LIFEST Y LES AN ADVERTISING SECTION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA | VOL. 15 ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2023
the
of
HeART Evergreen
is growing
By Lisa Nierenberg Center for the Arts Evergreen
For 49 years, Center for the Arts Evergreen (CAE), has worked to bring the arts and the community together. In addition to bringing world renowned and award-winning art to the mountain community, CAE has created a space where all are welcome, creativity is nurtured, and individual expression is encouraged. Over time, CAE’s dedicated staff and volunteer have created a multi-cultural art center. As CAE gets ready to break ground and add 5,800 sq ft to its existing building, it’s a great time to reflect on the history and importance of art in our community. The vision for Phase II started long before current executive director, Lisa Nierenberg’s tenure at CAE. In 1974, a group of art enthusiasts forged a plan to provide moun-
FEATURE
OF THE MONTH tain area residents with an avenue to experience a wide variety of art, while also bringing high-level art instruction to our community. This organization was called the Evergreen Area Council for the Arts, and is now known as Center for the Arts Evergreen. In 2003, CAE moved into its first location at the Miller House, adjacent to Buchanan Rec Center, with plans to find a permanent home. Thanks to the generosity and support of the mountain community, CAE purchased, renovated and moved into our current location in the old Bergen Park Church in 2017, where the center continued to thrive and we began to raise money to build Phase II. When the world was forever changed in 2020 due
to the pandemic, plans were put on hold, priorities changed, and CAE witnessed and understood firsthand “why art matters.” People wanted a place to create, learn and discover. The community needed the arts more than ever and CAE needed the community. CAE pivoted, reimagined, and found new ways to keep the Arts Alive in the Mountain Community. It brought artists, art enthusiasts, members, and leaders of the mountain community together. CAE became a sanctuary for self-expression and because of that, the arts stayed alive and solidified CAE’s place in Evergreen. It is because of the generosity and support of the community that CAE is thriving. According to Lisa Nierenberg, “Whether you have attended one of our exhibit openings, learned something new through one Please see CAE, Page 2