The third season of “In Short,” is composed of short films that are solicited, curated, and programmed entirely by CC students. Ten half-hour episodes will air Mondays on Rocky Mountain PBS at 10:30 p.m., now through Nov. 25. It’s an ongoing partnership between CC’s Film and Media Studies Program and RMPBS. In addition to programming the shows, the students and staff edit the 10 episodes, assemble all legal and promotional materials, and deliver the completed shows to the network. Season three is executive produced by Julie Speer Jackson, Kate Perdoni, and Dylan Nelson; supervising producer is Lila Schmitz ’18; staff Claire Barber ’22, Kai Cintorino ’19, Meg DeMarsh ’19, Lily Green ’19, Ella Grossman ’20, Quin Hricik ’22, Audrey Mack-Westby ’19, Story Schwantes ’19, Will Stockton ’19, Fengyi Xu ’19, Meron Afutu ’19, Griffin Mansi ’19, Jesse Metzger ’19. Production of “In Short,” Season 4 is actively underway, helmed by supervising producer Kai Cintorino ’19.
Día de los Muertos: Bringing the Community Alive
By Emma Holinko-Brossman ’20
The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College has created a unique interpretation of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) through a celebratory exhibit Nov. 1-2. The museum’s permanent collection includes Southwestern art from artist Jerry Vigil and prints created by José Guadalupe Posada, both of which use themes from Día de los Muertos, a holiday celebrated in the U.S. and Mexico to honor deceased loved ones and keep their memory alive.
Polly Nordstrand, curator of Southwest art at the FAC, Kris Stanec, director of museum education, and countless others collaborated to create a community celebration, working with local schools and artists. Stanec sums up the experience saying, “It’s funny how these things spiral around each other, a generation of depth from all of the inter-connections.” She points out how the FAC has connected culture, community, and the CC alumni network in a creative display highlighting these beautiful relationships.
Madi Stuart ’13, MAT ’14, who majored in Spanish and also received her Master’s in Teaching, works at Manitou Springs Middle School. She and her students are creating an ofrenda that will celebrate the life and memory of Charles Rockey, an iconic local artist who passed away over the summer. Rockey captured impressionist depictions of the unique nature of Manitou Springs, nestled at the base of Pikes Peak. He spent 25 years teaching art at local schools and sharing his talent and joy with future generations of creative minds. Stuart’s students’ ofrenda, an offering or collection of objects, will be on display during the FAC’s Día de los Muertos celebration,
Students at Wilson Elementary School in Colorado Springs are also participating through its English language learning program. The school currently has 134 students enrolled in ELL, and many are still in the early stages of learning English. The FAC, through generous donations, has been able to provide transportation for all 134 students to come to the FAC on Friday, Nov. 1, to see their art come to life.
This holiday provides the catalyst for a connection between culture and perspective, exploring how to respect the traditions of Indigenous cultures over time. Maruca Salazar, a prominent artist located in Denver, will be creating a traditional Aztec altar for the FAC as part of this special exhibit, celebrating the power of tradition, community, and art.
The free community event Nov. 1-2, features a traditional Aztec altar by Salazar, ofrendas by area school groups, free art making activities, and more. Check out the altar building at the FAC Friday, Nov. 1, beginning at 11 a.m. Learn more about festivities and performances.
Street Artist Leads Graffiti Workshop on Campus
By Sarah Senese ’23
Eder Muniz, Brazilian street artist and co-founder of the art collective Calangos, led an all-day workshop for advanced art students and is displaying his work as an art installation on the side of the 3-D Arts building, at 117 East Cache La Poudre Street, as well as a mural at Bemis School of Art.
Known also as Calangos de Rua (street lizard), Muniz began drawing and painting the walls of his house at a young age, inspired by the graffiti tags he saw on the streets. Muniz is completely self-taught; he developed his distinct style over the years, inspired by the natural beauty of Brazil and the relationship its ecosystem shared with humans.
Muniz’s art collective Calangos, based in Salvador, Brazil, seeks to empower graffiti artists to replace the traditional, obtrusive graffiti tags in the streets of Brazil with art that conveys social messages, both improving the lives of artists and empowering the culture of favelas(slums) with beauty and deliberate, relevant messages. Muniz’s work has allowed him to travel the world, sharing his vibrant street art with cultures, cities, and artists of all ages.
During his workshop Oct. 7, Muniz worked with advanced art students to draw and create images with spray paint, giving students a chance to experience the art form of graffiti hands-on. Muniz also helped the students understand the unifying power that street art can have, allowing them to create a collaborative mural of their own, working together to form one cohesive image. Muniz says he hopes to instill the idea that art is not an individual task, but one thatmust be collective.
You can see his mural now on the 3-D Arts building east of Campus Safety, but it, along with the building, will soon to be demolished to make way for the future Robson Arena. The mural’s themes center on the human-animal relationship, incorporating a range of bright colors and symbols that reflect Muniz’s interpretation of nature. He aims to provoke both students and the greater Colorado Springs community to consider the connection between humans and nature and our place in a greater ecosystem, as well as instill an appreciation of graffiti art. The murals can be seen on the 3-D Arts building until December and also in Bemis School of Art.
Ben Wright ’01 Returns to Campus, Goes Behind the Scenes of ‘Meow Wolf’
By Sarah Senese ’23
On Oct. 21, Ben Wright ’01returns to Colorado College to share his experiences working with the artistic collective Meow Wolf. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Wright describes Meow Wolf as “an immersive, interdisciplinary collaboration between a large community of creatives and intellectuals,” connecting visual, auditory, and theatrical arts.
Working as the director for “House of Eternal Return,” Meow Wolf’s first full-scale installation, and as the senior creative lead for the sound team, Wright sees projects from the beginning to the end, aiding in the process of using sound to support new ways of storytelling through immersive arts experiences. Wright will discuss his work with Meow Wolf, various projects and exhibits, and the upcoming installation under construction in Denver.
Meow Wolf uses non-linear composition techniques for sound and interactive installations, a unique arts experience which Wright has had the privilege of working with so closely. The concept development at Meow Wolf always begins with the seed of an idea, necessitating collaboration with others to grow an artistic concept into a dynamic and immersive experience, a process for which Wright says CC has prepared him greatly. For Wright, Meow Wolf is directly “applicable to the CC culture in that it crosses all these boundaries between different areas of expertise including tech and sound, stage design, theatrical and performative elements.” The collaborative and community-based skills established at CC hit close to home for Wright, reminding him of the Department of Music and the feedback he received from professors and peers, specifically.
Wright presents on Oct. 21, in Cornerstone 130 at 7 p.m.; the event is open to the public and all students are encouraged to attend. Learn about Wright’s work with the collective, both the creative process and musically, and how he took his Colorado College experience and turned it into a career, utilizing CC’s creative community and engaging deeply with other artists. For Wright, his liberal arts education defines how he approaches problems and collaborates with others, “there’s strength in numbers here at Colorado College, and a great potential for success in every student.”
Get to Know: Kyle Cunningham, New General Manager of KRCC
By Miriam Brown ’21
Kyle Cunningham was named KRCC’s new general manager in September. But he’s not new to KRCC, or to public media, or even to the general manager position.
Cunningham says that “people kind of just fall into public media,” and he was no exception. While studying at Oklahoma State University for his bachelor’s degree in English, he started working at KOSU, the university’s public radio station. After graduation, he started working for KOSU full-time, eventually moving to KRCC to serve as membership manager in 2016, and the interim general manager in January.
“The history of our region, I think it’s very rich, and the idea that I could serve that community in a greater capacity as general manager is something that really appealed to me,” he said. “And I was just having a lot of fun being interim general manager, so I figured, well why not go for the job and see if I can do this?”
For Cunningham, Colorado Springs has been a special place to work and live. He loves being able to take his three dogs on hikes, exploring Old Colorado City with his wife, and meeting a unique mix of residents with adventurous spirits and “can-do” attitudes. He says he feels the energy and growth of Colorado Springs, and he thinks KRCC, as a public media organization, is best poised to match that growth.
“There’s plenty of awesome news outlets out there that do a good job, but I really think that public media stands alone in the sense that it is … truly nonpartisan and really strives to be that space for everyone,” he said. “We bring stories, human stories, stories of our own community, and I’ve always liked that.”
As general manager, he hopes to see KRCC grow in staff, in coverage, and in its ability to reflect the community and meet its needs. As for his goals for himself, he hopes to be at KRCC for a “very long time.”
“I’m incredibly lucky to be where I’m at right now,” Cunningham said. “I’m happy to be part of the Colorado College community, the KRCC community … I’m hoping that I can give back to this community in the same way it’s given so much to me so far.”
To support KRCC, those interested can tune in at 91.5 FM, read news at krcc.org, and donate at krcc.org. Students interested in internships can contact Managing Editor Andrea Chalfin at achalfin@krcc.org.
Thomas Evans’ ‘Detour’ Connects Music and Art
By Emma Holinko-Brossman ’20
Thomas “Detour” Evans, a Denver-based muralist, focuses on the connection of music and fine arts through traditional methods and technology. He looks to break down barriers when creating his art so the viewer can become engulfed and understand his message.
“Detour” is Evans’ current installation at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. His installation at the Fine Arts Centerwill be on display now through Dec. 8. “Detour” is a duel interactive piece that allows people to create sounds through the two string installations. These sounds can be changed remotely by him. Evans says he hopes to bring something new to a space, create new conversations, and individualize experiences. The use of multimedia for him evokes different feelings. “The sound is another brushstroke.”
Around Denver, Evans creates many portrait-based murals. These colorful and moving murals capture the spirit and diversity of the city through a singular face to be seen by the masses. The color aspect is not lost in his interactive installation; the background is painted to bring the feeling of two abstract mountain ranges forming one.
Evans did not start out on the path to become an artist. He has a background in business from University of Colorado-Denver with a focus on advertising. After traveling, he moved into becoming a full-time artist. He says interactive installations are interesting to him since he is able to use technology to create new layers into his artistic pursuit.
The artist and his work have been featured by CNN, numerous digital and print publications, radio and television outlets, and most recently, on the Netflix show: “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman,” for which Evans painted two portraits, one of Letterman and one of guest artist Jay-Z.
Award-Winning Poet Dominique Christina to Perform at CC
By Miriam Brown ’21
Dominique Christina has performed her poetry for National Poetry Slam Championships, TEDx stages, YouTube videos with thousands of hits, and conferences across the country. Next Monday, she will add Colorado College to the list.
Christina is an award-winning writer, educator, and activist who has written and performed poems broaching topics such as police brutality and menstruation. On Oct. 7, Christina will perform in Kathryn Mohrman Theatre with SpeakEasy, CC’s spoken word troupe, and Poetry 719, a Colorado Springs-based group, in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Montana Bass ’18, health education paraprofessional at the Wellness Resource Center, says the WRC sponsors ongoing programming throughout the month, but this performance is probably their biggest event.
Last year, they hosted spoken word poet Olivia Gatwood as part of their Domestic Violence Awareness Month events. This year, they’re also collaborating with the Student Title IX Assistance and Resource Team to follow the performance by providing relevant resources available to community members.
“I [hope] that students and community members who attend the event … develop a better understanding of the dynamics in intimate partner violence of power and control and the way that that is related to systems of oppression and other forms of identity-based violence,” Bass says. “I think Dominique is going to be really wonderful at drawing those topics together.”
Christina will perform on Monday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. in Kathryn Mohrman Theatre in Armstrong Hall. She will also be holding two workshops open to the CC community on Tuesday, Oct. 8: “Ally’s a Bad Word” at 12:15 p.m. in Sacred Grounds, and a writing workshop at 4 p.m. in the Cornerstone Flex Room.
Students Partner With Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission for Archival Project
By Miriam Brown ’21
For the next three months, Arielle Gordon ’21 will be sorting through crates of documents in the Collaborative for Community Engagement’s basement.
“I’m excited,” she says. “I don’t know what sort of hidden gems we have.
The crates contain memos from meetings, newspaper clippings, undated photographs, and other documents belonging to the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for issues of peace, justice, and sustainability. In celebration of the organization’s 40th anniversary, Gordon will be working with other CC students to read, organize, preserve, and share 40 years of archived documents with the community.
Gordon is a member of the Community Engaged Leaders program, a three-year program designed by the CCE to integrate civic leadership into students’ everyday lives, and this project will serve as one of the final pieces of the program — her capstone project.
But for Gordon, the project is more than a short-term project. She hopes that students will not only use this project as an opportunity to engage others about the work and history of the PPJPC, but also use it as a starting point for many future collaborations with the PPJPC.
“It’s important to help a community partner that’s done so much for the Springs … [and] to give students who are interested in history or some sort of social work the opportunity to engage with a community partner,” Gordon says.
Students interested in the PPJPC archival project can contact Gordon at a_gordon@coloradocollege.edu.
35 Years of FOOT: First-Year Students Embark on Annual Backpacking Trips
By Miriam Brown ’21
Emma Gorsuch ’21spent her first block break at Colorado College backpacking with other first-year students on a First Year Outdoor Orientation Trip. And this year during the first block break, as a junior she returned as a trip leader.
The CC FOOT program started in 1984 and has been sending out trips during the first block break, between Blocks 1 and 2 every year since. Trips are led by upper-class students who are certified through the Office of Outdoor Education and are open to first-years of any experience level.
This year, 57 first-year students participated in eight trips to destinations around Colorado such as the Lost Creek Wilderness, the Great Sand Dunes National Preserve in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Holy Cross Wilderness, Pike National Forest, and San Isabel National Forest.
Gorsuch and Kadin Mangalik ’20led eight first-year students through Buffalo Peaks Wilderness near South Park, Colorado. They hiked, meditated, ate meals together, shared life stories, and played get-to-know-you games like Hotseat. While on their way back to campus at the end, Gorsuch and Mangalik took a detour to Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival to show the first-year participants that there’s more to do in Colorado then hiking.
For Gorsuch, the students were the best part of the trip. She says she was impressed by the first-years’ openness in sharing their stories, respectfulness toward each other, and kindness about mistakes. She says the trip renewed her excitement “about CC and what CC can be,” and she hopes that the participants view her as a friend and a resource, whether to give advice on classes or drive them to King Soopers when they need groceries.
“I hope for them they got some sense of having a friend or someone to turn to within their class as well as in the upper class because I think it’s really easy to feel lonely as a first year,” Gorsuch said. “And also a sense that CC’s not as overwhelming and scary as it perhaps seems at first… even the older students don’t have it all together and that’s okay.”
CC Bluegrass Ensemble to Play at Exclusive Urban Festival
By Miriam Brown ’21
The International Bluegrass Music Association claims its Wide Open Bluegrass Festival is the largest free urban bluegrass festival in the world. This year, the lineup includes artists such as I’m With Her, Balsam Range, Doyle Lawson, and Quicksilver — and the Colorado College Bluegrass Ensemble.
The CC Bluegrass Ensemble is one of three groups designed to give CC students the opportunity “to develop material with the feel and structure of bluegrass music,” according to its website. Led by bluegrass program director Keith Reed, the group is audition-only and performs regularly at shows around Colorado.
The ensemble’s invitation to perform at the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival puts them on a line-up among a range of “all-star musicians,” says Camille Newsom ’20, who has been playing with the ensemble since last spring. The festival, which will take place from Sept. 27–28, in Raleigh, North Carolina, is part of IBMA’s “World of Bluegrass” week. Last year, the week’s events drew nearly a quarter million attendees.
The ensemble performing at the festival includes Newsom, Hub Hejna ’21, Ethan Hall ’21,Helen Lenski ’22, and Ada Bowles ’21. They all take lessons from Reed and practice on their own to learn songs; for performances like this, the group practices together many times a week.
“I am excited to play with this new group and develop our sound as a band,” Newsom says. “We all have a lot of fun playing together and over the course of the year have the opportunity to play lots of shows around the state. It is really exciting to be able to play at the IBMA festival because there will be many incredible musicians at the festival who are role models for us.”
The ensemble has played a few gigs locally in an effort to refine its set list for the festival. Hejna says the IBMA event “is a great chance for us to take what we’ve been working on and see how it’s received in one of the biggest bluegrass hotbeds in the U.S. Not only do we get to play a set at the same festival as some of bluegrass’s finest, but we will also be able to study the way professional musicians operate both on-stage and off and immerse ourselves in the deep-rooted culture of bluegrass music.”
