following the tour.

NOTE: Creede Center for the Arts will adapt youth programming based on current needs and interests.

Adult Programming - Summer

Art Workshops: Creede Center for the Arts has the opportunity to become a premiere location for top-quality artist workshops. Artists will be attracted by Creede’s natural beauty and professional instructors. Stephen Quiller will host one expansive water media workshop per summer. Additional workshops provide immersive education in (including, but not limited to) fine arts, writing, music, and multi-media arts.

Book & Lecture Series: Creede Center for the Arts will become a hub for authors on a book tour and an ideal lecture location. Each summer, CCA will provide an illuminating rotation of artists, scientists, historians, and other professionals who will share their knowledge with an audience before the stunning backdrop of the Creede Cliffs.

Stargazing (All Ages): Creede Center for the Arts is located in an area with low light pollution and has a large outdoor deck that can accommodate a telescope. The CCA will host an educational experience Centered around the night sky during astronomical events.

Plein Air Weekend (All Ages): Creede is the ideal venue for artists to come for three days to paint and experience Creede’s natural beauty. Artists will paint from life around town, and CCA will sponsor Plein Air excursions to some of Creede’s most beautiful nearby locations. The weekend will culminate with a live art auction that will benefit CCA.

Artist in Residence: This program may be folded into the CCA after several years of operation but is fundamental to underpinning CCA’s mission to foster art and art education in Creede. Each year, an Artist in Residence will be chosen from a group of applicants to spend several months focusing on and honing their craft in Creede. At the end of the summer, CCA will celebrate Artists in Residence with a show and art opening in one of the Center’s exquisite galleries.

Adult Programming - Winter

Local Adult Art Classes (6 weeks, one evening per week): Creede’s recent introduction of an adult pottery class has proven market for local adults interested in developing their artistic skills. CCA will host 2-3 weekly wintertime classes taught by local artists and craftspeople. Sessions may include woodworking, jewelry; silversmithing, basket weaving, or fiber arts.

Artist Retreats: CCA Winter Artist Retreats are designed for professional artists by invitation or application only. These retreats take advantage of Creede’s quiet winter months to create an atmosphere for qualified artists to focus and work. Artists share with their peers in structured critiques or workshop environments. Master artists lead the retreads and provide minimal guidance.