Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center

Description

One of the most unique arts centers is right here in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. Overlooking the purple mountains? majesty of Pikes Peak, on land provided by Mrs. Spencer Penrose, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center was founded in 1936 by Alice Bemis Taylor. Mrs. Taylor envisioned a wonderful space in which to house and display her fabulous collection of treasures from the Native American and Hispanic southwest, and with magnificent foresight, realized that this space could be a destination to celebrate all of the arts ? visual arts, performing arts, and arts education. Her formula was immensely successful ? the Fine Arts Center opened at a time when the city?s population was approximately forty thousand. During opening week, April 1936, five thousand people attended!

Today, the Fine Arts Center continues this grand tradition with its stunning art museum, performing arts theatre, and school of art. The beloved building was designed by renowned architect, John Gaw Meem, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Meem was awarded the Fifth Pan American Prize of Architecture in 1940 for the building?s design. The Fine Arts Center is often thought of as one of the top ten most significant buildings in Colorado.